1 Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house.
2 And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house.
3 And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord.
5 And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
6 And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of musick of the Lord, which David the king had made to praise the Lord, because his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.
7 Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord: for there he offered burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brasen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the fat.
8 Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt.
9 And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.
10 And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the Lord had shewed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.
11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord, and the king's house: and all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the Lord, and in his own house, he prosperously effected.
12 And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.
13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.
16 For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
17 And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my statutes and my judgments;
18 Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.
19 But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;
20 Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.
21 And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and unto this house?
22 And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them.
<html><b>And the priests…on their watches</b> as David had divided them into twenty-four watches, for each watch to serve its week, and the Levites likewise on their twenty-four watches <b>to give thanks</b> with musical instruments, for they recited (Ps. 136): “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His loving kindness is eternal.” <b>with David’s praise</b> The musical instruments with which they recited David’s praise and the thanksgivings were in the Levites’ hands. <b>and the priests were sounding the trumpets opposite them</b> For it was incumbent upon them to play music with the trumpets, as it is said (Num. 10: 8): “And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow [with the trumpets].”</html>
<html><b>And Solomon consecrated the interior of the court</b> Our Sages differ in this matter (<i>Zeb.</i> 59): Rabbi Judah says: He consecrated the floor of the forecourt with the sanctity of the altar to burn offerings on the floor, because the copper altar was too small to contain [the offerings], because they brought many sacrifices. Rabbi Jose said to him: Was it not already stated (1:6): “And he offered up on it a thousand burnt offerings” on the altar that Moses had made? When you compute the number of cubits and the number of burnt offerings, you will find that this one of stones was larger than that of Moses, for on Moses’ altar, the place of its pyre was a cubit by a cubit, whereas on Solomon’s, the place of its pyre was twenty-four by twenty-four. The result is that Solomon’s [altar] was 576 times as large as that of Moses. If so, what is the meaning of (I Kings 8:64): “the king consecrated the interior of the court”? That he set the stone altar into it, fastened to the floor. <b>could not contain</b> He is talking about Moses’ [altar], like a person who says, “So and so is a dwarf and is disqualified from performing the sacrificial service.”</html>
<html><b>from the entrance of Hamath</b> which is in the north of the land of Israel. <b>to the brook of Egypt</b> which is opposite it, as is delineated in אֵלֶּה מַסְעֵי (ibid. verse 5).</html>
<html><b>And on the twenty-third day of the seventh month, he dismissed the people</b> which was the ninth [day] of the inauguration of the Temple, but in I Kings (8:66) it is written: “On the eighth day,” which was the twenty-second of the month. The meaning is: On the eighth day he gave them permission to leave after the Feast, and on the morrow, when the Feast was over, they all went [home] together. Another meaning: On the eighth day he gave them permission and dismissed those who lived within the Sabbath limits and whoever wished to travel and go on that day in that limit, and on the following day, he dismissed the entire populace. In <i>Genesis Rabbah</i> (35:3) it is explained that they took his leave but waited there one more day and then they repeated [this procedure] and took leave again a second time; therefore it is said: “on the twenty-third day of the month.” <b>rejoicing and delighted of heart, etc. for David, for Solomon</b> For that which He spoke with His mouth above (I Chron 28:6): “Your son Solomon - he shall build My House,” He fulfilled with His hand, for He gave him a son sitting on his throne, who built a House in the name of the Lord. And in <i>Genesis Rabbah</i> it is explained: Said Rabbi Levi: It is written: “for the inauguration of, etc.” “Rejoicing” refers to “that the Lord had wrought for David,” viz. that He fulfilled that which He had vowed to Solomon, that He chose him from all his brothers because he was wise. <b>and for Israel His people</b> it is written in I Kings (8:56): “there has not failed one word, etc.” Another explanation: “and for Israel His people” - they had a ruler, so that they dwelt safely and tranquilly, as it is written (ibid. 5:5): “And Judah and Israel dwelt, etc.”</html>
<html><b>And the Lord appeared to Solomon at night</b> in a vision of the night. <b>I have heard your prayer</b> With the wording that Solomon used, “And You shall hear.” The Holy One, blessed be He, answered him: “I have heard your prayer.” He prayed, (above 6:26): “When heaven is closed up.” And the Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “If I close up.” He prayed concerning famine and locusts, and the Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “if I command locusts.” He prayed concerning pestilence, and the Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, “or if I send pestilence upon My people. <b>and My people… humble themselves”</b> by praying and seeking My presence and repenting of their evil ways. Hence we have three [responses] corresponding to three [entreaties].</html>
<html><b>If I shut up… if I command…or if I send</b> corresponding to three prayers, “I shall hear…and forgive their sin, and heal their land.”</html>
<html><b>and My eyes and heart will be</b> Jonathan renders (I Kings 9:3): “and My presence will rest there if My will is performed there at all times.” My eyes will be there if My heart and My will are there.</html>
<html><b>I shall cast from before Me</b> according to the condition between Me and you, viz. (Lev. 26: 14): “But if you do not heed Me.” What does it say there? (verse 31): “And I shall make your sanctuaries desolate.” <b>and I shall make it a proverb</b> as people compose a proverb about someone who was befallen by misfortune. <b>and a byword</b> - Heb. וְלִשְׁנִינָה, like (Deut. 6:7): וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ, “and you shall teach them.” [It is] an expression of recounting misfortunes. Similarly, the Targum of (Gen. 37:10) וַיְסַפֵּר “And he told,” is וְאִשְׁתָּעֵי, and [the <i>Targum</i> of] וְלִשְׁנִינָה is וּלְשׁוּעֵי.</html>
<html><b>every passerby will be astounded</b> i.e., The Temple will be destroyed, and every passerby will then be astounded (יִשֹּׁם), like (Job 18:20): “Concerning his day - the later people shall be astonished (נָשַׁמּוּ).” <b>Why has the Lord done</b> בַּמֶּה, like (Deut. 29:23): “Why (עַל מֶה) has the Lord done thus,” and so it is written in I Kings (9:9).</html>