The Meaning of 1 Kings 8:36 Explained

1 Kings 8:36

KJV: Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.

YLT: then Thou dost hear in the heavens, and hast forgiven the sin of Thy servants, and of Thy people Israel, for Thou directest them the good way in which they go, and hast given rain on Thy land which Thou hast given to Thy people for inheritance.

Darby: then hear thou in the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou teachest them the good way wherein they should walk; and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.

ASV: then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou teachest them the good way wherein they should walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then hear  thou in heaven,  and forgive  the sin  of thy servants,  and of thy people  Israel,  that thou teach  them the good  way  wherein they should walk,  and give  rain  upon thy land,  which thou hast given  to thy people  for an inheritance. 

What does 1 Kings 8:36 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 8:33-43 - Appeals To The God Of Mercy
Solomon's prayer is evidently based on the book of Deuteronomy, and tends to confirm the old belief that, with the rest of the Pentateuch, this book came from the hand of Moses. In 2 Chronicles 20:7-9, Jehoshaphat pleaded this prayer as though it were substantially a promise, and therefore all needy souls who find their case described here, may plead it on their own behalf.
Notice how frequently Solomon speaks of prayer, even in the land of captivity and exile, as being-directed toward the Temple, 1 Kings 8:38, etc. It reminds us of the grave need of maintaining unimpaired our spiritual frontage. It has been truly said that the direction of the soul's outlook is the preliminary question in religion. Whether our home looks south or north; whether it faces sunless alleys or sunny fields, is an important physical consideration with us: It is likewise of great importance that the mind or soul should face the right way. The difference between spiritual health and disease is very largely one of the way in which we front. For us, Temple, Altar, and Mercy-Seat are all summed up in Jesus Christ. Our life must be spent looking unto Him, Hebrews 12:2.
1 Kings 8:1-66 - Breaking Three Commandments
From a worldly point of view Naboth might have done a good stroke of business by selling his estate to. Ahab. A royal price and assured favor might have been his-but he had a conscience! Above the persuasive tones of the monarch's offer sounded the voice of God: "The land shall not be sold for ever, for the land is mine." See Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7; Ezekiel 46:18.
Ahab knew perfectly well that Jezebel could not give him the property of another except by foul means, but he took pains not to inquire. Though the direct orders for Naboth's death did not come from him, yet, by his silence, he was an accomplice and an accessory; and divine justice penetrates all such specious excuses. God holds us responsible for wrongs which we do not arrest, though we have the power. The crime was blacker because of the pretext of religion, as suggested by a fast. See also 2 Kings 9:26. The blood of murdered innocence cries to God, and his requital, though delayed, is inevitable. See Revelation 6:9-10. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 8

1  The feast of the temple
12  Solomon's blessing
22  Solomon's prayer
54  Solomon's blessing
62  His sacrifice of peace offerings

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 8:36 mean?

Then You hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel that You may teach them - the way good in which they should walk in and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance -
וְאַתָּ֣ה ׀ תִּשְׁמַ֣ע הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם וְסָ֨לַחְתָּ֜ לְחַטַּ֤את עֲבָדֶ֙יךָ֙ וְעַמְּךָ֣ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כִּ֥י תוֹרֵ֛ם אֶת־ הַדֶּ֥רֶךְ הַטּוֹבָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵֽלְכוּ־ בָ֑הּ וְנָתַתָּ֤ה מָטָר֙ עַל־ אַרְצְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁר־ נָתַ֥תָּה לְעַמְּךָ֖ לְנַחֲלָֽה ס

וְאַתָּ֣ה ׀  Then  You 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
תִּשְׁמַ֣ע  hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם  in  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וְסָ֨לַחְתָּ֜  and  forgive 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: סָלַח  
Sense: to forgive, pardon.
לְחַטַּ֤את  the  sin 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חַטָּאָה 
Sense: sin, sinful.
עֲבָדֶ֙יךָ֙  of  Your  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
וְעַמְּךָ֣  and  Your  people 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
כִּ֥י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
תוֹרֵ֛ם  You  may  teach  them 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: יׄורֶה 
Sense: to throw, shoot, cast, pour.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַדֶּ֥רֶךְ  the  way 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
הַטּוֹבָ֖ה  good 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  in  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יֵֽלְכוּ־  they  should  walk 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וְנָתַתָּ֤ה  and  send 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
מָטָר֙  rain 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָטָר  
Sense: rain.
אַרְצְךָ֔  Your  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
נָתַ֥תָּה  You  have  given 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לְעַמְּךָ֖  to  Your  people 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
לְנַחֲלָֽה  as  an  inheritance 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: נַחֲלָה  
Sense: possession, property, inheritance, heritage.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation