The Meaning of 1 Kings 8:44 Explained

1 Kings 8:44

KJV: If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, whithersoever thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto the LORD toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house that I have built for thy name:

YLT: 'When Thy people doth go out to battle against its enemy, in the way that Thou dost send them, and they have prayed unto Jehovah the way of the city which thou hast fixed on, and of the house which I have builded for Thy name;

Darby: If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray to Jehovah toward the city that thou hast chosen, and the house that I have built unto thy name;

ASV: If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatsoever way thou shalt send them, and they pray unto Jehovah toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

If thy people  go out  to battle  against their enemy,  whithersoever  thou shalt send  them, and shall pray  unto the LORD  toward  the city  which thou hast chosen,  and [toward] the house  that I have built  for thy name: 

What does 1 Kings 8:44 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 8:44-53 - A Plea For National Righteousness
How true it is that there is no man that sinneth not, 1 Kings 8:46! Only one that ever walked this earth was holy, guileless, and undefiled, Hebrews 7:26. When we fail to watch and abide in Christ, we are easily carried into captivity. How many of God's children are thus taken captive! They are in bondage to some besetting sin, to some evil habit, to some degrading business, or to some unseemly alliance. Like blind Samson, they grind in the prison-house.
Let any such, who long for freedom, take home to their souls the infinite comfort which God's Word affords. Let them bethink-themselves of the holy and blessed days of the past. Let them repent, that is, in their heart and in practice put away the evil thing which is the outward badge of their sad condition. Let them turn again to the Savior, who has passed into the Holiest, that He may intercede in the presence of God for us all. There will be an immediate response. God will hearken in all that they call unto Him for, will forgive transgression and sin, and will restore His people to become again His own inheritance for His glory and praise.
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 8:44 mean?

when go out Your people to battle against their enemy way wherever You send them and when they pray to Yahweh toward the toward city which You have chosen in and the temple which I have built for Your name
כִּי־ יֵצֵ֨א עַמְּךָ֤ לַמִּלְחָמָה֙ עַל־ אֹ֣יְב֔וֹ בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּשְׁלָחֵ֑ם וְהִתְפַּֽלְל֣וּ אֶל־ יְהוָ֗ה דֶּ֤רֶךְ הָעִיר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּחַ֣רְתָּ בָּ֔הּ וְהַבַּ֖יִת אֲשֶׁר־ בָּנִ֥תִי לִשְׁמֶֽךָ

יֵצֵ֨א  go  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
עַמְּךָ֤  Your  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
לַמִּלְחָמָה֙  to  battle 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְחָמָה  
Sense: battle, war.
עַל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
אֹ֣יְב֔וֹ  their  enemy 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ  way 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  wherever 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
תִּשְׁלָחֵ֑ם  You  send  them 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
וְהִתְפַּֽלְל֣וּ  and  when  they  pray 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: פָּלַל 
Sense: to intervene, interpose, pray.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
דֶּ֤רֶךְ  toward 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
הָעִיר֙  the  toward  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
בָּחַ֣רְתָּ  You  have  chosen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בָּחוּר 
Sense: to choose, elect, decide for.
וְהַבַּ֖יִת  and  the  temple 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
בָּנִ֥תִי  I  have  built 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
לִשְׁמֶֽךָ  for  Your  name 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.