1 Kings 3:3-14

Context
3:3 Solomon demonstrated his loyalty to the Lord by following¹ the practices² of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

3:4 The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for it had the most prominent of the high places.³ Solomon would offer up⁴ a thousand burnt sacrifices on the altar there. 3:5 One night in Gibeon the Lord appeared⁵ to Solomon in a dream. God said, “Tell⁶ me what I should give you.” 3:6 Solomon replied, “You demonstrated⁷ great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served⁸ you faithfully, properly, and sincerely.⁹ You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne.¹⁰ 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.¹¹ 3:8 Your servant stands¹² among your chosen people;¹³ they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. 3:9 So give your servant a discerning mind¹⁴ so he can make judicial decisions for¹⁵ your people and distinguish right from wrong.¹⁶ Otherwise¹⁷ no one is able¹⁸ to make judicial decisions for¹⁹ this great nation of yours.”²⁰ 3:10 The Lord²¹ was pleased that Solomon made this request.²² 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,²³ 3:12 I²⁴ grant your request,²⁵ and give²⁶ you a wise and discerning mind²⁷ superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you.²⁸ 3:13 Furthermore, I am giving²⁹ you what you did not request – riches and honor so that you will be the greatest king of your generation.³⁰ 3:14 If you follow my instructions³¹ by obeying³² my rules and regulations, just as your father David did,³³ then I will grant you long life.”³⁴

[3:3] ¹tn Heb “Solomon loved the Lord by walking in.”

[3:3] ²tn Or “policies, rules.”

[3:4] ³tn Heb “for it was the great high place.”

[3:4] ⁴tn The verb form is an imperfect, which is probably used here in a customary sense to indicate continued or repeated action in past time. See GKC 314 §107.b.

[3:5] ⁵tn Or “revealed himself.”

[3:5] ⁶tn Heb “ask.”

[3:6] ⁷tn Heb “did.”

[3:6] ⁸tn Heb “walked before.”

[3:6] ⁹tn Heb “in faithfulness and in innocence and in uprightness of heart with you.”

[3:6] ¹⁰tn 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.”

[3:7] ¹¹tn Heb “and I do not know going out or coming in.”

[3:8] ¹²tn There is no verb expressed in the Hebrew text; “stands” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[3:8] ¹³tn Heb “your people whom you have chosen.”

[3:9] ¹⁴tn Heb “a hearing heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)

[3:9] ¹⁵tn Heb “to judge.”

[3:9] ¹⁶tn Heb “to understand between good and evil.”

[3:9] ¹⁷tn Heb “for”; the word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.

[3:9] ¹⁸tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”

[3:9] ¹⁹tn Heb “to judge.”

[3:9] ²⁰tn Heb “your numerous people.”

[3:10] ²¹tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in v.15 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[3:10] ²²tn Heb “And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, for Solomon asked for this thing.”

[3:11] ²³tn 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.”

[3:12] ²⁴tn This statement is introduced in the Hebrew text by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows.

[3:12] ²⁵tn 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.

[3:12] ²⁶tn 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”).

[3:12] ²⁷tn Heb “heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)

[3:12] ²⁸tn Heb “so that there has not been one like you prior to you, and after you one will not arise like you.”

[3:13] ²⁹tn The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made.

[3:13] ³⁰tn Heb “so that there is not one among the kings like you all your days.” The LXX lacks the words “all your days.”

[3:14] ³¹tn Heb “walk in my ways.”

[3:14] ³²tn Or “keeping.”

[3:14] ³³tn Heb “walked.”

[3:14] ³⁴tn Heb “I will lengthen your days.”