1 Kings 8:46-50 Meaning: No One Is Without Sin, and God Still Hears
46If they sin against you (for there is no man who doesn’t sin), and you are angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near;
47yet if they repent in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to you in the land of those who carried them captive, saying, ‘We have sinned and have done perversely; we have dealt wickedly,’
48if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land which you gave to their fathers, the city which you have chosen and the house which I have built for your name,
49then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven, your dwelling place, and maintain their cause;
50and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions in which they have transgressed against you; and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them
46If 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;
47Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness;
48And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:
49Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause,
50And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them:
46If 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 captive unto the land of the enemy, far off or near;
47yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captive, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have dealt wickedly;
48if they return unto thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:
49then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling-place, and maintain their cause;
50and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee; and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them
46`When they sin against Thee (for there is not a man who sinneth not), and Thou hast been angry with them, and hast given them up before an enemy, and they have taken captive their captivity unto the land of the enemy far off or near;
47and they have turned it back unto their heart in the land whither they have been taken captive, and have turned back, and made supplication unto Thee, in the land of their captors, saying, We have sinned and done perversely--we have done wickedly;
48yea, they have turned back unto Thee, with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and have prayed unto Thee the way of their land, which Thou gavest to their fathers, the city which Thou hast chosen, and the house which I have builded for Thy name:
49`Then Thou hast heard in the heavens, the settled place of Thy dwelling, their prayer and their supplication, and hast maintained their cause,
50and hast forgiven Thy people who have sinned against Thee, even all their transgressions which they have transgressed against Thee, and hast given them mercies before their captors, and they have had mercy on them--
46If they have sinned against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and give them up to the enemy, and they have carried them away captives unto the enemy's land, far or near;
47and if they shall take it to heart in the land whither they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captive, saying, We have sinned, and have done iniquity, we have dealt perversely;
48and if they return unto thee with all their heart and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city that thou hast chosen, and the house that I have built unto thy name;
49then hear thou in the heavens, the settled place of thy dwelling, their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their right;
50and forgive thy people their sin against thee, and all their transgressions whereby they have transgressed against thee, and give them to find compassion with those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them
Meaning in one sentence
In his temple dedication prayer, Solomon admits everyone sins and asks God to forgive even a captive people who repent. Hope for the broken.
Context
This passage is part of Solomon's long prayer as he dedicates the new temple in Jerusalem. He has already prayed for times when Israel goes to battle or when a foreigner prays toward the temple. Now he turns to a harder case: what if Israel itself sins so badly that God lets enemies carry them away into exile? Solomon knows his people. He knows they will fail. So he builds into the prayer a way home. Even from a foreign land, if they repent fully, with every part of their heart and soul, and pray toward the land God gave them, Solomon asks God to hear from heaven. Not to pretend the sin never happened, but to forgive it and to give them compassion in the eyes of their captors. The prayer looks ahead to centuries of exile and return, but it also looks into any human heart that has wandered far.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words hold the weight of this passage. First, the word for sin (chata) originally meant to miss a target or go off a path. Solomon uses it twice in one verse: “If they sin… for there is no man who doesn’t sin.” He isn’t making an excuse; he is describing reality. Every human being misses the mark at some point. That is not the end of the story.
Second, the word turn back or return (shuv) appears over and over. It means a full about-face, not just feeling sorry, but actually changing direction. When the people repent, they “return to the Lord with all their heart and with all their soul.” That is the kind of turning God waits for.
Third, the word compassion (racham) connects to the Hebrew word for womb. It is a deep, tender mercy, like what a mother feels for her child. Solomon does not ask God to simply ignore the sin, but to soften the hearts of their enemies toward them. He trusts that God can plant compassion where none exists.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have read these verses with different emphases. Early Reformed commentators like Matthew Henry and John Gill saw Solomon’s statement that “no man sins not” as clear biblical evidence of humanity’s fallen nature, a universal condition that makes grace necessary. The Geneva Bible notes call it a confession that “all men are sinners,” and they connect it to the need for constant repentance.
Other traditions, such as the Wesleyan commentator Adam Clarke, focus on the specific context of idolatry. He suggests the sin in view is the worst kind, turning from God to false worship, and that Solomon uses the parenthetical confession to soften God’s judgment, not to excuse the sin. The Cambridge Bible for Schools observes that the threefold confession in verse 47 (“we have sinned, done perversely, committed wickedness”) forms a deliberate climax, moving from error to outright rebellion. Across traditions, all agree that Solomon’s hope rests not on Israel’s innocence but on God’s willingness to forgive the truly repentant.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers take “there is no man who doesn’t sin” as a free pass, an excuse to stop trying to live well. In fact, Solomon says the opposite. He includes that honest admission not to lower the bar, but to raise the hope. Since everyone falls, God has built a way back. The whole prayer is about repentance, not resignation.
Living This Out
This week, you might face a moment when you have clearly sinned, a harsh word you cannot take back, a choice you wish you could undo, a pattern you thought you had beaten. Solomon’s prayer invites you to do one concrete thing: turn back to God with your whole heart. Not just a quick “sorry,” but an honest return. If you have wandered far, maybe you feel distant from God, like you are in a foreign land, pray toward Him anyway. Confess specifically: “I have sinned, I have done wrong, I have acted wickedly.” Then trust that God hears. He does not promise to erase every consequence, but He does promise to give compassion where there was none, and to maintain your cause. That is enough to start again.
Main takeaway: No one is sinless, but God promises to hear every wholehearted prayer of repentance and to restore compassion.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Everyone makes mistakes. When you do, you can say sorry to God with your whole heart. He always forgives you when you are truly sorry, just like Solomon said in his prayer.
For ages 9, 12
Solomon knew that even God’s own people would sin. He did not pretend they would be perfect. Instead, he asked God to forgive them even if they were taken far away to another country. That teaches us something important: no matter how far we feel from God, if we turn back to Him with all our heart and say we are sorry, He hears us. He can even soften the hearts of people who are against us. That is real mercy.
Questions People Ask
Does 'there is no man who doesn't sin' mean everyone is a sinner?
Yes, Solomon states that no human is sinless. He uses this as a reason to ask for God’s mercy, not as an excuse to continue sinning. The whole prayer is built on the hope that God forgives the repentant.
What is the context of 1 Kings 8:46, 50?
Solomon is praying at the dedication of the temple. He lists several scenarios where Israel might pray toward the temple, and this section deals with the worst case: the people sin so badly that God allows enemies to take them captive. Solomon asks God to forgive them if they repent.
What does 'return to you with all their heart' mean?
It means complete, sincere repentance, not just saying sorry, but turning your whole life and desires back toward God. The Hebrew word for 'return' (shuv) implies a full change of direction.
Did God answer Solomon's prayer about captivity?
Later history shows that when the Israelites were exiled to Babylon, many repented and God eventually allowed them to return to their land. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah record that God moved the hearts of Persian kings to show compassion, just as Solomon had prayed.
What does 'give them compassion before their captors' mean?
Solomon asks God to soften the hearts of the enemy captors so they treat the captives with mercy rather than cruelty. He does not pray for immediate deliverance, but for humane treatment while they are in exile.
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