Berean Standard Bible
1 Kings 3:7
7And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David’s place. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in.
1 Kings 3:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
- New International Version (NIV)“Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.
Context of 1 Kings 3:7
5One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!” 6Solomon replied, “You have shown much loving devotion to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart. And You have maintained this loving devotion by giving him a son to sit on his throne this very day. And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David’s place. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in. 8Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to count or number. 9Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?”
Read all of 1 Kings 31 Kings 3:7 word by word
וְעַתָּה֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֔י אַתָּה֙ הִמְלַ֣כְתָּ אֶֽת־עַבְדְּךָ֔ תַּ֖חַת דָּוִ֣ד אָבִ֑י וְאָֽנֹכִי֙ נַ֣עַר קָטֹ֔ן לֹ֥א אֵדַ֖ע צֵ֥את וָבֹֽא׃Read the interlinear
- And nowעַתָּ֫ה‛attâh · nowH6258
- O LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- my Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- Youאַתָּ֫ה'attâh 'attâ 'ath 'attîy 'attem 'atten 'attênâh 'attênnâh · you(m.s.)H859
- have made Your servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- kingמָלַךְmâlak · to reignH4427
- ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
- in my fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
- David’sדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
- placeתַּחַתtachath · underneath: insteadH8478
- But Iאָֽנֹכִ֫י'ânôkîy · IH595
- only a littleקָטֹןqâţân qâţôn · smallH6996
- childנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
- notלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- knowingיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- to go outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- or come inבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
Cross-references for 1 Kings 3:7
- Daniel 2:21He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
- Daniel 4:25You will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field. You will feed on grass like an ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes.
- Daniel 5:18As for you, O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness, glory and honor.
- 1 Chronicles 29:1Then King David said to the whole assembly, “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great because this palace is not for man, but for the LORD God.
- Job 32:6So Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite declared: “I am young in years, while you are old; that is why I was timid and afraid to tell you what I know.
- Ecclesiastes 10:16Woe to you, O land whose king is a youth, and whose princes feast in the morning.
- Jeremiah 1:6“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!”
- Matthew 18:3“Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
- Numbers 27:17who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
- Deuteronomy 31:2he said to them, “I am now a hundred and twenty years old; I am no longer able to come and go, and the LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’
- 1 Samuel 18:16But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he was leading them out to battle and back.
- 2 Samuel 5:2Even in times past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them back. And to you the LORD said, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be ruler over them.’”
- Psalms 121:8The LORD will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore.
- John 10:3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen for his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
Commentaries on 1 Kings 3:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7I know not how to go out or come in - I am just like an infant learning to walk alone, and can neither go out nor come in without help.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7See 1 Kings 2:2 note, and on the hyperbole contained in the phrase “little child,” compare Genesis 43:8; Exodus 33:11. How to go out or come in - This expression is proverbial for the active conduct of affairs. (See the marginal reference.)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
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. I am but a little child--not in age, for he had reached manhood (1Ki 2:9) and must have been at least twenty years old; but he was raw and inexperienced in matters of government.Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Kings 3:7
In the dictionaries
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
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