1 Kings 8:35 When the skies are shut and there is no rain because Your people have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and they turn from their sins because You have afflicted them,

◄ 1 Kings 8:35 ►

New International Version
“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them,

New Living Translation
“If the skies are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and if they pray toward this Temple and acknowledge your name and turn from their sins because you have punished them,

English Standard Version
“When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them,

Berean Standard Bible
When the skies are shut and there is no rain because Your people have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and they turn from their sins because You have afflicted them,

King James Bible
When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them:

New King James Version
“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them,

New American Standard Bible
“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and praise Your name, and turn from their sin when You afflict them,

NASB 1995
“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain, because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name and turn from their sin when You afflict them,

NASB 1977
“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain, because they have sinned against Thee, and they pray toward this place and confess Thy name and turn from their sin when Thou dost afflict them,

Legacy Standard Bible
“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain, because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name and turn from their sin when You afflict them,

Amplified Bible
“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and praise Your name and turn from their sin when You afflict them,

Christian Standard Bible
When the skies are shut and there is no rain, because they have sinned against you, and they pray toward this place and praise your name, and they turn from their sins because you are afflicting them,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When the skies are shut and there is no rain, because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and praise Your name, and they turn from their sins because You are afflicting them,

American Standard Version
When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them:

Contemporary English Version
Suppose your people sin against you, and you punish them by holding back the rain. If they turn toward this temple and pray in your name and stop sinning,

English Revised Version
When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"When the sky is shut and there's no rain because they are sinning against you, and they pray toward this place, praise your name, and turn away from their sin because you made them suffer,

Good News Translation
"When you hold back the rain because your people have sinned against you, and then when they repent and face this Temple, humbly praying to you,

International Standard Version
"When heaven remains closed, and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, and they pray in the direction of this place, confessing your name and turning from their sin when you afflict them,

Majority Standard Bible
When the skies are shut and there is no rain because Your people have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and they turn from their sins because You have afflicted them,

NET Bible
"The time will come when the skies are shut up tightly and no rain falls because your people sinned against you. When they direct their prayers toward this place, renew their allegiance to you, and turn away from their sin because you punish them,

New Heart English Bible
"When the sky is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against you; if they pray toward this place, and confess your name, and turn from their sin, when you punish them:

Webster's Bible Translation
When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray towards this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them:

World English Bible
“When the sky is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and confess your name, and turn from their sin when you afflict them,

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
In the heavens being restrained, and there is no rain, because they sin against You, and they have prayed toward this place, and confessed Your Name, and turn back from their sin, for You afflict them,

Young's Literal Translation
'In the heavens being restrained, and there is no rain, because they sin against Thee, and they have prayed towards this place, and confessed Thy name, and from their sin turn back, for Thou dost afflict them,

Smith's Literal Translation
In the heavens being shut up and there will be no rain when they shall sin against thee; and they pray to this place and profess thy name, and they turn back from their sin when thou shalt humble them:

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
If heaven shall be shut up, and there shall be no rain, because of their sins, and they praying in this place, shall do penance to thy name, and shall be converted from their sins, by occasion of their afflictions:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And if the heavens have closed, so that there is no rain, because of their sins, and they, praying in this place, shall do penance to your name, and shall be converted from their sins, by occasion of their afflictions,

New American Bible
“When the heavens are closed, so that there is no rain, because they have sinned against you, but they pray toward this place and praise your name, and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them,

New Revised Standard Version
“When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, and then they pray toward this place, confess your name, and turn from their sin, because you punish them,

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against thee; and they shall come and pray in this place and confess thy name and turn from their sins, when thou dost afflict them;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And when the skies will be restrained and there will be no rain because they have sinned against you, and they will come and they will pray in this place, and they will confess your name and they will turn from their sins when you will answer them

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, when they do sin against Thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess Thy name, and turn from their sin, when Thou dost afflict them;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
When the heaven is restrained, and there is no rain, because they shall sin against thee, and the shall pray toward this place, and they shall make confession to thy name, and shall turn from their sins when thou shalt have humbled them,

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Solomon's Prayer of Dedication
…34then may You hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel. May You restore them to the land You gave to their fathers. 35When the skies are shut and there is no rain because Your people have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and they turn from their sins because You have afflicted them, 36then may You hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, so that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk. May You send rain on the land that You gave Your people as an inheritance.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Deuteronomy 11:16-17
But be careful that you are not enticed to turn aside to worship and bow down to other gods, / or the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you. He will shut the heavens so that there will be no rain, nor will the land yield its produce, and you will soon perish from the good land that the LORD is giving you.

Leviticus 26:19
I will break down your stubborn pride and make your sky like iron and your land like bronze,

Deuteronomy 28:23-24
The sky over your head will be bronze, and the earth beneath you iron. / The LORD will turn the rain of your land into dust and powder; it will descend on you from the sky until you are destroyed.

2 Chronicles 6:26-27
When the skies are shut and there is no rain because Your people have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and they turn from their sins because You have afflicted them, / then may You hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, so that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk. May You send rain on the land that You gave Your people as an inheritance.

Jeremiah 14:1-7
This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought: / “Judah mourns and her gates languish. Her people wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem. / The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns, but find no water; their jars return empty. They are ashamed and humiliated; they cover their heads. ...

Amos 4:7
“I also withheld the rain from you when the harvest was three months away. I sent rain on one city but withheld it from another. One field received rain; another without rain withered.

Zechariah 14:17
And should any of the families of the earth not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, then the rain will not fall on them.

Isaiah 5:6
I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and thorns and briers will grow up. I will command the clouds that rain shall not fall on it.”

Jeremiah 3:3
Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen. Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute; you refuse to be ashamed.

Hosea 13:15
Although he flourishes among his brothers, an east wind will come—a wind from the LORD rising up from the desert. His fountain will fail, and his spring will run dry. The wind will plunder his treasury of every precious article.

James 5:17-18
Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. / Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth yielded its crops.

Luke 4:25
But I tell you truthfully that there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and great famine swept over all the land.

Revelation 11:6
These witnesses have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall during the days of their prophecy, and power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.

Matthew 5:45
that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Acts 14:17
Yet He has not left Himself without testimony to His goodness: He gives you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.”

Treasury of Scripture

When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against you; if they pray toward this place, and confess your name, and turn from their sin, when you afflict them:

heaven

1 Kings 17:1
And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

Deuteronomy 26:19
And to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the LORD thy God, as he hath spoken.

Deuteronomy 11:17
And then the LORD'S wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you.

if they pray

1 Kings 8:33
When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house:

2 Chronicles 6:24,26
And if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee; and shall return and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house; …

Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

confess

1 Kings 8:29,30
That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place…

Joel 1:13-20
Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God…

Joel 2:15-17
Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: …

and turn

Isaiah 1:15,16
And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood…

Isaiah 9:13
For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts.

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1 Kings 8

1. The feast of the temple
12. Solomon's blessing
22. Solomon's prayer
54. Solomon's blessing
62. His sacrifice of peace offerings

Berean Study Bible

When the heavens are shut up
This phrase refers to a divine action where God withholds rain as a form of judgment. In the Hebrew context, the heavens being "shut up" signifies a cessation of blessings, particularly rain, which was crucial for an agrarian society. The imagery of closed heavens underscores the seriousness of sin and the direct impact of divine displeasure on the natural world. It serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty over creation and His ability to control the elements as a means of guiding His people back to righteousness.

and there is no rain
Rain in the ancient Near East was a symbol of God's favor and provision. The absence of rain, therefore, was not just a physical drought but a spiritual one, indicating a break in the relationship between God and His people. Historically, droughts were seen as a direct consequence of the nation's disobedience, as outlined in Deuteronomy 28:23-24. This lack of rain would lead to famine and hardship, prompting the people to reflect on their spiritual state and seek reconciliation with God.

because they have sinned against You
Sin, in this context, is the root cause of the divine judgment. The Hebrew word for sin, "chata," implies missing the mark or straying from the path of righteousness. This phrase highlights the covenant relationship between God and Israel, where obedience brings blessings and disobedience results in curses. It serves as a call to self-examination and repentance, recognizing that sin disrupts the harmony between God and His people.

and they pray toward this place
"This place" refers to the temple in Jerusalem, which Solomon had just dedicated. The temple was the focal point of Israel's worship and the dwelling place of God's presence. Praying toward the temple signifies a return to God and an acknowledgment of His sovereignty. It reflects the belief that God hears and responds to the prayers of His people when they seek Him with a contrite heart, as emphasized in 2 Chronicles 7:14.

and give praise to Your name
Praising God's name involves acknowledging His character, attributes, and deeds. In Hebrew, the name of God is synonymous with His presence and power. This act of praise is not merely lip service but a genuine expression of faith and trust in God's ability to forgive and restore. It is a declaration of God's holiness and a commitment to honor Him in all aspects of life.

and they turn from their sin
Turning from sin, or repentance, is a central theme in the Bible. The Hebrew word "shuv" means to return or turn back, indicating a complete change of direction. This phrase emphasizes the importance of genuine repentance as a prerequisite for divine forgiveness and restoration. It is a call to abandon sinful ways and return to a life of obedience and faithfulness to God.

because You have afflicted them
Affliction here is seen as a form of divine discipline intended to bring about repentance and restoration. It reflects the loving nature of God, who disciplines those He loves, as stated in Hebrews 12:6. This affliction is not punitive but corrective, designed to draw the people back to a right relationship with God. It serves as a reminder of God's desire for His people to live in accordance with His will and the blessings that follow obedience.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(35, 36) When heaven is shut up.--Next, Solomon dwells on the plague of famine, from rain withheld, by which, in the striking language of the Law (Leviticus 26:19; Deuteronomy 28:23-24), "the heaven should be as brass, and the earth as iron," and all vegetation perish from the parched land of Palestine, as now it seems actually to have failed in many places once fertile. In such plague he acknowledges the chastisement of God, sent to "teach Israel the right way," and then to be withdrawn in mercy. The whole history of the famine in the days of Elijah is in all parts a striking commentary on this clause of the prayer.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 35. - When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place [toward, because the inhabitants of the land everywhere would direct their prayers toward the holy oracle in Jerusalem (Psalm 28:2) ], and confess [praise] thy name, and turn from their sin, when [or because, כִּי] thou afflictest them. [LXX. ὅταν ταπεινώσης αὐτοὺς ( Humbling should be the result of affliction.]

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

When the skies
שָׁמַ֛יִם (šā·ma·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky

are shut
בְּהֵעָצֵ֥ר (bə·hê·‘ā·ṣêr)
Preposition-b | Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6113: To inclose, to hold back, to maintain, rule, assemble

and there is
יִהְיֶ֥ה (yih·yeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

no
וְלֹא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

rain
מָטָ֖ר (mā·ṭār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4306: Rain

because
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

[Your people] have sinned
יֶחֶטְאוּ־ (ye·ḥeṭ·’ū-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 2398: To miss, to sin, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, lead astray, condemn

against You,
לָ֑ךְ (lāḵ)
Preposition | second person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew

and they pray
וְהִֽתְפַּֽלְל֞וּ (wə·hiṯ·pal·lū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6419: To judge, to intercede, pray

toward
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

this
הַזֶּה֙ (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

place
הַמָּק֤וֹם (ham·mā·qō·wm)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition

and confess
וְהוֹד֣וּ (wə·hō·w·ḏū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3034: To throw, at, away, to revere, worship, to bemoan

Your name,
שְׁמֶ֔ךָ (šə·me·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 8034: A name

and they turn
יְשׁוּב֖וּן (yə·šū·ḇūn)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

from their sins
וּמֵחַטָּאתָ֥ם (ū·mê·ḥaṭ·ṭā·ṯām)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 2403: An offence, its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, expiation, an offender

because
כִּ֥י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

You have afflicted them,
תַעֲנֵֽם׃ (ṯa·‘ă·nêm)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6031: To be bowed down or afflicted

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OT History: 1 Kings 8:35 When the sky is shut up (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)