1 Kings 3:6-13

3:6 Solomon replied, “You demonstrated¹ great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served² you faithfully, properly, and sincerely.³ You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne.⁴ 3:7 Now, 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.⁵ 3:8 Your servant stands⁶ among your chosen people;⁷ they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. 3:9 So give your servant a discerning mind⁸ so he can make judicial decisions for⁹ your people and distinguish right from wrong.¹⁰ Otherwise¹¹ no one is able¹² to make judicial decisions for¹³ this great nation of yours.”¹⁴ 3:10 The Lord¹⁵ was pleased that Solomon made this request.¹⁶ 3:11 God said to him, “Because you asked for the ability to make wise judicial decisions, and not for long life, or riches, or vengeance on your enemies,¹⁷ 3:12 I¹⁸ grant your request,¹⁹ and give²⁰ you a wise and discerning mind²¹ superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you.²² 3:13 Furthermore, I am giving²³ you what you did not request – riches and honor so that you will be the greatest king of your generation.²⁴

¹tn Heb “did.”

²tn Heb “walked before.”

³tn Heb “in faithfulness and in innocence and in uprightness of heart with you.”

⁴tn Heb “and you have kept to him this great loyalty and you gave to him a son [who] sits on his throne as this day.”

⁵tn Heb “and I do not know going out or coming in.”

⁶tn There is no verb expressed in the Hebrew text; “stands” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

⁷tn Heb “your people whom you have chosen.”

⁸tn Heb “a hearing heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)

⁹tn Heb “to judge.”

¹⁰tn Heb “to understand between good and evil.”

¹¹tn Heb “for”; the word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.

¹²tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”

¹³tn Heb “to judge.”

¹⁴tn Heb “your numerous people.”

¹⁵tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in v.15 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

¹⁶tn Heb “And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, for Solomon asked for this thing.”

¹⁷tn Heb “because you asked for this thing, and did not ask for yourself many days and did not ask for yourself riches and did not ask for the life of your enemies, but you asked for yourself understanding to hear judgment.”

¹⁸tn This statement is introduced in the Hebrew text by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows.

¹⁹tn Heb “I am doing according to your words.” The perfect tense is sometimes used of actions occurring at the same time a statement is made.

²⁰tn This statement is introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows. The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made (i.e., “right now I give you”).

²¹tn Heb “heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)

²²tn Heb “so that there has not been one like you prior to you, and after you one will not arise like you.”

²³tn The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made.

²⁴tn Heb “so that there is not one among the kings like you all your days.” The LXX lacks the words “all your days.”