1 Kings 8:21 (DRB)

Passage

And I have set there a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of the Lord, which he made with our fathers, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

Nearby Context

1 Kings 8:19 Nevertheless, thou shalt not build me a house, but thy son, that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build a house to my name.

1 Kings 8:20 The Lord hath performed his word which he spoke. And I stand in the room of David, my father, and sit upon the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised: and have built a house to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

1 Kings 8:21 And I have set there a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of the Lord, which he made with our fathers, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

1 Kings 8:22 And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord, in the sight of the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands towards heaven,

1 Kings 8:23 And said: Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on the earth beneath: who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants, that have walked before thee with all their heart:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "place", "wherein", "covenant", "lord", "fathers", "came", "land", and "egypt". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "place" and "wherein", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "The Lord hath performed his word which..." into verse 22's "And Solomon stood before the altar of...", so "place" and "wherein" 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 "place" and "wherein" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.