1 Kings 8:48

and when they return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of the enemies who took them captive, and when they pray to You in the direction of the land that You gave to their fathers, the city You have chosen, and the house I have built for Your Name,

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — Solomon addresses God during the temple dedication, describing the future repentance of Israel while held captive by foreign nations.

The words — וְשָׁבּוּ (ve-shavu) translates as "they will return," paired with בְּכָל־לְבָבָם וּבְכָל־נַפְשָׁם (be-khol-levavam u-ve-khol-nafsham), literally "with all their heart and with all their being."

The thread — The text outlines a pattern of wholehearted return in exile that Deuteronomy 4:29, Jeremiah 29:12, and Daniel 6:10 later reflect.

Why it lands — The passage states that complete inward repentance and directed prayer toward God’s chosen city and temple are the explicit conditions for divine response.

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

וְשָׁ֣בוּve./Sha.vuand/ they will return אֵלֶ֗יךָ'e.Lei./khato/ you בְּכָל־be./kholwith/ all לְבָבָם֙le.va.Va/mheart/ their וּבְכָל־u./ve./Khol-and/ with/ all נַפְשָׁ֔םnaf.Sha/mbeing/ their בְּאֶ֥רֶץbe./'E.retzin/ [the] land of אֹיְבֵיהֶ֖ם'o.ye.vei./Hemenemies/ their אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-who שָׁב֣וּsha.Vuthey have taken captive אֹתָ֑ם'o.Ta/m<obj.>/ them וְהִֽתְפַּֽלְל֣וּve./hit.pa.Luand/ they will pray אֵלֶ֗יךָ'e.Lei./khato/ you דֶּ֤רֶךְDe.rekh[the] direction of אַרְצָם֙'ar.Tza/mland/ their אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwhich נָתַ֣תָּהna.Ta.tahyou gave לַאֲבוֹתָ֔םla./'a.vo.Ta/mto/ ancestors/ their הָעִיר֙ha./'Irthe/ city אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwhich בָּחַ֔רְתָּba.Char.tayou have chosen וְהַבַּ֖יִתve./ha./Ba.yitand/ the/ house אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-which בָּנִ֥יתִיba.ni.taI have built לִשְׁמֶֽךָ׃li/sh.Me./khafor/ name/ your

King James Version

And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:

Cross-references

Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house, where the windows of his upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
Deuteronomy 4:29 But if from there you will seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Jeremiah 29:12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
1 Samuel 7:3 Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”
Nehemiah 1:9 but if you return to Me and keep and practice My commandments, then even if your exiles have been banished to the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for My Name.’
Jonah 2:4 At this, I said, ‘I have been banished from Your sight; yet I will look once more toward Your holy temple.’
Deuteronomy 6:5 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Judges 10:15 “We have sinned,” the Israelites said to the LORD. “Deal with us as You see fit; but please deliver us today!”
1 Kings 8:29 May Your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that You may hear the prayer that Your servant prays toward this place.
Psalms 119:2 Blessed are those who keep His testimonies and seek Him with all their heart.