1 Kings 8:9 (KJV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

1 Kings 8:7 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.

1 Kings 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.

1 Kings 8:9 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.

1 Kings 8:10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,

1 Kings 8:11 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.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "nothing", "save", "tables", "stone", "moses", "horeb", "lord", and "covenant". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "nothing" and "save", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "And they drew out the staves that..." into verse 10's "And it came to pass when the...", so "nothing" and "save" belong inside that flow. In 1 Kings context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "nothing" and "save" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.