1 Kings 8:16
Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build an house, that my name might be therein; but I chose David to be over my people Israel. Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build an house, that my name might be therein; but I chose David to be over my people Israel.
In the books of Kings, which form one continuous whole counted as one book in the Hebrew canon and run from the accession of Solomon to the Babylonian captivity, the verse stands in the first great division in 1 Kings 1-11, the period of the undivided kingdom under Solomon. It belongs to the history showing that the tabernacle remained at Gibeon until Solomon built the temple, when both the ark and the tabernacle were brought into the temple. It states that since bringing Israel out of Egypt, God had chosen no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house that His name might be therein, but had chosen David to be over His people Israel.
The promise to David and Solomon's appointed role in building the temple form the background recalled at the temple dedication. The verse is part of the account of Solomon's reign and of his building and dedicating the temple, including his dedicatory prayer and God's answer to it. The chapter containing the verse records the temple dedication and holds the longest prayer recorded in Scripture, Solomon's public prayer at the dedication.
Solomon's temple was larger and immovable than the tabernacle but followed its plan, having two holy places, the same kind of sacred vessels, and the same ministration, and its two-part design reveals the heavenly temple, which likewise has two holy places. The temple was a typical sanctuary to which all Israel looked from home or foreign lands, and in the same way eyes and voices should now turn to the house not made with hands, the true tabernacle where the Mediator performs the closing priestly acts. God was pleased with Solomon's dedicatory prayer and approved it by answering with fire from heaven that consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifice, while His glory filled the house.
As public prayer at the temple dedication, the verse shows that such public prayer is acceptable to God and is not the hypocritical public display of private devotion to be seen by men condemned in Matthew 6. As part of the dedication of the house built for God's name, the verse provides the pattern for solemnly consecrating an estate, its buildings, and the people connected with them to divine control for God's cause, in confident conviction that the Lord accepts what is given to Him.