3 And all the elders of Israel come in, and the priests lift up the ark, 4 and bring up the ark of Jehovah, and the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that 'are' in the tent, yea, the priests and the Levites bring them up. 5 And king Solomon and all the company of Israel who are met unto him 'are' with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that are not counted nor numbered for multitude. 6 And the priests bring in the ark of the covenant of Jehovah unto its place, unto the oracle of the house, unto the holy of holies, unto the place of the wings of the cherubs; 7 for the cherubs are spreading forth two wings unto the place of the ark, and the cherubs cover over the ark, and over its staves from above; 8 and they lengthen the staves, and the heads of the staves are seen from the holy 'place' on the front of the oracle, and are not seen without, and they are there unto this day. 9 There is nothing in the ark, only the two tables of stone which Moses put there in Horeb, when Jehovah covenanted with the sons of Israel in their going out of the land of Egypt.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 8:3-9
Commentary on 1 Kings 8:1-11
(Read 1 Kings 8:1-11)
The bringing in the ark, is the end which must crown the work: this was done with great solemnity. The ark was fixed in the place appointed for its rest in the inner part of the house, whence they expected God to speak to them, even in the most holy place. The staves of the ark were drawn out, so as to direct the high priest to the mercy-seat over the ark, when he went in, once a year, to sprinkle the blood there; so that they continued of use, though there was no longer occasion to carry it by them. The glory of God appearing in a cloud may signify, 1. The darkness of that dispensation, in comparison with the light of the gospel, by which, with open face, we behold, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord. 2. The darkness of our present state, in comparison with the sight of God, which will be the happiness of heaven, where the Divine glory is unveiled.