New American Standard Bible 1995
1 Kings 3:7
7Now, O Lord my God, 1You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet 2I am but a little child; 3I do not know 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
5In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, “Ask what you wish Me to give you.” 6Then Solomon said, “You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. 9So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge 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
- Nowעַתָּ֫ה‛attâh · nowH6258
- , O Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- my Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- You have madeמָלַךְmâlak · to reignH4427
- Your servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- kingמָלַךְmâlak · to reignH4427
- in placeתַּחַתtachath · underneath: insteadH8478
- of my fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
- Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
- I am but a littleקָטֹןqâţân qâţôn · smallH6996
- childנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
- I do not knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- how to goיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- out or comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
Cross-references for 1 Kings 3:7
- Daniel 2:21It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men And knowledge to men of understanding.
- Daniel 4:25that you be driven away from mankind and your dwelling place be with the beasts of the field, and you be given grass to eat like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven; and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.
- Daniel 5:18O king, the Most High God granted sovereignty, grandeur, glory and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father.
- 1 Chronicles 29:1Then King David said to the entire assembly, “My son Solomon, whom alone God has chosen, is still young and inexperienced and the work is great; for the temple is not for man, but for the Lord God.
- Job 32:6So Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite spoke out and said, “I am young in years and you are old; Therefore I was shy and afraid to tell you what I think.
- Ecclesiastes 10:16Woe to you, O land, whose king is a lad and whose princes feast in the morning.
- Jeremiah 1:6Then I said, “Alas, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth.”
- Matthew 18:3and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not 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 which have no shepherd.”
- Deuteronomy 31:2And he said to them, “I am a hundred and twenty years old today; I am no longer able to come and go, and the Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross this Jordan.’
- 1 Samuel 18:16But all Israel and Judah loved David, and he went out and came in before them.
- 2 Samuel 5:2Previously, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and in. And the Lord said to you, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be a ruler over Israel.’”
- Psalms 121:8The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever.
- John 10:3To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and 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
Notes
- 1. 1 Kings 3:7 1 Chr 22:9-13 ↩
- 2. 1 Kings 3:7 1 Chr 29:1; Jer 1:6, 7 ↩
- 3. 1 Kings 3:7 Num 27:17 ↩
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
New American Standard Bible 1995 — © 1960–1995 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Commentaries