1 Kings 8:31

When a man sins against his neighbor and is required to take an oath, and he comes to take an oath before Your altar in this temple,

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Solomon speaks to God during the temple dedication, petitioning for divine judgment when civil disputes arise. He positions this request immediately after asking God to hear and forgive when Israel prays toward the temple (1 Kings 8:30).

The words — The Hebrew phrase וְ/נָֽשָׁא־ אָלָה (ve./na.sha'- 'a.Lah) literally means "and he will impose an oath." This denotes the legal mechanism forcing a suspect to swear to their innocence before the altar.

The thread — Oath procedures for legal disputes appear in Exodus 22:8 for unresolved theft and Numbers 5:16 for suspected adultery, both requiring accountability before a sacred authority. Leviticus 5:1 addresses guilt from failing to testify after hearing a public charge but does not describe the oath ritual itself.

Why it lands — The text establishes that legal accountability in Israel was anchored to the temple altar and divine witness. It requires readers to accept that sworn testimony at a sacred site, not human arbitration alone, determines guilt or innocence.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

אֵת֩'et<obj.>אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sher[that] which יֶחֱטָ֥אye.che.Ta'he will sin אִישׁ֙'ishanyone לְרֵעֵ֔הוּle./re.'E./huto/ neighbor/ his וְנָֽשָׁא־ve./na.sha'-and/ he will imposeב֥וֹv/oon/ himאָלָ֖ה'a.Lahan oath לְהַֽאֲלֹת֑וֹle./ha.'a.lo.T/oto/ put under an oath/ him וּבָ֗אu./Va'and/ he will come אָלָ֛ה'a.Lahhe will swear an oath לִפְנֵ֥יli/f.Nei<to>/ before מִֽזְבַּחֲךָ֖miz.ba.cha./Khaaltar/ your בַּבַּ֥יִתba./Ba.yitin the/ house הַזֶּֽה׃ha./Zeh<the>/ this

King James Version

If any man trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house:

Cross-references

Exodus 22:8 If the thief is not found, the owner of the house must appear before the judges to determine whether he has taken his neighbor’s property.
Leviticus 5:1 “If someone sins by failing to testify when he hears a public charge about something he has witnessed, whether he has seen it or learned of it, he shall bear the iniquity.
Numbers 5:16 The priest is to bring the wife forward and have her stand before the LORD.
2 Chronicles 6:22 When a man sins against his neighbor and is required to take an oath, and he comes to take an oath before Your altar in this temple,
Proverbs 30:9 Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God.