1 Kings 8:46
If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near; If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near;
The verse belongs to Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple, offered as he entered upon the work God employed him to build amid remarkable manifestations of divine power and precious views of the divine character. That dedication prayer expresses deep humility and teaches that God is not confined to a temple building but meets His people by His Spirit when they gather for worship. The prayer shows that Israel's dependence was in the God of Israel, and God honored the many people who built Him a large and grand sanctuary where they could meet to worship Him, giving His blessing to those who worshiped Him sincerely. In the prayer Solomon asked that the people's hearts remain wholly devoted to the Lord with undivided loyalty.
The verse declares the universality of sin, that no person is free from sinning. It warns that sin could bring God's anger, so that He delivers Israel to the enemy to be carried away captive to the enemy's land, far or near, as a consequence of turning from God. Captivity did not close the way to God: if the captives turn back to Him, repent, confess their wrongdoing, and pray toward the chosen city and house, God will hear them, forgive them, grant them compassion before their captors, and uphold their cause.
What the verse and its context prescribe for captives carried far or near was later observed in the sacred morning and evening hours of sacrifice, when scattered Jews still kept the appointed hour, turned their faces toward Jerusalem, and offered petitions to the God of Israel. That custom provides Christians an example for morning and evening prayer with earnest searching of heart, confession of sin, united silent prayer, and seeking pardon for sins and needed blessings through faith in the merits of the promised Saviour prefigured by the atoning sacrifice. The light Solomon had in the prayer did not save him, for he afterward abandoned the devotion he prayed for, forsook the very temple, and fell into idolatry and apostasy in direct contrast to his prayer. His fall warns those in positions of sacred trust who teach the truth to others against self-sufficiency, spiritual pride, and confidence in their own wisdom, teaching carefulness, distrust of self, humble views of human insufficiency, and the sense that they are kept only by the power of God through faith.