The Meaning of 1 Kings 8:37 Explained

1 Kings 8:37

KJV: If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be;

YLT: Famine -- when it is in the land; pestilence -- when it is; blasting, mildew, locust; caterpillar -- when it is; when its enemy hath distressed it in the land in its gates, any plague, any sickness, --

Darby: If there be famine in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blight, mildew, locust, caterpillar; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their gates; whatever plague, whatever sickness there be:

ASV: If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting or mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

If there be in the land  famine,  if there be pestilence,  blasting,  mildew,  locust,  [or] if there be caterpiller;  if their enemy  besiege  them in the land  of their cities;  whatsoever plague,  whatsoever sickness  [there be]; 

What does 1 Kings 8:37 Mean?

Context Summary

1Ki 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.
1Ki 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: 1Ki 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 8:37 mean?

Famine when there is in the land pestilence if there be [or] blight [or] mildew locusts [or] grasshoppers if there be when besieges them their enemy in the land of their cities whatever plague or whatever sickness [there is]
רָעָ֞ב כִּֽי־ יִהְיֶ֣ה בָאָ֗רֶץ דֶּ֣בֶר כִּֽי־ יִ֠הְיֶה שִׁדָּפ֨וֹן יֵרָק֜וֹן אַרְבֶּ֤ה חָסִיל֙ כִּ֣י יִהְיֶ֔ה כִּ֧י יָֽצַר־ ל֛וֹ אֹיְב֖וֹ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ שְׁעָרָ֑יו כָּל־ נֶ֖גַע כָּֽל־ מַחֲלָֽה

רָעָ֞ב  Famine 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רָעָב  
Sense: famine, hunger.
יִהְיֶ֣ה  there  is 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
בָאָ֗רֶץ  in  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
דֶּ֣בֶר  pestilence 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דֶּבֶר 
Sense: pestilence, plague.
יִ֠הְיֶה  there  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
שִׁדָּפ֨וֹן  [or]  blight 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁדֵפָה 
Sense: blighted or blasted thing, blighted, blasted.
יֵרָק֜וֹן  [or]  mildew 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֵרָקֹון  
Sense: mildew, paleness, lividness.
אַרְבֶּ֤ה  locusts 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַרְבֶּה  
Sense: a kind of locust, locust swarm (coll).
חָסִיל֙  [or]  grasshoppers 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חָסִיל  
Sense: locust.
יִהְיֶ֔ה  there  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
יָֽצַר־  besieges 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָרַר 
Sense: to bind, be narrow, be in distress, make narrow, cause distress, besiege, be straitened, be bound.
אֹיְב֖וֹ  their  enemy 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
בְּאֶ֣רֶץ  in  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
שְׁעָרָ֑יו  of  their  cities 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
כָּל־  whatever 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
נֶ֖גַע  plague 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֶגַע  
Sense: stroke, plague, disease, mark, plague spot.
כָּֽל־  or  whatever 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
מַחֲלָֽה  sickness  [there  is] 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַחֲלֶה 
Sense: disease, sickness.