The LORD has said
The use of "LORD" in all caps signifies the Tetragrammaton, YHWH, the personal name of God revealed to Moses. This name emphasizes God's eternal, self-existent nature and His covenant relationship with Israel. The phrase "has said" indicates a divine promise or declaration, underscoring the authority and faithfulness of God. It reflects the fulfillment of God's word, as He had previously spoken to David about his son building a house for His name (2 Samuel 7:12-13).

that He would dwell
The concept of God dwelling among His people is central to the theology of the Old Testament. The Hebrew word for "dwell" is "shakan," which is related to "Shekinah," the divine presence. This dwelling is not about confinement but about God's relational presence with His people. It signifies God's desire to be intimately involved in the life of Israel, guiding and blessing them as their covenant God.

in the thick cloud
The "thick cloud" is a powerful symbol of God's presence and mystery. In Hebrew, "anan" refers to a cloud, often associated with divine appearances. This imagery recalls the cloud on Mount Sinai during the giving of the Law (Exodus 19:9) and the cloud that filled the Tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-35). The cloud signifies God's holiness and unapproachable majesty, yet it also represents His nearness and protection. It is a reminder that while God is transcendent, He chooses to reveal Himself in ways that His people can perceive and understand.

he recognises in the appearance of the cloud the sign that the Divine presence is granted to the Temple; and accordingly he exults in the proof that his foreordained work is accomplished by the building of a house, a "settled habitation" for the Lord. The description of the cloud as "thick darkness," in no way contradicts the idea of the glory shining through it; for human eyes are easily "darkened by excess of light." This mingled light and darkness symbolises--perhaps more strikingly than even the literal darkness of the Most Holy Place--the mystery which veils the presence of God, known to be, and to be infinitely glorious, but in its nature incomprehensible.

Thenius, from a single Chaldee version, suggests for "thick darkness" the correction "Jerusalem;" dwelling on the closer harmony of the reading with 1Kings 8:16, quoting the promise of Psalm 132:13-14 (closely connected there with the great promise of David), and urging the likelihood of the citation of this promise by Solomon, and the greater simplicity thus given to his whole utterance. The suggestion is ingenious; but it lacks authority, both external and internal. The LXX., in the Alexandrine MS. (for the Vatican MS. omits the whole), and the Vulg. agree with the Hebrew text; and Josephus, though he gives a verbose paraphrase of the prayer, evidently had our reading before him, for he contrasts the mystery and ubiquity of the Divine presence with the material shrine. Nor is it easy to conceive how from a passage so simple and prosaic, as this would be with the reading "Jerusalem," the more difficult, but far more striking, reading of the present text could have arisen.