1 Kings 8:31

8:31 “When someone is accused of sinning against his neighbor and the latter pronounces a curse on the alleged offender before your altar in this temple, be willing to forgive the accused if the accusation is false. ¹ 

1 Kings 8:36

8:36 then listen from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Certainly ²  you will then teach them the right way to live ³  and send rain on your land that you have given your people to possess. ⁴ 

1 Kings 8:39

8:39 then listen from your heavenly dwelling place, forgive their sin, ⁵  and act favorably toward each one based on your evaluation of his motives. ⁶  (Indeed you are the only one who can correctly evaluate the motives of all people.) ⁷ 

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¹ tn Heb “and forgive the man who sins against his neighbor when one takes up against him a curse to curse him and the curse comes before your altar in this house.” In the Hebrew text the words “and forgive” conclude v. 30, but the accusative sign at the beginning of v. 31 suggests the verb actually goes with what follows in v. 31. The parallel text in 2 Chr 6:22 begins with “and if,” rather than the accusative sign. In this case “forgive” must be taken with what precedes, and v. 31 must be taken as the protasis (“if” clause) of a conditional sentence, with v. 32 being the apodosis (“then” clause) that completes the sentence.

sn Be willing to forgive the accused if the accusation is false. At first it appears that Solomon is asking God to forgive the guilty party. But in v. 32 Solomon asks the Lord to discern who is guilty and innocent, so v. 31 must refer to a situation where an accusation has been made, but not yet proven. The very periphrastic translation reflects this interpretation.

² tn The translation understands כִּי (ki) in an emphatic or asseverative sense.

³ tn Heb “the good way in which they should walk.”

⁴ tn Or “for an inheritance.”

⁵ tn The words “their sin” are added for clarification.

⁶ tn Heb “and act and give to each one according to all his ways because you know his heart.” In the Hebrew text vv. 37-39a actually contain one lengthy conditional sentence, which the translation has divided up for stylistic reasons.

⁷ tn Heb “Indeed you know, you alone, the heart of all the sons of mankind.”