1 Kings 8:12 (DBY)

Passage

Then said Solomon: Jehovah said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

Nearby Context

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 Jehovah,

1 Kings 8:11 and the priests could not stand to do their service because of the cloud; for the glory of Jehovah had filled the house of Jehovah.

1 Kings 8:12 Then said Solomon: Jehovah said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

1 Kings 8:13 I have indeed built a house of habitation for thee, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever.

1 Kings 8:14 And the king turned his face, and blessed the whole congregation of Israel; and the whole congregation of Israel stood.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "darkness", "said", "solomon", "jehovah", "dwell", and "thick". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "darkness" and "said", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "and the priests could not stand to..." into verse 13's "I have indeed built a house of...", so "darkness" and "said" 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 "darkness" and "said" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.