1 Kings 3:6-9

Context
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

1 Kings 3:28

Context
3:28 When all Israel heard about the judicial decision which the king had rendered, they respected¹⁵ the king, for they realized¹⁶ that he possessed supernatural wisdom¹⁷ to make judicial decisions.

[3:6] ¹tn Heb “did.”

[3:6] ²tn Heb “walked before.”

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

[3:6] 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.”

[3:7] ⁵tn Heb “and I do not know going out or coming in.”

[3:8] ⁶tn There is no verb expressed in the Hebrew text; “stands” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[3:8] ⁷tn Heb “your people whom you have chosen.”

[3:9] ⁸tn Heb “a hearing heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)

[3:9] ⁹tn Heb “to judge.”

[3:9] ¹⁰tn Heb “to understand between good and evil.”

[3:9] ¹¹tn Heb “for”; the word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.

[3:9] ¹²tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”

[3:9] ¹³tn Heb “to judge.”

[3:9] ¹⁴tn Heb “your numerous people.”

[3:28] ¹⁵tn Heb “feared,” perhaps in the sense, “stood in awe of.”

[3:28] ¹⁶tn Heb “saw.”

[3:28] ¹⁷tn Heb “the wisdom of God within him.”