1 Kings 8:24

Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him: thou spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled [it] with thine hand, as [it is] this day.

Who hast kept {H8104} with thy servant {H5650} David {H1732} my father {H1} that thou promisedst {H1696} him: thou spakest {H1696} also with thy mouth {H6310}, and hast fulfilled {H4390} it with thine hand {H3027}, as it is this day {H3117}.

You have kept your promise to your servant David, my father; you spoke with your mouth and fulfilled it with your hand; so it is today.

You have kept Your promise to Your servant, my father David. What You spoke with Your mouth You have fulfilled with Your hand this day.

who hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou didst promise him: yea, thou spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thy hand, as it is this day.

1 Kings 8:24 is part of King Solomon's profound prayer of dedication for the newly completed Temple in Jerusalem. In this verse, Solomon praises God for His unwavering faithfulness in fulfilling the promises made to his father, King David.

Context

This verse is spoken during the grand ceremony of the Temple's dedication, a pivotal moment in Israelite history. After years of preparation by David and seven years of construction under Solomon, the magnificent Temple, the permanent dwelling place for God's name, is finally complete. Solomon stands before the altar, facing the congregation of Israel, and offers a powerful prayer that acknowledges God's past faithfulness, seeks His continued presence, and intercedes for His people. This particular verse highlights a key aspect of God's character: His reliability regarding His covenant promises.

Key Themes

  • God's Unwavering Faithfulness: The core message is God's perfect reliability. Solomon directly attributes the successful completion of the Temple and his own reign to God's commitment to His word. This demonstrates that God is not only powerful enough to make promises but also faithful enough to bring them to pass, regardless of the time elapsed or the obstacles faced.
  • Fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant: The verse directly references the promises made to David. The most significant of these is the Davidic Covenant, where God promised David an eternal dynasty and that his son would build a house for God's name. Solomon acknowledges that he, as David's son, building the Temple, is the living embodiment of that divine pledge.
  • The Power of God's Word and Hand: Solomon emphasizes that God "spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled [it] with thine hand." This poetic parallelism underscores the direct link between God's spoken promises and His active, tangible execution of those promises. It affirms that God's word is not empty but carries the power to accomplish exactly what it declares, as seen in Isaiah 55:11. The phrase "as it is this day" powerfully confirms the immediate, visible evidence of God's faithfulness.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew phrasing "spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled [it] with thine hand" uses a common biblical literary device known as parallelism. This emphasizes the divine action: God's verbal declaration is directly followed by His physical execution. It highlights that God's promises are not mere words but intentions backed by His omnipotent power to bring them to fruition.

Practical Application

Solomon's prayer in 1 Kings 8:24 offers profound encouragement for believers today. It reminds us that:

  • God is Trustworthy: Just as God kept His promises to David, He remains faithful to His covenant promises to us. We can rely on His character, even when circumstances seem challenging.
  • God's Plans Unfold: God's timeline may differ from ours, but His purposes and promises will ultimately be fulfilled. Solomon's reign and the building of the Temple were a testament to promises made generations earlier.
  • A Call to Remembrance: It's vital to remember and declare God's past faithfulness in our lives and in history. Acknowledging His past works strengthens our faith for present and future challenges.

This verse stands as a powerful testament to God's enduring faithfulness, a foundational truth for all who seek to understand His nature and His relationship with humanity.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • 2 Samuel 7:16

    And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.

  • 1 Kings 8:15

    And he said, Blessed [be] the LORD God of Israel, which spake with his mouth unto David my father, and hath with his hand fulfilled [it], saying,

  • 2 Samuel 7:12

    And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

  • 2 Chronicles 6:14

    And said, O LORD God of Israel, [there is] no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and [shewest] mercy unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts:

  • 2 Chronicles 6:15

    Thou which hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him; and spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled [it] with thine hand, as [it is] this day.
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