1 Kings 8 · Verse 12

1 Kings 8:12

Then spake Solomon, The Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
1 Kings 8:12, King James Version

1 Kings 8:12 in other translations

BSBThen Solomon declared: “The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud.
WEBThen Solomon said, “The LORD has said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
ASVThen spake Solomon, Jehovah hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
YLTThen said Solomon, ‘Jehovah hath said to dwell in thick darkness;
DARBYThen said Solomon: Jehovah said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
BBEThen Solomon said, O Lord, to the sun you have given the heaven for a living-place, but your living-place was not seen by men;
WebsterThen spoke Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

What does 1 Kings 8:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
12. Then spake Solomon--For the reassurance of the priests and people, the king reminded them that the cloud, instead of being a sign ominous of evil, was a token of approval. The Lord said--not in express terms, but by a continuous course of action (Ex 13:21; 24:16; Nu 9:15).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 The Lord said - he would dwell - It was under the appearance of a cloud that God showed himself present with Israel in the wilderness; see Exo 14:19, Exo 14:20. And at the dedication of the tabernacle in the wilderness, God manifested himself in the same way that he did here at the dedication of the temple; see Exo 40:34, Exo 40:35.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Kings 8:12-21
Solomon encouraged the priests, who were much astonished at the dark cloud. The dark dispensations of Providence should quicken us in fleeing for refuge to the hope of the gospel. Nothing can more reconcile us to them, than to consider what God has said, and to compare his word and works together. Whatever good we do, we must look on it as the performance of God's promise to us, not of our promises to him.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

1 Kings 8:12 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

אָ֖ז'azthenH227
אָמַ֣ר'a.Marhe saidH559
שְׁלֹמֹ֑הshe.lo.MohSolomonH8010
יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אָמַ֔ר'a.Marhe has saidH559
לִשְׁכֹּ֖ןlish.Konto dwellH7931
בָּעֲרָפֶֽל\׃ba.'a.ra.Felin <the> thick darknessH6205

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Kings 8:12

  • Psalms 97:2

    Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.

  • 2 Chronicles 6:1-11

    Then said Solomon, The Lord hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. But I have built an house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for ever. And the king turned his face, and blessed the whole congregation of Israel: and all the congregation of Israel stood. And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who hath with his hands fulfilled that which he spake with his mouth to my father David, saying, …

  • Leviticus 16:2

    And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.

  • Isaiah 45:15

    Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.

  • Exodus 20:21

    And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

  • Psalms 18:8-11

    There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

  • Hebrews 12:18

    For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,

  • Deuteronomy 4:11

    And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.

  • Deuteronomy 5:22

    These words the Lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
The Lord.
De 4:11; 2Ch 6:1,2-11; Ps 18:8-11; 97:2
the thick.
Ex 20:21; Le 16:2; De 5:22; Isa 45:15; Heb 12:18

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Kings 8:11

    So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord.

  • 1 Kings 8:12

    Then spake Solomon, The Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

  • 1 Kings 8:13

    I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever.

Read all of 1 Kings 8

1 Kings 8:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces dijo Salomón: Jehová ha dicho que él habitaría en la oscuridad.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Alors Salomon dit: L’ Éternel a dit qu’il habiterait dans l’obscurité profonde.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Damals sprach Salomo: Jehova hat gesagt, daß er im Dunkel wohnen wolle.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Tunc ait Salomon: Dominus dixit ut habitaret in nebula.