1 Kings 8:40 (LSB)

Passage

that they may fear You all the days that they live upon the face of the land which You have given to our fathers.

Nearby Context

1 Kings 8:38 whatever prayer or supplication is made by any man or by all Your people Israel, each of whom knows the affliction of his own heart, and spreads his hands toward this house;

1 Kings 8:39 then listen in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and give to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know, for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men,

1 Kings 8:40 that they may fear You all the days that they live upon the face of the land which You have given to our fathers.

1 Kings 8:41 “Also concerning the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, if he comes from a far country for Your name’s sake

1 Kings 8:42 (for they will hear of Your great name and Your strong hand, and of Your outstretched arm); so if he comes and prays toward this house,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "fear", "days", "live", "upon", "face", "land", "given", and "fathers". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "fear" and "days", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 39's "then listen in heaven Your dwelling place..." into verse 41's "Also concerning the foreigner who is not...", so "fear" and "days" 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 "fear" and "days" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.