I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever.
I have surely built thee an house. This is an apostrophe to God, as perceiving His approach by the cloud and welcoming Him, with humble but lively thankfulness, to enter as guest or inhabitant of the fixed and permanent dwelling-place which, at His command, had been prepared for His reception. [The Septuagint gives a different version of this devout outcry or song:-Tote elaleese Saloomoon huper tou oikou hoos sunetelese tou oikodomeesai auton; Heelion egnoorisen ek ouranoo. Kurios eipe tou katoikein en gnofoo. Oikodomeeson oikon mou, oikon euprepee sautoo ton katoikein epi kainoteetos, ouk idou hautee gegraptai en biblioo tees oodees-Then spake Solomon in behalf of the house when he had finished building it: He knew the sun in the heaven, The Lord said from his dwelling in darkness, Build my house, a magnificent house for thyself, to dwell in newness. Behold, is it not written in the book of the song?]