Christian Standard Bible
1 Kings 3:9
9So give your servant a receptive heart to judge your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours?”
1 Kings 3:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
- New International Version (NIV)So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”
Context of 1 Kings 3:9
7“Lord my God, you have now made your servant king in my father David’s place. Yet I am just a youth with no experience in leadership. 8Your servant is among your people you have chosen, a people too many to be numbered or counted. So give your servant a receptive heart to judge your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours?” 10Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had requested this. 11So God said to him, “Because you have requested this and did not ask for long life or riches for yourself, or the death of your enemies, but you asked discernment for yourself to administer justice,
Read all of 1 Kings 31 Kings 3:9 word by word
וְנָתַתָּ֨ לְעַבְדְּךָ֜ לֵ֤ב שֹׁמֵ֙עַ֙ לִשְׁפֹּ֣ט אֶֽת־עַמְּךָ֔ לְהָבִ֖ין בֵּֽין־ט֣וֹב לְרָ֑ע כִּ֣י מִ֤י יוּכַל֙ לִשְׁפֹּ֔ט אֶת־עַמְּךָ֥ הַכָּבֵ֖ד הַזֶּֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- therefore thy servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- an understandingשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: understandH8085
- heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- to judgeשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
- thy peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- that I may discernבִּיןbîyn · to understandH995
- between goodטוֹבţôb · goodH2896
- and badרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
- for who is ableיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
- this thy so greatכָּבֵדkâbêd · heavyH3515
Cross-references for 1 Kings 3:9
- 1 Chronicles 22:12Above all, may the Lord give you insight and understanding when he puts you in charge of Israel so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God.
- 1 Chronicles 29:19Give my son Solomon an undivided heart to keep and to carry out all your commands, your decrees, and your statutes, and to build the building for which I have made provision.
- 2 Chronicles 1:10Now grant me wisdom and knowledge so that I may lead these people, for who can judge this great people of yours?”
- Psalms 119:34Help me understand your instruction, and I will obey it and follow it with all my heart.
- Proverbs 2:3furthermore, if you call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding,
- Proverbs 3:13Happy is a man who finds wisdom and who acquires understanding,
- Proverbs 16:16Get wisdom — how much better it is than gold! And get understanding — it is preferable to silver.
- James 1:5Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God — who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly — and it will be given to him.
- James 3:17But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense.
- Proverbs 20:12The hearing ear and the seeing eye — the Lord made them both.
- 1 Kings 3:28All Israel heard about the judgment the king had given, and they stood in awe of the king because they saw that God’s wisdom was in him to carry out justice.
- Psalms 72:1God, give your justice to the king and your righteousness to the king’s son.
- Proverbs 14:8The sensible person’s wisdom is to consider his way, but the stupidity of fools deceives them.
- Ecclesiastes 7:11Wisdom is as good as an inheritance and an advantage to those who see the sun,
- Ecclesiastes 9:15Now a poor wise man was found in the city, and he delivered the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man.
- John 5:30“I can do nothing on my own. I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me.
Commentaries on 1 Kings 3:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Give - an understanding heart to judge thy people - He did not ask wisdom in general, but the true science of government. This wisdom he sought, and this wisdom he obtained.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9One of the chief functions of the Oriental monarch is always to hear and decide causes. Hence, supreme magistrates were naturally called “judges.” (See the introduction to the Book of Judges.) In the minds of the Jews the “judge” and the “prince” were always closely associated, the direct cognisance of causes being constantly taken by their chief civil governors. (See Exodus 2:14; Exodus 18:16, Exodus 18:22; 1 Samuel 8:20; 2 Samuel 15:2-6.) Good and bad…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 3:9
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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