1 Kings 3:8

1 Kings 3:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
• New International Version (NIV)Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted.

Context of 1 Kings 3:8

6Then Solomon said, “You have shown Your servant David my father great lovingkindness, because he walked before You in faithfulness and righteousness and with uprightness of heart toward You; and You have kept for him this great lovingkindness, in that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today. 7So now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of David my father; and as for me, I am but a little boy [in wisdom and experience]; I do not know how to go out or come in [that is, how to conduct business as a king]. Your servant is among Your people whom You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. 9So give Your servant an understanding mind and a hearing heart [with which] to judge Your people, so that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge and rule this great people of Yours?” 10Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing.

1 Kings 3:8 word by word

וְעַ֨בְדְּךָ֔ בְּת֥וֹךְ עַמְּךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּחָ֑רְתָּ עַם־רָ֕ב אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹֽא־יִמָּנֶ֛ה וְלֹ֥א יִסָּפֵ֖ר מֵרֹֽב׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And thy servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• in the midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
• of thy peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• which thou hast chosenבָּחַרbâchar · to chooseH977
• a greatרַבrab · manyH7227
• that cannot be numberedמָנָהmânâh · to countH4487
• nor countedסָפַרsâphar · to recountH5608
• for multitudeרֹבrôb · abundanceH7230

Cross-references for 1 Kings 3:8

• Exodus 19:5Now therefore, if you will in fact obey My voice and keep My covenant (agreement), then you shall be My own special possession and treasure from among all peoples [of the world], for all the earth is Mine;
• Deuteronomy 7:6For you are a holy people [set apart] to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be a people for His own possession [that is, His very special treasure].
• 1 Samuel 12:22The Lord will not abandon His people for His great name’s sake, because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself.
• Psalms 78:71From tending the ewes with nursing young He brought him To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance.
• Genesis 13:16I will make your descendants [as numerous] as the dust of the earth, so that if a man could count the [grains of] dust of the earth, then your descendants could also be counted.
• Genesis 15:5And the Lord brought Abram outside [his tent into the night] and said, “Look now toward the heavens and count the stars—if you are able to count them.” Then He said to him, “So [numerous] shall your descendants be.”
• Genesis 22:17indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies [by conquering them].
• 1 Chronicles 21:2So David said to Joab and the leaders of the people, “Go, count Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring me their total, so that I may know it.”
• 1 Chronicles 27:23But David did not count those twenty years of age and under, for the Lord had said he would multiply Israel as the stars of heaven.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 3:8

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Compare the marginal references. Solomon regards the promises as fulfilled in the existing greatness and glory of the Jewish nation.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-15Verses 5-15 Solomon's dream was not a common one. While his bodily powers were locked up in sleep, the powers of his soul were strengthened; he was enabled to receive the Divine vision, and to make a suitable choice. God, in like manner, puts us in the ready way to be happy, by assuring us we shall have what we need, and pray for. Solomon's making such a choice when asleep, and the powers of reason least active, showed it came from the grace of God…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-9The Hebrew term for little child often referred to someone inexperienced in their job, like an "assistant" (1 Kings 19:21). Solomon humbly admitted his lack of experience and his need for wisdom. He understood that to govern the people well and make good decisions, he needed God's help.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 3:8

• Children
• Communion
• Dream
• Prayer
• Solomon

In the dictionaries

• Affinity
• Divide
• Gibeon
• Solomon
• Yearn
• Abishag
• Divination
• Intercession
• Israel, History of
• King; Kingdom

Commentaries on 1 Kings 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings