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 showed great and faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued to show this great and faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne. 7“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. And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! 9Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?” 10The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom.

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 19:5Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me.
• Deuteronomy 7:6For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.
• 1 Samuel 12:22The Lord will not abandon his people, because that would dishonor his great name. For it has pleased the Lord to make you his very own people.
• Psalms 78:71He took David from tending the ewes and lambs and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants— God’s own people, Israel.
• Genesis 13:16And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted!
• Genesis 15:5Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”
• Genesis 22:17I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies.
• 1 Chronicles 21:2So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, “Take a census of all the people of Israel—from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north—and bring me a report so I may know how many there are.”
• 1 Chronicles 27:23When David took his census, he did not count those who were younger than twenty years of age, because the Lord had promised to make the Israelites as numerous as the stars in heaven.

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