Verses 44 and 45 present a sixth situation in which God’s people may turn to him in prayer. Such a time of war occurs in chapters 20 and 22 of 1 Kings.

Their enemy: Even though the noun here is singular in the Hebrew, the meaning is collective and may be expressed with the plural “their enemies” (so Good News Translation, Nouvelle Bible Segond).

By whatever way thou shalt send them: These words indicate that the battle is one that the Israelites fight because God has commanded them to do so. Revised English Bible says “wherever you send them.”

They pray to the LORD: Here Solomon speaks to God in the third person. Good News Translation and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente change this to the second person pronoun “you.” Certain other versions also convert to the second person singular form. Contemporary English Version, however, retains the divine name, beginning the verse with “Our LORD, sometimes you….” Translators will need to determine whether to follow the form of the Hebrew or whether it is more natural for them to keep second person pronouns throughout as Good News Translation has done.

The city is, of course, Jerusalem (also in verse 48).

The house which I have built for thy name: See the comments at 1 Kgs 3.2.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .