1 Kings 3:2
New International Version
The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the LORD.

New Living Translation
At that time the people of Israel sacrificed their offerings at local places of worship, for a temple honoring the name of the LORD had not yet been built.

English Standard Version
The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible
The people, however, were still sacrificing on the high places because a house for the Name of the LORD had not yet been built.

King James Bible
Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days.

New King James Version
Meanwhile the people sacrificed at the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days.

New American Standard Bible
The people were still sacrificing on the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days.

NASB 1995
The people were still sacrificing on the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days.

NASB 1977
The people were still sacrificing on the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days.

Legacy Standard Bible
The people were still sacrificing on the high places because there was no house built for the name of Yahweh until those days.

Amplified Bible
But [in the meantime] the people were still sacrificing [to God] on the high places (hilltops) [as the pagans did to their idols], for there was no [permanent] house yet built for the Name of the LORD.

Christian Standard Bible
However, the people were sacrificing on the high places, because until that time a temple for the LORD’s name had not been built.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
However, the people were sacrificing on the high places, because until that time a temple for the LORD’s name had not been built.

American Standard Version
Only the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was no house built for the name of Jehovah until those days.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
The people were sacrificing only on high places, because there was no house yet built for the name of LORD JEHOVAH until those days

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Nevertheless the people burnt incense on the high places, because a house had not yet been built to the Lord.

Contemporary English Version
At that time, there was no temple for worshiping the LORD, and everyone offered sacrifices at the local shrines.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But yet the people sacrificed in the high places: far there was no temple built to the name of the Lord until that day.

English Revised Version
Only the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The people were still sacrificing at other worship sites because a temple for the name of the LORD had not yet been built.

Good News Translation
A temple had not yet been built for the LORD, and so the people were still offering sacrifices at many different altars.

International Standard Version
The people were sacrificing at various high places because the Temple had not yet been built and dedicated to the LORD.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Only the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days.

Literal Standard Version
Only, the people are sacrificing in high places, for there has not been built a house for the Name of YHWH until those days.

Majority Standard Bible
The people, however, were still sacrificing on the high places because a house for the Name of the LORD had not yet been built.

New American Bible
The people were sacrificing on the high places, however, for up to that time no house had been built for the name of the LORD.

NET Bible
Now the people were offering sacrifices at the high places, because in those days a temple had not yet been built to honor the LORD.

New Revised Standard Version
The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the LORD.

New Heart English Bible
Only the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days.

Webster's Bible Translation
Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built to the name of the LORD, until those days.

World English Bible
However, the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was not yet a house built for Yahweh’s name.

Young's Literal Translation
Only, the people are sacrificing in high places, for there hath not been built a house for the name of Jehovah till those days.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Solomon's Rule Consolidated
1Later, Solomon formed an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying his daughter. Solomon brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his palace and the house of the LORD, as well as the wall around Jerusalem. 2The people, however, were still sacrificing on the high places because a house for the Name of the LORD had not yet been built. 3And Solomon loved the LORD and walked in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.…

Cross References
Leviticus 17:3
Anyone from the house of Israel who slaughters an ox, a lamb, or a goat in the camp or outside of it

Deuteronomy 12:2
Destroy completely all the places where the nations you are dispossessing have served their gods--atop the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree.

Deuteronomy 12:13
Be careful not to offer your burnt offerings in just any place you see;

1 Samuel 9:12
"Yes, he is ahead of you," they answered. "Hurry now, for today he has come to the city because the people have a sacrifice on the high place.

1 Kings 22:43
And Jehoshaphat walked in all the ways of his father Asa; he did not turn away from them, but did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. The high places, however, were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

Psalm 78:58
They enraged Him with their high places and provoked His jealousy with their idols.


Treasury of Scripture

Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built to the name of the LORD, until those days.

1 Kings 1:3
So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.

1 Kings 22:43
And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD: nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places.

Leviticus 17:3-6
What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp, …

was no

1 Kings 5:3
Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house unto the name of the LORD his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet.

1 Chronicles 17:4-6
Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in: …

1 Chronicles 28:3-6
But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood…

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1 Kings 3
1. Solomon marries Pharaoh's daughter
2. High places being in use, Solomon sacrifices at Gibeon
5. Solomon at Gibeon, in the choice which God gave him,
10. preferring wisdom, obtains wisdom, riches, and honor
16. Solomon's judgment makes him renowned














(2) In high places.--The historian, writing from the point of view of his own time, when, after the solemn consecration of the Temple, the worship at "the high places," which form natural sanctuaries, was forbidden, explains that "because there was no house built unto the name of the Lord," the people, and Solomon himself, sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places. It is clear that these high places were of two kinds--places of sacrifice to false gods, and unauthorised sanctuaries of the Lord, probably associating His worship with visible representations of Deity. The former class were, of course, absolute abominations, like the high places of the Canaanite races, so sternly denounced in Deuteronomy 12:2-3. The prohibition of the other class of high places--constantly disobeyed by some even of the better kings--appears to have had two distinct objects--(a) to guard against all local corruptions of God's service, and all idolatry, worshipping Him (as at Bethel) under visible forms; (b) to prevent the breach of national unity, by the congregation of the separate tribes round local sanctuaries. But besides these objects, it served (c), as a very remarkable spiritual education for the worship of the invisible God, without the aid of local and visible emblems of His presence, in accordance with the higher prophetic teaching, and preparatory for the perfect spirituality of the future. It is, indeed, hardly to be conceived that there should not have been before the Captivity some places of non-sacrificial worship, in some degree like the synagogues of the period after the exile, although not as yet developed into a fully organised system. Unless we refer Psalm 74:8 to the Maccabaean times, it must be supposed to describe the Chaldaean invasion, as destroying not only the Temple, but also "all the houses of God"--properly "assemblies," and in our Bible version actually translated "synagogues "--"in the land." But these places of prayer and praise and instruction would be different in their whole idea from the "high places" rivalling the Temple. Up to this time it is clear that, even under Samuel and David, sacrificial worship elsewhere than in the Tabernacle was used without scruple, though certainly alien from the spirit of the Mosaic Law as to the supreme sacredness of the "place which God should choose to place his name there." (See, for example, 1Samuel 7:10; 1Samuel 13:9; 1Samuel 14:35; 1Samuel 16:5; 1Chronicles 21:26.) After the solemn consecration of the Temple, the circumstances and the character of such worship were altogether changed. . . . Verse 2. - Only [The word perhaps signifies "that there was one exception to the flourishing condition of things which the writer has been describing" (Rawlinson), though the people are nowhere blamed for sacrificing on the high places, and Solomon's sacrifice at "the great high place "was full of blessing. The idea rather is that just as he was obliged to bring his Egyptian wife into the city of David, because his palace was not yet finished, so the people were compelled to sacrifice on the high places, because the temple was not yet built (Keil), and "the place" where God would put His name had only just been chosen (1 Chronicles 22:1)] the people sacrificed [Heb. were sacrificing, i.e., habitually, constantly] in high places [All nations have chosen hill tops for acts of worship, perhaps as being nearer heaven. "Even Abraham built an altar to the Lord on a mountain near Bethel (Genesis 12:7, 8; cf. 22:2, 9; 31:54)." And the use of high places for this purpose was not distinctly condemned in the Law. It is true the Hebrews were commanded to have but one place of sacrifice (Leviticus 17:9; Deuteronomy 12:5, 11, 13, 26, 27; cf. Joshua 22:29), and this no doubt was, if not an indirect prohibition, a discouragement of such sanctuaries. It has been held, however, that this command was purely prospective, and it is certainly remarkable that even when the Israelites were settled in the promised land, and the tabernacle was set up (Joshua 18:1), altars were constantly built and sacrifices offered on high places, and sometimes, as in the case of Gideon (Judges 6:26), and Manoah (Judges 13:19, 20), by express Divine command. Later on we find Samuel (1 Samuel 7:9, 10; 1 Samuel 11:15; 1 Samuel 16:5), Saul (1 Samuel 13:9; 14:35), David (1 Chronicles 21:26), Solomon and Elijah (1 Kings 18:30), offering sacrifices in various places, which they could not possibly have done had it seemed to them that this was condemned beforehand by the Law. It is highly probable, therefore, that though the contemporaries of Joshua took a different view (as Joshua 22:15-31 proves), the men of a later age excused themselves on the ground stated in the text, that "there was no house built unto the name of the Lord." It has been held by some that "had they not sacrificed and burnt incense on high places, they could not have sacrificed or burnt incense at all" (Bp. Horsley); but this seems to overlook the fact that there was one place provided for sacrifices - the door of the tabernacle — and that for some reason or other they sacrificed elsewhere. And the reason, no doubt, was the one assigned by the historian. It should be added that this term "high place" (בָּמָה) came to be used of all places of worship, not only on heights, but even those in valleys (2 Kings 17:9; Jeremiah 7:31; Jeremiah 32:35). The Bamah sometimes consisted of an altar only, but as a rule, there was a shrine or sanctuary, erected hard by (1 Kings 13:32; 2 Kings 17:29; 2 Kings 23:19), the Beth-Bamah, for which the word Bamah is sometimes loosely employed (1 Kings 11:7; 1 Kings 14:23; 2 Kings 21:3)], because there was no house built unto the name of the Lord until those days.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The people,
הָעָ֔ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

however,
רַ֣ק (raq)
Adverb
Strong's 7535: But, even, except, howbeit howsoever, at the least, nevertheless

were still sacrificing
מְזַבְּחִ֖ים (mə·zab·bə·ḥîm)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 2076: To slaughter for sacrifice

on the high places
בַּבָּמ֑וֹת (bab·bā·mō·wṯ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 1116: An elevation

because
כִּ֠י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

a house
בַ֙יִת֙ (ḇa·yiṯ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

for the Name
לְשֵׁ֣ם (lə·šêm)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8034: A name

of the LORD
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

had not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

yet
עַ֖ד (‘aḏ)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

been built.
נִבְנָ֥ה (niḇ·nāh)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1129: To build


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OT History: 1 Kings 3:2 Only the people sacrificed in the high (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
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