Bible Strands
1 Kings 9:8
And when this temple has become a heap of rubble, all who pass by it will be appalled and will hiss and say, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — God addresses Solomon and the nation of Israel following the temple dedication, delivering a conditional warning about future apostasy. The declaration outlines the consequences of covenant unfaithfulness and the resulting desolation of both the land and the sanctuary.
The words — עֹבֵ֥ר ('o.Ver) = [one who] passes by and יִשֹּׁ֣ם (yi.Shom) = he will be appalled describe the reaction of observers who witness the temple’s ruin. These terms emphasize the visible, shocking nature of the desolation rather than a hidden judgment.
The thread — The question of why the LORD brought disaster appears in Deuteronomy 29:24, Jeremiah 22:8, and 2 Chronicles 7:21. These passages consistently link national ruin to covenant unfaithfulness and the abandonment of exclusive worship.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that divine judgment follows deliberate covenant violation, not arbitrary punishment. Readers must acknowledge that religious structures and national blessings are sustained only by continued fidelity to God.
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
King James Version
And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and to this house?
Cross-references
- Deuteronomy 29:24 So all the nations will ask, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land? Why this great outburst of anger?’
- Jeremiah 22:8 And many nations will pass by this city and ask one another, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this great city?’
- 2 Chronicles 7:21 And when this temple has become a heap of rubble, all who pass by it will be appalled and say, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’
- Jeremiah 19:8 I will make this city a desolation and an object of scorn. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff at all her wounds.
- Jeremiah 22:28 Is this man Coniah a despised and shattered pot, a jar that no one wants? Why are he and his descendants hurled out and cast into a land they do not know?
- Isaiah 64:11 Our holy and beautiful temple, where our fathers praised You, has been burned with fire, and all that was dear to us lies in ruins.
- Jeremiah 49:17 “Edom will become an object of horror. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff at all her wounds.
- Jeremiah 50:13 Because of the wrath of the LORD, she will not be inhabited; she will become completely desolate. All who pass through Babylon will be horrified and will hiss at all her wounds.
- Daniel 9:12 You have carried out the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us a great disaster. For under all of heaven, nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem.