1 Kings 8:42(for they shall hear of your great name, and of your mighty hand, and of your outstretched arm); when he shall come and pray toward this house;
The setting
Jerusalem, ~950 BC. Solomon dedicates the magnificent temple. Thousands gather as he prays for even foreigners to find God here. Modern Jerusalem, Israel.
The emotion here: overwhelmed by God's universal love while dedicating national temple
The original word
nēkār (נֵכָר) — foreign stranger, one from outside covenant community
Why it matters
This temple took 7 years to build and used cedar from Lebanon, gold from Ophir
Read with care
What most readers miss in 1 Kings 8:42
Solomon is praying for people who don't even know God yet to somehow hear and come
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about Jewish exclusivity, but Solomon is actually praying for foreigners to come worship at Israel's temple.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 1 Kings 8:42
Bible Genome reading
1 Kings 8:42 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
1 Kings 8:42 comes from the book of 1 Kings, written during the United Kingdom period. The setting is the Temple. These words are attributed to Solomon. The dominant emotion in this verse is worship, with a comfort power of 60% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the prayer genre of biblical literature. Key themes include God's reputation, divine power, universal worship. Notable phrases: your great name; mighty hand; outstretched arm; pray toward this house. This verse is a prayer.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same worship
“Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one:”
— Deuteronomy 6:4
“and you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”
— Deuteronomy 6:5
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:”
— Ecclesiastes 3:1
“Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.”
— John 14:6
“Jesus said to them, "Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM."”
— John 8:58
Your reflection
What does 1 Kings 8:42 mean to you, today?
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