2 Chronicles 1:10-12

1:10 Now give me wisdom and discernment so ¹  I can effectively lead this nation. ²  Otherwise ³  no one is able ⁴  to make judicial decisions for ⁵  this great nation of yours.” ⁶ 

1:11 God said to Solomon, “Because you desire this, ⁷  and did not ask for riches, wealth, and honor, or for vengeance on your enemies, ⁸  and because you did not ask for long life, ⁹  but requested wisdom and discernment so you can make judicial decisions for my people over whom I have made you king, 1:12 you are granted wisdom and discernment. ¹⁰  Furthermore I am giving you riches, wealth, and honor surpassing that of any king before or after you.” ¹¹ 

Hosea 6:3

6:3 So let us acknowledge him! ¹² 

Let us seek ¹³  to acknowledge ¹⁴  the Lord!

He will come to our rescue as certainly as the appearance of the dawn,

as certainly as the winter rain comes,

as certainly as the spring rain that waters the land.”

Matthew 7:7-8

Ask, Seek, Knock

7:7 “Ask ¹⁵  and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door ¹⁶  will be opened for you. 7:8 For everyone who asks ¹⁷  receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Luke 11:9-13

11:9 “So ¹⁸  I tell you: Ask, ¹⁹  and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door ²⁰  will be opened for you. 11:10 For everyone who asks ²¹  receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door ²²  will be opened. 11:11 What father among you, if your ²³  son asks for ²⁴  a fish, will give him a snake ²⁵  instead of a fish? 11:12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ²⁶  11:13 If you then, although you are ²⁷  evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit ²⁸  to those who ask him!”

[1:10]  ¹ tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) following the imperative here indicates purpose/result.

[1:10]  ² tn Heb “so I may go out before this nation and come in.” The expression “go out…and come in” here means “to lead” (see HALOT 425 s.v. יצא qal.4).

[1:10]  ³ tn Heb “for.” The word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.

[1:10]  ⁴ tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”

[1:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “to judge.”

[1:10]  ⁶ tn Heb “these numerous people of yours.”

[1:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “because this was in your heart.”

[1:11]  ⁸ tn Heb “the life of those who hate you.”

[1:11]  ⁹ tn Heb “many days.”

[1:12]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “wisdom and discernment are given to you.”

[1:12]  ¹¹ tn Heb “which was not so for the kings who were before you, and after you there will not be so.”

[6:3]  ¹² tn The object (“him”) is omitted in the Hebrew text, but supplied in the translation for clarity.

[6:3]  ¹³ tn Heb “let us pursue in order to know.” The Hebrew term רָדַף (radaf, “to pursue”) is used figuratively: “to aim to secure” (BDB 923 s.v. רָדַף 2). It describes the pursuit of a moral goal: “Do not pervert justice…nor accept a bribe…pursue [רָדַף] justice” (Deut 16:20); “those who pursue [רָדַף] righteousness and who seek [בָּקַשׁ, baqash] the Lord” (Isa 51:1); “He who pursues [רָדַף] righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor” (Prov 21:20); “Seek [בָּקַשׁ] peace and pursue [רָדַף] it” (Ps 34:15); “they slander me when I pursue [רָדַף] good” (Ps 38:21).

[6:3]  ¹⁴ tn The Hebrew infinitive construct with לְ (lamed) denotes purpose: “to know” (לָדַעַת, lada’at).

[7:7]  ¹⁵ sn The three present imperatives in this verse (Ask…seek…knock) are probably intended to call for a repeated or continual approach before God.

[7:7]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “it”; the referent (a door) is implied by the context and has been specified in the translation here and in v. 8 for clarity.

[7:8]  ¹⁷ sn The actions of asking, seeking, and knocking are repeated here from v. 7 with the encouragement that God does respond.

[11:9]  ¹⁸ tn Here καί (kai, from καγώ [kagw]) has been translated as “so” to indicate the conclusion drawn from the preceding parable.

[11:9]  ¹⁹ sn The three present imperatives in this verse (Ask…seek…knock) are probably intended to call for a repeated or continual approach before God.

[11:9]  ²⁰ tn Grk “it”; the referent (a door) is implied by the context and has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:10]  ²¹ sn The actions of asking, seeking, and knocking are repeated here from v. 9 with the encouragement that God does respond.

[11:10]  ²² tn Grk “it”; the referent (a door) is implied by the context and has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:11]  ²³ tn Grk “the”; in context the article is used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[11:11]  ²⁴ tc Most mss (א A C D L W Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat sy^c,p,h bo) have “bread, does not give him a stone instead, or” before “a fish”; the longer reading, however, looks like a harmonization to Matt 7:9. The shorter reading is thus preferred, attested by Ì^45,75 B 1241 pc sy^s sa.

[11:11]  ²⁵ sn The snake probably refers to a water snake.

[11:12]  ²⁶ sn The two questions of vv. 11-12 expect the answer, “No father would do this!”

[11:13]  ²⁷ tn The participle ὑπάρχοντες (Juparconte") has been translated as a concessive participle.

[11:13]  ²⁸ sn The provision of the Holy Spirit is probably a reference to the wisdom and guidance supplied in response to repeated requests. Some apply it to the general provision of the Spirit, but this would seem to look only at one request in a context that speaks of repeated asking. The teaching as a whole stresses not that God gives everything his children want, but that God gives the good that they need. The parallel account in Matthew (7:11) refers to good things where Luke mentions the Holy Spirit.