translation_id: net-engnet

label: NET translator note

text: The words “O Lord ” do not appear in the Hebrew text, but they are supplied in the translation for clarification; Solomon addresses the Lord in prayer at this point.


text: Heb “turned his face.”


text: Heb “and he blessed all the assembly of Israel, and all the assembly of Israel was standing.”


text: The Hebrew text reads, “fulfilled by his hand,” but the phrase “by his hand” is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.


text: The Hebrew text reads, “promised by his mouth,” but the phrase “by his mouth” is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.


text: Heb “saying.”


text: Heb “to build a house for my name to be there.” Here “name” is used by metonymy for the Lord himself, and thus the expression “to be there” refers to his taking up residence there (hence the translation, “a temple in which to live”). In this case the temple is referred to as a “house” where the Lord himself can reside.


text: Heb for my name to be there.” See also the note on the word “live” in v. 5 .


text: Heb “and it was with the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.” sn On the significance of the Lord ’s “name,” see the note on the word “live” in v. 5 .


text: Heb “Because it was with your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was with your heart.”


text: Heb “your son, the one who came out of your body, he will build the temple for my name.”


text: Heb “five cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the length would have been 7.5 feet (2.25 m).


text: Heb “five cubits.”


text: Heb “three cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the height would have been 4.5 feet (1.35 m).


text: Heb “said.”


text: Heb “one who keeps the covenant and the loyal love.”


text: Heb “who walk before you with all their heart.”


text: Heb “[you] who kept to your servant David my father that which you spoke to him.”


text: Heb “you spoke by your mouth and by your hand you fulfilled, as this day.”


text: Heb “there will not be cut off from you a man from before me sitting on the throne of Israel.”


text: Heb “guard their way by walking in my law as you have walked before me.”


text: Or “prove to be reliable.”


text: Heb “Indeed, can God really live with mankind on the earth?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course not,” the force of which is reflected in the translation “God does not really live with mankind on the earth.”


text: Heb “turn to.”


text: Heb “by listening to.”


text: Heb “the loud cry and the prayer.”


text: Heb “praying before you.”


text: Heb “so your eyes might be open toward this house night and day, toward the place about which you said, ‘My name will be there.’”


text: Heb “by listening to the prayer which your servant is praying concerning this place.”


text: Heb “listen to the requests of your servant and your people Israel which they are praying concerning this place.”


text: Heb “hear and forgive.”


text: Heb “and if the man who sins against his neighbor when one takes up against him a curse to curse him and the curse comes before your altar in this house.”


text: Heb “and you, hear [from] heaven and act and judge your servants by repaying the guilty, to give his way on his head, and to declare the innocent to be innocent, to give to him according to his innocence.”


text: Or “are struck down before an enemy.”


text: Heb “confess [or perhaps, “praise”] your name.”


text: Heb “and they pray and ask for help.”


text: Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 31, 38 ).


text: Heb “when.” In the Hebrew text vv. 26-27 a actually contain one lengthy conditional sentence, which the translation has divided into two sentences for stylistic reasons.


text: Or “heavens” (also in v. 12 ). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם ( shamayim ) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.


text: Heb “they.”


text: The Hebrew text reads “because you answer them,” as if the verb is from עָנָה (’ anah , “answer”). However, this reference to a divine answer is premature, since the next verse asks for God to intervene in mercy. It is better to revocalize the consonantal text as תְעַנֵּם ( tÿ ’ annem , “you afflict them”), a Piel verb form from the homonym עָנָה (“afflict”).


text: The present translation understands כִּי ( ki ) in an emphatic or asseverative sense (“Certainly”). Other translation have “indeed” (NASB), “when” (NRSV), “so” (NEB), or leave the word untranslated (NIV).


text: Heb “the good way in which they should walk.”


text: Or “for an inheritance.”


text: Actually two Hebrew words appear here, both of which are usually (but not always) taken as referring to locusts. Perhaps different stages of growth or different varieties are in view, but this is uncertain. NEB has “locusts new-sloughed or fully grown”; NASB has “locust or grasshopper”; NIV has “locusts or grasshoppers”; NRSV has “locust, or caterpillar.”


text: Heb “in the land, his gates.”


text: Heb “every prayer, every request for help which will be to all the people, to all your people Israel.”


text: Heb “which they know, each his pain and his affliction.”


text: The words “their sin” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarification.


text: Heb “and act and give to each one according to all his ways because you know his heart.” In the Hebrew text vv. 28-30 a actually contain one lengthy conditional sentence, which the translation has divided up for stylistic reasons.


text: Heb “Indeed you know, you alone, the heart of all the sons of mankind.”


text: Heb “fear.”


text: Heb “by walking in your ways.”


text: Heb “all the days [in] which.”


text: Heb “your great name.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor (thus the translation here, “your great reputation ” ).


text: Heb “and your strong hand and your outstretched arm.”


text: Heb “and do all which the foreigner calls to [i.e., “requests of”] you.”


text: Heb “name.” See the note on “reputation” in v. 32 .


text: Heb “that your name is called over this house which I built.” The Hebrew idiom “call the name over” indicates ownership. See 2 Sam 12:28 .


text: Heb “When your people go out for battle against their enemies in the way which you send them.”


text: Heb “toward this city which you have chosen and the house which I built for your name.”


text: Heb “their prayer and their request for help.”


text: Heb “and accomplish their justice.”


text: Heb “they”; the referent (God’s people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Or “stop and reflect”; Heb “bring back to their heart.”


text: Or “done wrong.”


text: Or “soul.”


text: Heb “your name.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor (thus the translation here, “your honor ” ).


text: Heb “their prayer and their requests for help.”


text: Heb “May your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayer of this place.”


text: Heb “be clothed with deliverance.”


text: Heb “and may your loyal ones rejoice in good.”


label: NET textual note

text: Heb “do not turn away the face of your anointed ones.” Many medieval Hebrew mss , as well as the ancient versions, read the singular, “your anointed,” which would probably refer to Solomon specifically, rather than the people.