Limitless Word
so that they may fear You all the days they live in the land that You gave to our fathers.
1 Kings 8:40 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB that they may fear you all the days that they live in the land which you gave to our fathers.
  • KJV That they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.
  • NKJV that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.
  • NASB so that they will fear You all the days that they live on the land which You have given to our fathers.
  • NLT Then they will fear you as long as they live in the land you gave to our ancestors.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The aim of answered prayer is that the people would fear God all their days in the land. It ties mercy to reverent obedience.

Overview

Solomon explains the purpose behind God's forgiving and hearing: that His people would live in reverent fear of Him throughout their lives in the land. Grace is meant to produce godly fear and faithfulness. So too the gospel, where mercy received leads to reverent, grateful obedience.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 14

  • Rev 19:5Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you who serve Him, and those who fear Him, small and great alike!”
  • Ps 130:4But with You there is forgiveness, so that You may be feared.
  • Rev 15:4Who will not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.”
  • Jer 32:39–40I will give them one heart and one way, so that they will always fear Me for their own good and for the good of their children after them.
  • Exod 20:20“Do not be afraid,” Moses replied. “For God has come to test you, so that the fear of Him may be before you, to keep you from sinning.”
  • Ps 115:13He will bless those who fear the LORD—small and great alike.
  • 1 Sam 12:24Above all, fear the LORD and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you.
  • Deut 6:2so that you and your children and grandchildren may fear the LORD your God all the days of your lives by keeping all His statutes and commandments that I give you, and so that your days may be prolonged.
  • Deut 6:13Fear the LORD your God, serve Him only, and take your oaths in His name.
  • Hos 3:5Afterward, the people of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days.
  • Heb 12:28Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.
  • Gen 22:12“Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him,” said the angel, “for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.”
  • Acts 10:2He and all his household were devout and God-fearing. He gave generously to the people and prayed to God regularly.
  • Acts 9:31Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced a time of peace. It grew in strength and numbers, living in the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 1 Kings videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 1 Kings 8:40YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 1 KingsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.

How 1 Kings 8:40 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.