1 Kings 8:31 (GNV)

Passage

When a man shall trespasse against his neighbour, and he lay vpon him an othe to cause him to sweare, and the swearer shall come before thine altar in this house,

Nearby Context

1 Kings 8:29 That thine eyes may be open toward this house, night and day, euen towarde the place whereof thou hast said, My Name shalbe there: that thou mayest hearken vnto the prayer which thy seruant prayeth in this place.

1 Kings 8:30 Heare thou therefore the supplication of thy seruant, and of thy people Israel, which pray in this place, and heare thou in the place of thine habitation, euen in heauen, and when thou hearest, haue mercie.

1 Kings 8:31 When a man shall trespasse against his neighbour, and he lay vpon him an othe to cause him to sweare, and the swearer shall come before thine altar in this house,

1 Kings 8:32 Then heare thou in heauen, and doe and iudge thy seruants, that thou condemne the wicked to bring his way vpon his head, and iustifie the righteous, to giue him according to his righteousnesse.

1 Kings 8:33 When thy people Israel shall be ouerthrowen before the enemie, because they haue sinned against thee, and turne againe to thee, and confesse thy Name, and pray and make supplication vnto thee in this house,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shall", "trespasse", "against", "neighbour", "vpon", "othe", "cause", and "sweare". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shall" and "trespasse", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 30's "Heare thou therefore the supplication of thy..." into verse 32's "Then heare thou in heauen and doe...", so "shall" and "trespasse" 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 "shall" and "trespasse" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.