1 Kings 8:58 (GNV)

Passage

That he may bow our heartes vnto him, that we may walke in all his waies, and keepe his commandements, and his statutes, and his lawes, which he commanded our fathers.

Nearby Context

1 Kings 8:56 Blessed be the Lord that hath giuen rest vnto his people Israel, according to all that hee promised: there hath not fayled one word of all his good promise which he promised by the hand of Moses his seruant.

1 Kings 8:57 The Lord our God be with vs, as he was with our fathers, that he forsake vs not, neither leaue vs,

1 Kings 8:58 That he may bow our heartes vnto him, that we may walke in all his waies, and keepe his commandements, and his statutes, and his lawes, which he commanded our fathers.

1 Kings 8:59 And these my wordes, which I haue prayed before the Lord, be neere vnto the Lord our God day and night, that he defende the cause of his seruant, and the cause of his people Israel alway as the matter requireth,

1 Kings 8:60 That all the people of ye earth may knowe, that the Lord is God, and none other.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "heartes", "vnto", "walke", "waies", "keepe", "commandements", "statutes", and "lawes". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "heartes" and "vnto", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 57's "The Lord our God be with vs..." into verse 59's "And these my wordes which I haue...", so "heartes" and "vnto" 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 "heartes" and "vnto" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.