Bible Strands

1 Kings 8:50

May You forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all the transgressions they have committed against You, and may You grant them compassion in the eyes of their captors to show them mercy.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Solomon addresses God at the temple dedication, immediately following his petition for divine hearing in 1 Kings 8:49 and preceding his reminder of Israel's Exodus identity in 1 Kings 8:51. He speaks as king and mediator, interceding for a defeated and exiled population.

The words — The Hebrew verb וְסָלַחְתָּ (ve./sa.lach.Ta) translates literally as "and you will forgive," directed toward לְעַמְּךָ (le./'a.me./Kha), "to your people." These terms frame the verse as a direct request for divine pardon regarding specific sins and transgressions.

The thread — The request for captors to show mercy appears in Psalms 106:46 and 2 Chronicles 30:9, while the broader theme of divine rescue from trouble connects to Acts 7:10. These references trace a consistent scriptural pattern of God orchestrating mercy through human agents in exile.

Why it lands — The text demands acknowledgment that forgiveness and external mercy are initiated by God, not earned by the sinner. It requires the reader to pray for divine intervention in situations of defeat and captivity without assuming automatic deliverance.

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

וְסָלַחְתָּ֤ve./sa.lach.Taand/ you will forgiveלְעַמְּךָ֙le./'a.me./Kha<to>/ people/ yourאֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwhoחָֽטְאוּ־cha.te.'u-they have sinnedלָ֔ךְLa/khto/ youוּלְכָל־u./le./khol-and/ <to>/ allפִּשְׁעֵיהֶ֖םpish.'ei./Hemtransgressions/ theirאֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwhichפָּשְׁעוּ־pa.she.'u-they transgressedבָ֑ךְVa/khagainst/ youוּנְתַתָּ֧םu./ne.ta.Ta/mand/ you will make/ themלְרַחֲמִ֛יםle./ra.cha.Miminto/ [objects of] compassionלִפְנֵ֥יli/f.Nei<to>/ beforeשֹׁבֵיהֶ֖םshoei./Hemcaptors/ theirוְרִֽחֲמֽוּם׃ve./Ri.cha.Mu/mand/ they will have compassion on/ them

King James Version

And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them:

Cross-references