3 Yahweh said to him, "I have heard your prayer and your supplication, that you have made before me. I have made this house holy, which you have built, to put my name there forever; and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
The answer given by God to Solomon's prayer is reported more fully in 2-Chronicles 7:12-22.
When God puts His Name in the temple He does it, in intention, "forever." He will not arbitrarily withdraw it; there it will remain "forever," so far as God is concerned. But the people may by unfaithfulness drive it away 1-Kings 9:7-9.
And mine eyes and my heart - An answer in excess of the prayer 1-Kings 8:29; "Not Mine eyes only, but Mine eyes and Mine heart."
And the Lord said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication that thou hast made before me,.... With delight and pleasure, and had accepted it; meaning the prayer recorded in the preceding chapter:
I have hallowed this house which thou hast built; by the cloud of glory filling it, and by fire descending from heaven, and consuming the sacrifices offered in it, 2-Chronicles 7:1.
to put my name there for ever; there to grant his presence, so long as his pure worship should be continued in it; so the Targum adds,
"and my Shechinah or divine Majesty shall abide in it, if my will is done there continually:''
and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually; his eyes of Providence should be upon it, to watch over it, and protect it, and his worshippers in it; and he should have a cordial regard to the sacrifices there offered, and to the persons of the offerers, so long as they offered them in a right way, and to right ends and purposes.
The divine promise to Solomon, that his prayer should be answered, is closely connected with the substance of the prayer; but in our account we have only a brief summary, whereas in the Chronicles it is given more elaborately (vid., 2-Chronicles 7:12-16). "I have sanctified this house which thou hast built, to put my name there." For the expression, see Deuteronomy 12:11. The sanctifying consisted in the fact, that Jehovah put His name in the temple; i.e., that by filling the temple with the cloud which visibly displayed His presence, He consecrated it as the scene of the manifestation of His grace. To Solomon's prayer, "May Thine eyes stand open over this house" (1-Kings 8:29), the Lord replies, giving always more than we ask, "My eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually."
For ever - As long as the Mosaic dispensation lasts; whereas hitherto my worship has been successively in several places. Eyes - My watchful and gracious providence. Heart - My tender affection. Shall be there - Shall be towards this place and people.
*More commentary available at chapter level.