1 Kings 3:9

3:9 So give your servant a discerning mind¹ so he can make judicial decisions for² your people and distinguish right from wrong.³ Otherwise⁴ no one is able⁵ to make judicial decisions for⁶ this great nation of yours.”⁷

1 Kings 7:7

7:7 He also made a throne room, called “The Hall of Judgment,” where he made judicial decisions.⁸ It was paneled with cedar from the floor to the rafters.⁹

1 Kings 8:32

8:32 Listen from heaven and make a just decision about your servants’ claims. Condemn the guilty party, declare the other innocent, and give both of them what they deserve.¹⁰

1 Kings 3:28

3:28 When all Israel heard about the judicial decision which the king had rendered, they respected¹¹ the king, for they realized¹² that he possessed supernatural wisdom¹³ to make judicial decisions.

¹tn Heb “a hearing heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)

²tn Heb “to judge.”

³tn Heb “to understand between good and evil.”

⁴tn Heb “for”; the word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.

⁵tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”

⁶tn Heb “to judge.”

⁷tn Heb “your numerous people.”

⁸tn Heb “and a porch for the throne, where he was making judicial decisions, the Porch of Judgment, he made.”

⁹tc The Hebrew text reads, “from the floor to the floor.” The second occurrence of the term הַקַּרְקָע (haqqarqa’, “the floor”) is probably an error; one should emend to הַקּוֹרוֹת (haqqorot, “the rafters”). See 6:16.

¹⁵tn Heb “and you, hear [from] heaven and act and judge your servants by declaring the guilty to be guilty, to give his way on his head, and to declare the innocent to be innocent, to give to him according to his innocence.”

²²tn Heb “feared,” perhaps in the sense, “stood in awe of.”

²³tn Heb “saw.”

²⁴tn Heb “the wisdom of God within him.”