1 Kings 3:9

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

⁵One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, "Ask, and I will give it to you!" ⁶Solomon replied, "You have shown much loving devotion to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart. And You have maintained this loving devotion by giving him a son to sit on his throne this very day. ⁷And 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. ⁸Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to count or number. ⁹Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?"¹⁰Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had made this request. ¹¹So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this instead of requesting long life or wealth for yourself or death for your enemies-but you have asked for discernment to administer justice- ¹²behold, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. ¹³Moreover, I will give you what you did not request-both riches and honor-so that during all your days no man in any kingdom will be your equal. ¹⁴So if you walk in My ways and keep My statutes and commandments, just as your father David did, then I will prolong your days."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Give therefore: 1 Chronicles 22:12, 1 Chronicles 29:19, 2 Chronicles 1:10, Psalms 119:34, Psalms 119:73, Psalms 119:144, Proverbs 2:3-9, Proverbs 3:13-18, Proverbs 16:16, James 1:5, James 3:17

understanding: Heb. hearing, Proverbs 20:12

to judge: 1 Kings 3:28, Psalms 72:1, Psalms 72:2, Proverbs 14:8, Ecclesiastes 7:11, Ecclesiastes 7:19, Ecclesiastes 9:15-18, John 5:30

discern: 2 Samuel 14:17, Isaiah 11:2-4, 1 Corinthians 2:14, 1 Corinthians 2:15, Ephesians 5:17, Philippians 1:10,*Gr: Hebrews 5:14

who is able: Exodus 3:11, Exodus 3:12, Exodus 4:10-13, Jeremiah 1:6, Matthew 3:11, Matthew 3:14, 2 Corinthians 2:16, 2 Corinthians 3:5

Reciprocal: Genesis 12:2 - General Exodus 18:17 - not good Exodus 18:21 - able men Exodus 31:3 - filled Deuteronomy 34:9 - full of the spirit 1 Kings 3:11 - discern 1 Kings 5:7 - a wise son 1 Kings 7:7 - of judgment 1 Kings 10:24 - which God 2 Kings 2:9 - Elisha said 2 Kings 15:5 - judging 1 Chronicles 11:2 - ruler 2 Chronicles 32:4 - find Job 28:12 - General Psalms 119:66 - Teach me Proverbs 1:2 - General Proverbs 2:6 - the Lord Proverbs 8:15 - decree Proverbs 18:15 - General Proverbs 25:2 - the honour Ecclesiastes 10:10 - wisdom Isaiah 11:3 - and he shall not Daniel 9:12 - our judges Matthew 12:42 - hear Romans 16:19 - yet 1 Corinthians 3:10 - as a Colossians 3:16 - all

Cross-References

Genesis 3:12
And the man answered, "The woman whom You gave me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it."

Genesis 3:13
Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" "The serpent deceived me," she replied, "and I ate."

Genesis 3:17
And to Adam He said: "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree from which I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.

Genesis 3:19
By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground-because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return."

Genesis 3:20
And Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.

Genesis 3:21
And the LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

Genesis 4:9
And the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I do not know!" he answered. "Am I my brother's keeper?"

Genesis 11:5
Then the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the sons of men were building.

Genesis 16:8
"Hagar, servant of Sarai," He said, "where have you come from, and where are you going?" "I am running away from my mistress Sarai," she replied.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart, to judge thy people,.... Not an understanding of things spiritual, nor of things natural, though both were given him, but of things political, what related to the civil government, that he might be able to judge or rule the people of Israel in the best manner:

that I may discern between good and bad; not merely between moral good and evil, of which he had a discernment; but between right and wrong in any case or controversy that came before him between man and man, that so he might be able to pass a right sentence, and do justice to every one:

for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? who are so very numerous, and have so many causes to be heard and and those many of them very intricate and difficult; so that no man is equal to such arduous work, unless he has more than an ordinary capacity given him by the Lord.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

One of the chief functions of the Oriental monarch is always to hear and decide causes. Hence, supreme magistrates were naturally called “judges.” (See the introduction to the Book of Judges.) In the minds of the Jews the “judge” and the “prince” were always closely associated, the direct cognisance of causes being constantly taken by their chief civil governors. (See Exodus 2:14; Exodus 18:16, Exo 18:22; 1 Samuel 8:20; 2 Samuel 15:2-6.)

Good and bad - i. e. “right and wrong,” “justice and injustice.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 3:9. Give - an understanding heart to judge thy people — He did not ask wisdom in general, but the true science of government. This wisdom he sought, and this wisdom he obtained.