Lectionary Calendar
Monday, August 4th, 2025
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Read the Bible

Good News Translation

1 Kings 3:7

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.

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.
Contemporary English Version
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.
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,
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 That night the Lord appeared to him in a dream and asked him, "What would you like me to give you?" 6 Solomon answered, "You always showed great love for my father David, your servant, and he was good, loyal, and honest in his relation with you. And you have continued to show him your great and constant love by giving him a son who today rules in his place. 7 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. 8 Here I am among the people you have chosen to be your own, a people who are so many that they cannot be counted. 9 So give me the wisdom I need to rule your people with justice and to know the difference between good and evil. Otherwise, how would I ever be able to rule this great people of yours?" 10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this, 11 and so he said to him, "Because you have asked for the wisdom to rule justly, instead of long life for yourself or riches or the death of your enemies, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you more wisdom and understanding than anyone has ever had before or will ever have again. 13 I will also give you what you have not asked for: all your life you will have wealth and honor, more than that of any other king. 14 And if you obey me and keep my laws and commands, as your father David did, I will give you a long life."

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
The man and the woman were both naked, but they were not embarrassed.
Genesis 3:5
God said that because he knows that when you eat it, you will be like God and know what is good and what is bad."
Genesis 3:10
He answered, "I heard you in the garden; I was afraid and hid from you, because I was naked."
Genesis 3:11
"Who told you that you were naked?" God asked. "Did you eat the fruit that I told you not to eat?"
Deuteronomy 28:34
Your sufferings will make you lose your mind.
2 Kings 6:20
As soon as they had entered the city, Elisha prayed, "Open their eyes, Lord , and let them see." The Lord answered his prayer; he restored their sight, and they saw that they were inside Samaria.
Isaiah 28:20
You will be like the person in the proverb, who tries to sleep in a bed too short to stretch out on, with a blanket too narrow to wrap himself in.
Luke 16:23
and in Hades, where he was in great pain, he looked up and saw Abraham, far away, with 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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