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The Lord Gives Solomon Wisdom

Solomon made an alliance by marriage with Pharaoh, king of Egypt; he married Pharaoh’s daughter. He brought her to the City of David[a] until he could finish building his residence and the temple of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem. Now the people were offering sacrifices at the high places,[b] because in those days a temple had not yet been built to honor the Lord.[c]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 3:1 sn The phrase City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
  2. 1 Kings 3:2 sn Offering sacrifices at the high places. The “high places” were places of worship that were naturally or artificially elevated.
  3. 1 Kings 3:2 tn Heb “for the name of the Lord.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor (thus the translation here, “to honor the Lord”). The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name.

Solomon Asks for Wisdom(A)

Solomon made an ·agreement [alliance] with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, by marrying his daughter and bringing her to the City of David [C Jerusalem]. At this time Solomon was still building his ·palace [L house] and the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, as well as a wall around Jerusalem. The ·Temple [L house] for the ·worship [L name] of the Lord had not yet been finished, so people were still sacrificing at ·altars in many places of worship [L the high places; C worship sites that became associated with pagan worship or inappropriate worship of God].

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