1 Kings 3:3-15
New English Translation
3 Solomon demonstrated his loyalty to the Lord by following[a] the practices[b] of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.
4 The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for it had the most prominent of the high places.[c] Solomon would offer up[d] 1,000 burnt sacrifices on the altar there. 5 One night in Gibeon the Lord appeared[e] to Solomon in a dream. God said, “Tell[f] me what I should give you.” 6 Solomon replied, “You demonstrated[g] great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served[h] you faithfully, properly, and sincerely.[i] You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne.[j] 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.[k] 8 Your servant stands[l] among your chosen people;[m] they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning mind[n] so he can make judicial decisions for[o] your people and distinguish right from wrong.[p] Otherwise[q] no one is able[r] to make judicial decisions for[s] this great nation of yours.”[t] 10 The Lord[u] was pleased that Solomon made this request.[v] 11 God said to him, “Because you asked for the ability to make wise judicial decisions, and not for long life, or riches, or vengeance on your enemies,[w] 12 I[x] grant your request[y] and give[z] you a wise and discerning mind[aa] superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you.[ab] 13 Furthermore, I am giving[ac] you what you did not request—riches and honor so that you will be the greatest king of your generation.[ad] 14 If you follow my instructions[ae] by obeying[af] my rules and regulations, just as your father David did,[ag] then I will grant you long life.”[ah] 15 Solomon then woke up and realized it was a dream.[ai] He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant, offered up burnt sacrifices, presented peace offerings,[aj] and held a feast for all his servants.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Kings 3:3 tn Heb “by walking in.”
- 1 Kings 3:3 tn Or “policies, rules.”
- 1 Kings 3:4 tn Heb “for it was the great high place.”
- 1 Kings 3:4 tn Or, “customarily offered up.” The verb form is an imperfect, which is probably used here in a customary sense to indicate continued or repeated action in past time. See GKC 314 §107.b.
- 1 Kings 3:5 tn Or “revealed himself.”
- 1 Kings 3:5 tn Heb “ask.”
- 1 Kings 3:6 tn Heb “did.”
- 1 Kings 3:6 tn Heb “walked before.”
- 1 Kings 3:6 tn Heb “in faithfulness and in innocence and in uprightness of heart with you.”
- 1 Kings 3:6 tn 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.”
- 1 Kings 3:7 tn Heb “and I do not know going out or coming in.”
- 1 Kings 3:8 tn There is no verb expressed in the Hebrew text; “stands” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
- 1 Kings 3:8 tn Heb “your people whom you have chosen.”
- 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “a hearing heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
- 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “to judge.”
- 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “to understand between good and evil.”
- 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “for”; the word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.
- 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”
- 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “to judge.”
- 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “your numerous people.”
- 1 Kings 3:10 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in v.15 is אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonay).
- 1 Kings 3:10 tn Heb “And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, for Solomon asked for this thing.”
- 1 Kings 3:11 tn Heb “because you asked for this thing, and did not ask for yourself many days and did not ask for yourself riches and did not ask for the life of your enemies, but you asked for yourself understanding to hear judgment.”
- 1 Kings 3:12 tn This statement is introduced in the Hebrew text by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows.
- 1 Kings 3:12 tn Heb “I am doing according to your words.” The perfect tense is sometimes used of actions occurring at the same time a statement is made.
- 1 Kings 3:12 tn This statement is introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows. The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made (i.e., “right now I give you”).
- 1 Kings 3:12 tn Heb “heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
- 1 Kings 3:12 tn Heb “so that there has not been one like you prior to you, and after you one will not arise like you.”
- 1 Kings 3:13 tn The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made.
- 1 Kings 3:13 tn Heb “so that there is not one among the kings like you all your days.” The LXX lacks the words “all your days.”
- 1 Kings 3:14 tn Heb “walk in my ways.”
- 1 Kings 3:14 tn Or “keeping.”
- 1 Kings 3:14 tn Heb “walked.”
- 1 Kings 3:14 tn Heb “I will lengthen your days.”
- 1 Kings 3:15 tn Heb “and look, a dream.”
- 1 Kings 3:15 tn Or “tokens of peace”; NIV, TEV “fellowship offerings.”
1 Kings 3:3-15
English Standard Version
3 Solomon (A)loved the Lord, (B)walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. 4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, (C)for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 (D)At Gibeon (E)the Lord appeared to Solomon (F)in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because (G)he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and (H)have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. 7 And now, O Lord my God, (I)you have made your servant king in place of David my father, (J)although I am but a little child. I do not know (K)how to go out or come in. 8 (L)And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, (M)too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 (N)Give your servant therefore an understanding mind (O)to govern your people, that I may (P)discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”
10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 behold, (Q)I now do according to your word. Behold, (R)I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. 13 (S)I give you also what you have not asked, (T)both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. 14 And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, (U)as your father David walked, then (V)I will lengthen your days.”
15 And Solomon (W)awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
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