^3:2Now the people were offering sacrifices at the high places,³ because in those days a temple had not yet been built to honor the Lord.⁴^3:3Solomon demonstrated his loyalty to the Lord by following⁵ the practices⁶ of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

^3:4The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for it had the most prominent of the high places.⁷ Solomon would offer up⁸ a thousand burnt sacrifices on the altar there.

Read in Logos

Footnotes

3 Offering sacrifices at the high places. The “high places” were places of worship that were naturally or artificially elevated.
4 Heb “for the name of the Lord.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor (thus the translation here, “to honor the Lord”). The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name.
5 Heb “Solomon loved the Lord by walking in.”
6 Or “policies, rules.”
7 Heb “for it was the great high place.”
8 The verb form is an imperfect, which is probably used here in a customary sense to indicate continued or repeated action in past time. See §107.b.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

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

Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the Lord. Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

CSBChristian 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. Solomon loved the Lord by walking in the statutes of his father David, but he also sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there because it was the most famous high place. He offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

NLTNew 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.

Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the decrees of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the local places of worship. The most important of these places of worship was at Gibeon, so the king went there and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

But the people were sacrificing on the high places, for the house for the name of Yahweh had not yet been built in those days. Solomon loved Yahweh, by walking in the statutes of David his father; only he was sacrificing and offering incense on the high places. So the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice, for the great high place was there. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

KJV 1900King James Version

Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the Lord, until those days. And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.

Public Domain