1 Kings 8:31 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

If any man, &c. He now puts divers cases in which he supposed application would be made to God in prayer, in or toward this house of prayer; and first that of God's being appealed to by an oath for the determining of any controverted right between man and man. If any man trespass against his neighbour If a man be accused of a trespass. And an oath be laid upon him Either by the judge, or by the party accusing him, or by the accused person himself, claiming the privilege of perjuring himself by an oath from the trespass laid to his charge, which was usual when there were no witnesses. Solomon seems here to refer chiefly to the case of those who were accused of denying that which was said to be deposited with them by their neighbour. And the oath come before thine altar Where God, who was appealed to as a witness, was supposed to be especially present. Hence the heathen were wont to swear at their altars; calling on their gods to witness to the truth of what they said, and to punish them if they uttered any falsehood therein.