1 Kings 8:27 (YLT)

Passage

But, is it true? --God dwelleth on the earth! lo, the heavens, and the heavens of the heavens do not contain Thee, how much less this house which I have builded!

Nearby Context

1 Kings 8:25 `And now, Jehovah, God of Israel, keep for Thy servant David my father that which Thou spakest to him, saying, There is not cut off to thee a man from before Me, sitting on the throne of Israel--only, if thy sons watch their way, to walk before Me as thou hast walked before Me.

1 Kings 8:26 `And now, O God of Israel, let it be established, I pray Thee, Thy word which Thou hast spoken to Thy servant, David my father.

1 Kings 8:27 But, is it true? --God dwelleth on the earth! lo, the heavens, and the heavens of the heavens do not contain Thee, how much less this house which I have builded!

1 Kings 8:28 `Then thou hast turned unto the prayer of Thy servant, and unto his supplication, O Jehovah my God, to hearken unto the cry and unto the prayer which Thy servant is praying before Thee to-day,

1 Kings 8:29 for Thine eyes being open towards this house night and day, towards the place of which Thou hast said, My Name is there; to hearken unto the prayer which Thy servant prayeth towards this place.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "true", "dwelleth", "earth", "heavens", "contain", and "thee". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "true" and "dwelleth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 26's "And now O God of Israel let..." into verse 28's "Then thou hast turned unto the prayer...", so "true" and "dwelleth" 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 "true" and "dwelleth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.