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

6Solomon replied, “You demonstrated great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served you faithfully, properly, and sincerely. You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne. 7Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in my father David’s place, even though I am only a young man and am inexperienced. Your servant stands among your chosen people; they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. 9So give your servant a discerning mind so he can make judicial decisions for your people and distinguish right from wrong. Otherwise no one is able to make judicial decisions for this great nation of yours.” 10The Lord was pleased that Solomon made this request.

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 19:5And now, if you will diligently listen to me and keep my covenant, then you will be my special possession out of all the nations, for all the earth is mine,
• Deuteronomy 7:6For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. He has chosen you to be his people, prized above all others on the face of the earth.
• 1 Samuel 12:22The Lord will not abandon his people because he wants to uphold his great reputation. The Lord was pleased to make you his own people.
• Psalms 78:71He took him away from following the mother sheep, and made him the shepherd of Jacob, his people, and of Israel, his chosen nation.
• Genesis 13:16And I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone is able to count the dust of the earth, then your descendants also can be counted.
• Genesis 15:5The Lord took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars – if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.”
• Genesis 22:17I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be as countless as the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the strongholds of their enemies.
• 1 Chronicles 21:2David told Joab and the leaders of the army, “Go, count the number of warriors from Beer Sheba to Dan. Then bring back a report to me so I may know how many we have.”
• 1 Chronicles 27:23David did not count the males twenty years old and under, for the Lord had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky.

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