1Ki 8:35 | NETfull | STEP | “The time will come when the skies are shut up tightly and no rain falls because your people sinned against you. When they direct their prayers toward this place, renew their allegiance to you, and turn away from their sin because you punish them,

1 Kings 8:35

35 “The time will come when ^{▼▼ Heb “when.” In the Hebrew text vv. 35–36a actually contain one lengthy conditional sentence, which the translation has divided into two sentences for stylistic reasons.} the skies are shut up tightly and no rain falls because your people ^{▼▼ Heb “they”; the referent (your people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} sinned against you. When they direct their prayers toward this place, renew their allegiance to you, ^{▼▼ Heb “confess [or perhaps, “praise”] your name.”} and turn away from their sin because you punish ^{▼▼ The Hebrew text has “because you answer them,” as if the verb is from עָנָה (’anah, “to answer”). However, this reference to a divine answer is premature, since the next verse asks for God to intervene in mercy. It is better to revocalize the consonantal text as תְעַנֵּם (t^e’annem, “you afflict them”), a Piel verb form from the homonym עָנָה (“to afflict”).} them,