New King James Version
1 Kings 3:7
7Now, 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.
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 Living Translation (NLT)“Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around.
Context of 1 Kings 3:7
5At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” 6And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and 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 instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. 9Therefore 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?”
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
Words taken from the KJV.
- And now, O Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- my Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- thou hast made thy servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- kingמָלַךְmâlak · to reignH4427
- instead of Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
- my fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
- a littleקָטֹןqâţân qâţôn · smallH6996
- childנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
- I knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- to go outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- or come inבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
Cross-references for 1 Kings 3:7
- Daniel 2:21And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.
- Daniel 4:25They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.
- Daniel 5:18O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor.
- 1 Chronicles 29:1Furthermore King David said to all the assembly: “My son Solomon, whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced; and the work is great, because the temple is not for man but for the Lord God.
- Job 32:6So Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, answered and said: “I am young in years, and you are very old; Therefore I was afraid, And dared not declare my opinion to you.
- Ecclesiastes 10:16Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, And your princes feast in the morning!
- Jeremiah 1:6Then said I: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.”
- Matthew 18:3and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
- Numbers 27:17who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.”
- Deuteronomy 31:2And he said to them: “I am one hundred and twenty years old today. I can no longer go out and come in. Also the Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross over this Jordan.’
- 1 Samuel 18:16But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
- 2 Samuel 5:2Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the Lord said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel.’ ”
- Psalms 121:8The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.
- 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
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 King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries