1 Kings 8:1 Explained in Context

Verse 1. ¹ Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.

Verse 2. ² And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.

Verse 3. ³ And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.

Verse 4. ⁴ And they brought up the ark of the LORD, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, even those did the priests and the Levites bring up.

Verse 5. ⁵ And king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be told nor numbered for multitude.

Verse 6. ⁶ And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims.

Verse 7. ⁷ For the cherubims spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.

Verse 8. ⁸ And they drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle, and they were not seen without: and there they are unto this day.

Verse 9. ⁹ There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

Verse 10. ¹⁰ And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,

Verse 11. 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.