Summary

These verses are unique in this portion of Solomon’s prayer. The other portion of the prayer is addressed to God on behalf of his people Israel, but this portion addresses him on behalf of foreigners. Foreigners are mentioned in other portions of the prayer, but they are seen in those portions as the afflicting enemies of God’s people.

In these verses, however, Solomon speaks of them as people who will have heard of the greatness of the God of Israel and with that knowledge they will come to the temple where his name dwells. Solomon’s request on their behalf was that God should have his ears open to their prayer and grant their request whatever it might be.

There is no mention that Solomon made directly of the forgiveness of their sins. Nevertheless, in the phrase that explains why Solomon is asking on behalf of these foreigners, is the language that the foreigners should fear the Lord in the same way that his people Israel fear him. If we remember the words of Psalm 130:4, But with you there is forgiveness, that you might be feared, then it is very possible that the idea of the forgiveness of the foreigner was also included in Solomon’s thought.

The importance of including foreigners as beneficiaries of Solomon’s prayer is worth expanding upon. Jesus, in his cleansing of the temple, makes reference to this very idea. When he drove out the money-changers and the sellers of animals from the courts of the temple, he said, Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations? (Mark 11:17). The court where these people did their business was called the Court of the Gentiles. Jesus’ condemnation of them was based, therefore, on the idea that they were misusing that court in a way that obstructed the Gentiles from approaching the Lord.

One of the things that enraged the Jews of all classes about the teaching of Jesus was his favourable attitude concerning Gentiles. In the account of Jesus' teaching in the synagogue of Nazareth, it is noteworthy that the statement that incited that congregation to seek to kill Jesus was his suggestion that Naaman the Syrian and the widow of Zarephath (both of Gentile stock) had received grace from God in particular circumstances when that grace was withheld from Israel (see Luke 4:24–27).