1 Kings 9:8

“ And though this house is so high (or ‘this house shall be very high'), yet will every one who passes by it be astonished, and will hiss, and they will say, “Why has YHWH done thus to this land, and to this house?.” And they will answer, “Because they forsook YHWH their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them. Therefore has YHWH brought all this evil on them.”

What is more, whatever reputation the Temple might achieve, it will collapse so that all who pass by will be astonished, and will hiss, and will say, “Why has YHWH done thus to this land, and to this house?” Compare Deuteronomy 29:24, although there is no thought there of astonishment and hissing. The reply, however is otherwise very similar, although with interesting dissimilarities. Here the covenant is not mentioned and the emphasis is now therefore more on the idea of the personal forsaking of Him (in Deuteronomy it is Moses speaking, here it is YHWH speaking, and He clearly ‘feels' their attitude).

The strict translation of the Hebrew is ‘this house shall be very high', with a recognition of the reputation that it would gain. But the contrast is clearly intended. The height of its renown will not prevent it becoming an astonishment, and something to be hissed at. Rather it will ensure it. For the idea and significance of the hissing see Lamentations 2:15; Ezekiel 27:36; Zephaniah 2:15.

For ‘YHWH your God Who brought forth your fathers out of the land of Egypt' compare Exodus 29:46 where it is ‘YHWH your God Who brought them forth from the land of Egypt', and where it is also connected with the hallowing of YHWH's Sanctuary. Compare also Judges 2:12.

1 Kings 9:10

‘ And it came about at the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the two houses, the house of YHWH and the king's house.'

This verse represents part of the inclusio with 1 Kings 9:1 and re-emphasises that this occurred once Solomon's twenty year building stint was over, a period during which he had built two house, the house of YHWH and the king's house. For the use of ‘it came about' as a concluding comment in this way compare for example Genesis 7:10; Genesis 8:13; Genesis 19:29; etc.

It will be noted that YHWH's words are presented as well diversified, with ideas taken from different parts of the Books of Moses, and indeed from elsewhere as well. In spite of the undoubted Deuteronomic echoes there are no real grounds for calling any part of it specifically ‘Deuteronomic'. We do better to call it ‘Mosaic' recognising that the echoes come from all sections of the Books of Moses.