Limitless Word
That they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.
1 Kings 8:40 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB that they may fear you all the days that they live in the land which you gave to our fathers.
  • BSB so that they may fear You all the days they live in the land that You gave to 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 19:5And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
  • Ps 130:4But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.
  • Rev 15:4Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
  • Jer 32:39–40And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:
  • Exod 20:20And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
  • Ps 115:13He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great.
  • 1 Sam 12:24Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.
  • Deut 6:2That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
  • Deut 6:13Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.
  • Hos 3:5Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.
  • Heb 12:28Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
  • Gen 22:12And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
  • Acts 10:2A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
  • Acts 9:31Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

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.