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Contemporary English Version

1 Kings 3:7

Lord God, I'm your servant, and you've made me king in my father's place. But I'm very young and know so little about being a leader.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Children;   Communion;   Dream;   Humility;   Prayer;   Solomon;   Wisdom;   Scofield Reference Index - Bible Prayers;   Thompson Chain Reference - Earnest Suppliants;   Earnestness-Indifference;   Humble;   Humility;   Humility-Pride;   Leaders;   Prayer;   Religious;   Seven;   Solomon;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Dreams;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Egypt;   Gibeon;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Dream;   Solomon;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Kings, First and Second, Theology of;   Prayer;   Wisdom;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Child;   Gibeon;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, the Book of;   Solomon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Gibeon;   Intercession;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Prayer;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Israel;   Solomon;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Worldliness (2);   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Dream;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Divide;   Intercession;   Solomon;   Wisdom of Solomon, the;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Solomon;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Lord my God, you have now made your servant king in my father David’s place. Yet I am just a youth with no experience in leadership.
Hebrew Names Version
Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child; I don't know how to go out or come in.
King James Version
And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
English Standard Version
And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.
New Century Version
Lord my God, now you have made me, your servant, king in my father's place. But I am like a little child; I don't know how to do what must be done.
New English Translation
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.
Amplified Bible
"So now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of David my father; and as for me, I am but a little boy [in wisdom and experience]; I do not know how to go out or come in [that is, how to conduct business as a king].
New American Standard Bible
"And now, LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am like a little boy; I do not know how to go out or come in.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy seruant King in steade of Dauid my father: and I am but a yong childe, and know not howe to go out and in.
Legacy Standard Bible
So now, O Yahweh my God, You have made Your slave king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.
Complete Jewish Bible
So now, Adonai my God, you have made your servant king in the place of David my father; but I am a mere child — I don't know how to lead!
Darby Translation
And now, Jehovah my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father; and I am but a little child: I know not to go out and to come in.
Easy-to-Read Version
Lord my God, you have made me the king in my father's place, but I am like a small child. I don't have the wisdom I need to do what I must do.
George Lamsa Translation
And now, O LORD God, thou hast made thy servant king in place of David my father; and I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in among thy people, whom thou hast chosen,
Good News Translation
O Lord God, you have let me succeed my father as king, even though I am very young and don't know how to rule.
Lexham English Bible
So then, O Yahweh, you are my God. You have made your servant king in place of David my father though I am a young boy. I do not know going out or coming in.
Literal Translation
And now, O Jehovah my God, You have caused Your servant to reign instead of my father David. And I am a little man-child; I do not know to go out and to come in.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now LORDE my God, thou hast made thy seruaunt kynge in my father Dauids steade: As for me, I am but a small yonge man, knowynge nether my outgoynge ner ingoynge.
American Standard Version
And now, O Jehovah my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in.
Bible in Basic English
And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in the place of David my father; and I am only a young boy, with no knowledge of how to go out or come in.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And nowe O Lord my God, it is thou that hast made thy seruaunt king in steade of Dauid my father: And I am but young, & wote not howe to go out and in.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And now, O LORD my God, Thou hast made Thy servant king instead of David my father; and I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in.
King James Version (1611)
And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy seruant King in stead of Dauid my father: and I am but a litle childe: I know not how to goe out or come in.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And now, O Lord my God, thou hast appointed thy servant in the room of David my father; and I am a little child, and know not my going out an my coming in.
English Revised Version
And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in.
Berean Standard Bible
And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David's place. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And now, Lord God, thou hast maad thi seruaunt to regne for Dauid, my fadir; forsothe Y am a litil child, and not knowynge myn outgoynge and entryng.
Young's Literal Translation
And now, O Jehovah my God, Thou hast caused thy servant to reign instead of David my father; and I [am] a little child, I do not know to go out and to come in;
Update Bible Version
And now, O Yahweh my God, you have made your slave king instead of David my father: and I am but a small lad; I don't know how to go out or come in.
Webster's Bible Translation
And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I [am but] a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
World English Bible
Now, Yahweh my God, you have made your servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child; I don't know how to go out or come in.
New King James Version
Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.
New Living Translation
"Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn't know his way around.
New Life Bible
Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child. I do not know how to start or finish.
New Revised Standard
And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, therefore, O Yahweh my God, thou, hast made thy servant king, instead of David my father, - and, I, am but a little child, I know not how to go out and come in.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And now, O Lord God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David, my father: and I am but a child, and know not how to go out and come in;
Revised Standard Version
And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.
THE MESSAGE
"And now here I am: God , my God, you have made me, your servant, ruler of the kingdom in place of David my father. I'm too young for this, a mere child! I don't know the ropes, hardly know the ‘ins' and ‘outs' of this job. And here I am, set down in the middle of the people you've chosen, a great people—far too many to ever count.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.

Contextual Overview

5 One night while Solomon was in Gibeon, the Lord God appeared to him in a dream and said, "Solomon, ask for anything you want, and I will give it to you." 6 Solomon answered: My father David, your servant, was honest and did what you commanded. You were always loyal to him, and you gave him a son who is now king. 7 Lord God, I'm your servant, and you've made me king in my father's place. But I'm very young and know so little about being a leader. 8 And now I must rule your chosen people, even though there are too many of them to count. 9 Please make me wise and teach me the difference between right and wrong. Then I will know how to rule your people. If you don't, there is no way I could rule this great nation of yours. 10God said: Solomon, I'm pleased that you asked for this. You could have asked to live a long time or to be rich. Or you could have asked for your enemies to be destroyed. Instead, you asked for wisdom to make right decisions. 12 So I'll make you wiser than anyone who has ever lived or ever will live. 13 I'll also give you what you didn't ask for. You'll be rich and respected as long as you live, and you'll be greater than any other king. 14 If you obey me and follow my commands, as your father David did, I'll let you live a long time. 15 Solomon woke up and realized that God had spoken to him in the dream. He went back to Jerusalem and stood in front of the sacred chest, where he offered sacrifices to please the Lord and sacrifices to ask his blessing. Then Solomon gave a feast for his officials.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

thou hast: Daniel 2:21, Daniel 4:25, Daniel 4:32, Daniel 5:18, Daniel 5:21

a little: 1 Chronicles 29:1, Job 32:6-8, Ecclesiastes 10:16, Jeremiah 1:6, Matthew 18:3, Matthew 18:4

to go: Numbers 27:17, Deuteronomy 31:2, 1 Samuel 18:16, 2 Samuel 5:2, Psalms 121:8, John 10:3, John 10:4, John 10:9

Reciprocal: Exodus 3:11 - General Deuteronomy 1:12 - General Judges 11:11 - uttered 1 Kings 1:37 - As the 1 Kings 2:2 - and show 1 Kings 2:24 - set me 1 Chronicles 4:10 - God granted 1 Chronicles 22:5 - Solomon 2 Chronicles 1:9 - for thou hast 2 Chronicles 6:10 - I am risen 2 Chronicles 34:1 - eight years Isaiah 3:4 - children Matthew 18:2 - General Acts 1:21 - went Acts 9:28 - coming James 1:5 - any

Cross-References

Genesis 2:25
Although the man and his wife were both naked, they were not ashamed.
Genesis 3:5
"God understands what will happen on the day you eat fruit from that tree. You will see what you have done, and you will know the difference between right and wrong, just as God does."
Genesis 3:10
The man answered, "I was naked, and when I heard you walking through the garden, I was frightened and hid!"
Genesis 3:11
"How did you know you were naked?" God asked. "Did you eat any fruit from that tree in the middle of the garden?"
Deuteronomy 28:34
What you see will be so horrible that you will go insane,
2 Kings 6:20
When all the soldiers were inside the city, Elisha prayed, " Lord , now let them see again." The Lord let them see that they were standing in the middle of Samaria.
Isaiah 28:20
Your bed is too short, your blanket too skimpy.
Isaiah 59:6
but you can't make clothes with those webs or hide behind them. You're sinful and brutal.
Luke 16:23
He went to hell and was suffering terribly. When he looked up and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father,.... Removed by death, in whose stead he reigned by the appointment of God, and through his overruling providence, notwithstanding the attempts made to prevent it, and therefore to God he ascribes it:

and I [am but] a little child; not in age and stature, but in knowledge and understanding; for though his father called him a wise man, and he was judged so by others, and really was one, yet in his own opinion and thought of himself such was his modesty and humility, that he was but a child as to his intellectual powers and capacity for government: some understand this of age; and the Jews commonly say he was but twelve years of age when he was anointed king, which they reckon thus; that he was born at the time that Ammon ravished Tamar, two years after which was Absalom's sheep shearing, when he slew Amnon, on which he fled to Geshur, and was there three years; here are five years; he returned thence and was at Jerusalem two years; lo, seven years; he rebelled and was slain, and after that there was a famine of three years, which make ten; and in the year following David numbered the people, which was nine or ten months in doing; the next year he died, which was the fortieth of his reign, in all twelve years; so reckon Jarchi and Kimchi; and Eupolemus, an Heathen writer n, is express for it, who says, that David, when he had reigned forty years, delivered up the kingdom to Solomon his son, being then twelve years of age, which he must receive from the tradition of the Jews; the same is said by several of the ancient fathers, as Ignatius o and Jerom p; but this cannot be fact; for, if so, his son Rehoboam must be born to him when he was but eleven years of age; :-; it is best therefore to interpret this of the sense he had of the weakness of his understanding, and of his incapacity for government, as the next clause explains it:

I know not [how] to go out or come in; in the administration of government, to execute his office as a king, in allusion to shepherds, as kings are sometimes called, going in and out before their sheep.

n Apud Euseb. ut supra. (Praeparat. Evangel. l. 9. c. 30, 31, 32.) o Epist. ad Magnesios, p. 141. Ed. Voss. p Epist. Rufino & Vitali, fol. 24, 25. tom. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See 1 Kings 2:2 note, and on the hyperbole contained in the phrase “little child,” compare Genesis 43:8; Exodus 33:11.

How to go out or come in - This expression is proverbial for the active conduct of affairs. (See the marginal reference.)

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 3:7. I know not how to go out or come in. — I am just like an infant learning to walk alone, and can neither go out nor come in without help.


 
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