1 Kings 8

“Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.

“And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the…” Naming Ethanim and Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.” Naming Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And they brought up the ark of the LORD , and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were…” Naming Levites keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were with him before the ark…” Naming Israel and Solomon keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.

“For the cherubims spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“And they drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle, and they…” The line’s distinctive content terms include seen, staves, drew. Its relationship to verses 7 shows what work it does in this passage.

“There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.

“And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD ,” This familiar narrative signal moves the clock forward. What follows is a new scene, consequence, or answer to an earlier tension.

“So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.” Naming Solomon keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever.” The line’s distinctive content terms include abide, built, dwell. Its relationship to verses 12 and 14 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And the king turned his face about, and blessed all the congregation of Israel: (and all the congregation of Israel…” Naming Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which spake with his mouth unto David my father, and hath with his…” Naming Blessed and David keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to…” Naming Israel and David keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And it was in the heart of David my father to build an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.” Naming David keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And the LORD said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well…” Naming David and Whereas keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Nevertheless thou shalt not build the house; but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And the LORD hath performed his word that he spake, and I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the…” Naming Israel and David keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And I have set there a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of the LORD , which he made with our fathers, when…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.

“And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his…” Naming Israel and Solomon keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And he said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.

“Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him: thou spakest also with thy mouth, and hast…” Naming David keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Therefore now, LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father.” Naming David keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry…” Naming Yet keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“If any man trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.

“Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and…” The line’s distinctive content terms include condemning, head, hear. Its relationship to verses 31 shows what work it does in this passage.

“When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou…” Naming Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place…” The line’s distinctive content terms include afflictest, confess, heaven. Its relationship to verses 34 and 36 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good…” Naming Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their…” The line’s distinctive content terms include land, besiege, blasting. Its relationship to verses 36 and 38 shows what work it does in this passage.

“What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose…” The line’s distinctive content terms include knowest, children, dwelling. Its relationship to verses 38 and 40 shows what work it does in this passage.

“That they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.” The line’s distinctive content terms include days, fathers, fear. Its relationship to verses 39 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name’s sake;” Naming Israel and Moreover keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“(For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people…” Naming Hear and Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, whithersoever thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto the LORD…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.” The line’s distinctive content terms include cause, hear, heaven. Its relationship to verses 44 and 46 shows what work it does in this passage.

“If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the…” The line’s distinctive content terms include enemy, angry, captives. Its relationship to verses 45 and 47 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them…” The line’s distinctive content terms include land, built, captive. Its relationship to verses 47 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause,” The line’s distinctive content terms include cause, dwelling, hear. Its relationship to verses 50 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed…” The line’s distinctive content terms include compassion, captive, carried. Its relationship to verses 49 and 51 shows what work it does in this passage.

“For they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“That thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to…” Naming Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“For thou didst separate them from among all the people of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spakest by the…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD , he arose…” Naming Solomon keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying,” Naming Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Blessed be the LORD , that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.

“The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us:” The verse names God rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

“That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the LORD , be nigh unto the LORD our God day and…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else.” The verse names God rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

“Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as…” The verse names God rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

“And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the LORD .” Naming Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered unto the LORD , two and twenty thousand oxen, and…” The number two makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“The same day did the king hallow the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD : for there he offered…” The line’s distinctive content terms include offerings, burnt, LORD. Its relationship to verses 63 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath…” The number seven makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“On the eighth day he sent the people away: and they blessed the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of…” Naming David and Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.