The situation that Solomon presents in verses 35 and 36 reflects the curse of Deut 28.23-24 that would come upon the people if they disobeyed God. Such a situation does, in fact, occur later at the time of the prophet Elijah (1 Kgs 18).

Heaven is shut up: The Hebrew here does not say directly that God withholds the rain, but such is clearly the meaning of these words. Good News Translation makes the meaning explicit by stating “you hold back the rain.” Some other ways of translating this are “you will stop the rain from falling on their land” (New Century Version) and “you … holding back the rain” (Contemporary English Version).

They have sinned against thee …: The subject of the third person plural Hebrew verbs rendered sinned, pray, acknowledge, and turn is not stated until verse 36. In the Masoretic Text the subject is “your servants and your people Israel.” Revised English Bible, however, follows the Septuagint and reads the singular “servant” (that is, Solomon) instead of the plural “servants” as in Hebrew, so here it says “your servant and your people Israel have sinned against you” (similarly New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). See the discussion of this textual problem in verse 36.

Toward this place: See the comments on this phrase in verse 29.

Acknowledge thy name: See the comments on verse 33.

When thou dost afflict them: Afflict renders a Hebrew verb that means “to oppress” or “to humble.” In this context the punishment or affliction takes the form of withholding rain. The consonants of this Hebrew verb may also be from a different verb that means “to answer,” and this is the basis of the New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh rendering “when You answer them” (similarly Anchor Bible “so that you answer them”). Since the next verse asks for God’s mercy, it seems better to understand this Hebrew verb to mean afflict here rather than “answer.” Good News Translation leaves this clause implicit since it repeats in different words what is said at the beginning of the verse (“When you hold back the rain”). If possible, translators should keep this clause since it adds the idea of punishment.

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 .