1 Kings 8:50

And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them:

And forgive {H5545} thy people {H5971} that have sinned {H2398} against thee, and all their transgressions {H6588} wherein they have transgressed {H6586} against thee, and give {H5414} them compassion {H7356} before {H6440} them who carried them captive {H7617}, that they may have compassion {H7355} on them:

and forgive your people who have sinned against you - forgive their transgressions which they have committed against you, and give them compassion in the sight of their captors, so that they will show compassion toward them;

May You forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all the transgressions they have committed against You, and may You grant them compassion in the eyes of their captors to show them mercy.

and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee; and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them

Commentary

1 Kings 8:50 is a poignant plea from King Solomon's monumental prayer at the dedication of the First Temple in Jerusalem. This verse underscores the deep understanding that Israel's well-being was inextricably linked to their faithfulness to God and His willingness to forgive their inevitable transgressions.

Context

This verse is part of a lengthy and comprehensive prayer offered by King Solomon after the completion of the Temple (1 Kings 8:22-53). Solomon, standing before the altar, anticipates various future scenarios for his people, including times of drought, famine, war, and crucially, exile due to sin. Verse 50 specifically addresses the dire situation where the Israelites might be carried away captive by their enemies because of their disobedience. Itโ€™s a powerful appeal for divine mercy and intervention even in the most severe consequences of sin, reflecting the conditional nature of God's covenant with Israel as outlined in the law.

Key Themes

  • Divine Forgiveness: At its core, Solomon's prayer is a desperate cry for God to forgive His people's sins and transgressions. This highlights God's character as a forgiving God, even when His people have rebelled against Him.
  • Mercy in Exile: The prayer anticipates the painful reality of Babylonian captivity and subsequent exiles, pleading for God's compassion to follow His people even into foreign lands.
  • Compassion from Captors: A remarkable and specific request is for God to move the hearts of their captors to show them compassion. This demonstrates Solomon's understanding that God's sovereignty extends even over the hearts of gentile rulers and nations.
  • Consequences of Sin: While pleading for mercy, the verse implicitly acknowledges that captivity is a direct consequence of the people's "transgressions," emphasizing the gravity of sin and its repercussions.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "transgressed" used here is pasha (ืคึผึธืฉึทืืข), which implies a deliberate act of rebellion or breaking a covenant, not merely an accidental error. It speaks to a willful turning away from God's commands. The word for "compassion" is rachamim (ืจึทื—ึฒืžึดื™ื), a plural form derived from a root meaning "womb," conveying a deep, visceral, and tender mercy, akin to a parent's love for a child. Solomon is asking God to stir up this profound, heartfelt pity in the captors.

Practical Application

This verse offers timeless lessons for believers today:

  • The Need for Repentance: It reminds us of the constant need for personal and corporate repentance when we have sinned against God.
  • God's Enduring Mercy: Even when we face the consequences of our actions, God remains a God of compassion and forgiveness, ready to hear our prayers when we turn to Him.
  • Prayer for the Oppressed: It encourages us to pray for those who are suffering, in captivity, or under oppression, asking God to soften the hearts of their oppressors and grant them favor.
  • God's Sovereignty: It reaffirms God's ultimate control over all circumstances and all people, including those who may be hostile towards us, demonstrating His ability to work in unexpected ways for His people's good.
Note: If the commentary doesnโ€™t appear instantly, please allow 2โ€“5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated โ€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Psalms 106:46 (5 votes)

    He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.

  • 2 Chronicles 30:9 (4 votes)

    For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children [shall find] compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God [is] gracious and merciful, and will not turn away [his] face from you, if ye return unto him.

  • Acts 7:10 (3 votes)

    And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

  • Ezra 7:27 (2 votes)

    ยถ Blessed [be] the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put [such a thing] as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which [is] in Jerusalem:

  • Ezra 7:28 (2 votes)

    And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God [was] upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.

  • Ezra 7:6 (2 votes)

    This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he [was] a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.

  • Nehemiah 2:4 (2 votes)

    Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.