Chronological
Solomon Asks for Wisdom(A)
3 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. 2 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]. 3 Solomon showed he loved the Lord by following the commands his father David had given him, except ·many other places of worship were still used to offer sacrifices and to burn incense [L he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places; 3:2].
4 King Solomon went to Gibeon to offer a sacrifice, because it was the most important ·place of worship [high place; 3:2]. He offered a thousand burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] on that altar. 5 While he was at Gibeon, the Lord appeared to him in a dream during the night. God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
6 Solomon answered, “You ·were very kind [showed faithful love/great lovingkindness] to your servant, my father David. He ·obeyed you, and he was honest and lived right [walked before you in truth/faithfulness and righteousness and integrity of heart]. You showed ·great kindness [faithful love; lovingkindness] to him when you allowed his son to ·be king [L sit on his throne] after him. 7 Lord my God, now you have made me, your servant, king in place of my father David. But I am like a little child; I don’t know how to ·do what must be done [L go out or come in]. 8 I, your servant, am here among your chosen people, and there are too many of them to count. 9 I ask that you give me a heart that ·understands [discerns; L listens], so I can ·rule [govern] the people in the right way and will ·know the difference between right and wrong [discern between good and evil]. ·Otherwise, it is impossible to rule this great people of yours [L For who is capable of governing this great people?].”
10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked this. 11 So God said to him, “You did not ask for a long life, or riches for yourself, or the ·death [L life] of your enemies. Since you asked for ·wisdom to make the right decisions [understanding to discern what is right/just], 12 I will do what you asked. I will give you ·wisdom and understanding [a wise and discerning/L listening heart] that ·is greater than anyone has had in the past or will have in [will make you unlike anyone in the past or in] the future. 13 I will also give you what you did not ask for: riches and ·honor [fame]. During your life no other king will be as great as you. 14 If you ·follow me [L walk in my ways] and obey my ·laws [statutes; ordinances; requirements] and commands, as your father David did, I will also give you a long life.”
15 After Solomon woke up ·from the [and realized it had been a] dream, he went to Jerusalem. He stood before the Ark of the ·Agreement [Treaty; Covenant; Ex. 25:10] with the Lord, where he made burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1]. After that, he gave a ·feast [banquet] for all his ·leaders and officers [L servants].
Solomon Makes a Wise Decision
16 One day two women who were ·prostitutes [T harlots] came to Solomon. As they stood before him, 17 one of the women said, “My master, this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was there with me. 18 Three days later this woman also gave birth to a baby. No one else was in the house with us; it was just the two of us. 19 One night this woman ·rolled over [lay] on her baby, and he died. 20 So she took my son from my bed during the night while ·I [L your servant] was asleep, and she ·carried him to her bed [L laid him at her breast]. Then she ·put the dead baby in my bed [L laid her dead son at my breast]. 21 The next morning when I got up to ·feed my baby [nurse my son], I saw that he was dead! When I looked at him more ·closely [carefully in the morning light], I realized he was not my son.”
22 “No!” the other woman cried. “The living baby is my son, and the dead baby is yours!”
But the first woman said, “No! The dead baby is yours, and the living ·one [son] is mine!” So the two women argued before the king.
23 Then King Solomon said, “One of you says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead.’ Then the other one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and my son is alive.’”
24 The king sent his servants to get a sword. When they brought it to him, 25 he said, “·Cut [Divide] the living baby into two pieces, and give each woman half.”
26 The real mother of the living child was ·full of love [filled with compassion; deeply moved] for her son. So she said to the king, “Please, my ·master [lord], don’t kill him! Give the baby to her!”
But the other woman said, “Neither of us will have him. ·Cut him into two pieces [Divide him]!”
27 Then King Solomon said, “Don’t kill him. Give the baby to the first woman, because she is the real mother.”
28 When the people of Israel heard about King Solomon’s ·decision [judgment; verdict], they ·respected him very much [L were in awe of/feared the king]. They saw he had wisdom from God to ·make the right decisions [render/administer justice].
Solomon’s Officers
4 King Solomon ·ruled [was king] over all Israel. 2 These are the names of his ·leading officers [chief officials]:
Azariah son of Zadok was the priest;
3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha, ·recorded what happened in the courts [were court secretaries];
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud ·recorded the history of the people [was recorder/royal historian];
4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was commander of the army;
Zadok and Abiathar were priests;
5 Azariah son of Nathan was in charge of the district governors;
Zabud son of Nathan was a priest and ·adviser [L friend] to the king;
6 Ahishar was ·responsible for everything in the palace [manager of the household];
Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of ·the labor force [or forced labor].
7 Solomon placed twelve ·governors [deputies; administrators] over the districts of Israel, who gathered ·food from their districts [provisions] for the king and his ·family [household]. Each ·governor [deputy; administrator] was responsible for bringing food to the king one month of each year. 8 These are the names of the twelve ·governors [deputies; administrators]:
Ben-Hur was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of the ·mountain [hill] country of Ephraim.
9 Ben-Deker was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Bethhanan.
10 Ben-Hesed was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Arubboth, Socoh, and all the land of Hepher.
11 Ben-Abinadab was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Naphoth Dor. (He was married to Taphath, Solomon’s daughter.)
12 Baana son of Ahilud was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Taanach, Megiddo, and all of Beth Shan next to ·Zarethan. This was below Jezreel [Zarethan below Jezreel, and] from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah ·across from [and over to] Jokmeam.
13 Ben-Geber was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Ramoth in Gilead. (He was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of all the towns of Jair in Gilead. Jair was the son of Manasseh. Ben-Geber was also over the district of Argob in Bashan, which had sixty large, walled cities with bronze bars on their gates.)
14 Ahinadab son of Iddo was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Mahanaim.
15 Ahimaaz was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Naphtali. (He was married to Basemath, Solomon’s daughter.)
16 Baana son of Hushai was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Asher and Aloth.
17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Issachar.
18 Shimei son of Ela was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Benjamin.
19 Geber son of Uri was ·governor [deputy; administrator] of Gilead. Gilead had been the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan. ·But Geber was the only governor over this district [In addition, there was one governor/deputy/adminstrator over the land of Judah].
Solomon’s Kingdom(B)
20 There were as many people in Judah and Israel as grains of sand on the seashore [Gen. 22:17; 32:12]. The people ate, drank, and were ·happy [content; rejoicing]. 21 Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought Solomon ·the payments he demanded [tribute], and they ·were under his control [served him] all his life.
22 ·Solomon needed much food each day to feed himself and all the people who ate at his table: Solomon’s daily provisions were one hundred ninety-five bushels [L thirty cors] of fine flour, three hundred ninety bushels [L sixty cors] of ·grain [meal], 23 ten ·cows that were fed on good grain [fat oxen], twenty ·cows [oxen] that were raised in the fields, one hundred sheep, deer, gazelles, and roe deer, and ·fattened birds [choice poultry].
24 Solomon ·controlled [ruled; had dominion over] all the countries west of the ·Euphrates River [L River]—the land from Tiphsah to Gaza. And he had peace on all ·sides of his kingdom [his borders/frontiers]. 25 During Solomon’s life Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba [C the extreme north to the extreme south], also lived in ·peace [safety]; all of his people were able to sit under their own fig trees and grapevines.
26 Solomon had four[a] thousand stalls for his chariot horses and twelve thousand ·horses [or horsemen; cavalry]. 27 Each month one of the ·district governors [deputies; administrators] ·gave King Solomon all the food he needed [provided for King Solomon]—enough for every person who ate at the king’s table. The ·governors [deputies; administrators] made sure ·he had everything he needed [that nothing was lacking]. 28 They also brought enough barley and straw for Solomon’s ·chariot [L swift steeds] and work horses; each person ·brought this grain to the right place [according to his duty/charge].
Solomon’s Wisdom
29 God gave Solomon great wisdom ·so he could understand many things [L and great discernment/understanding]. His [L breadth/width of] ·wisdom [mind; heart] was ·as hard to measure as [or as vast as; L like] the grains of sand on the seashore. 30 His wisdom was greater than any wisdom of the East, or any wisdom in Egypt. 31 He was wiser than ·anyone on earth [L all mankind]. He was even wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite [C see Ps. 89 title], as well as Heman [C see Ps. 88 title], Calcol, and Darda—the three sons of Mahol. King Solomon became famous in all the surrounding ·countries [nations]. 32 During his life he spoke three thousand ·wise sayings [proverbs] and also wrote one thousand five songs. 33 He taught about many kinds of plants—everything from the great cedar trees of Lebanon to the ·weeds [hyssop] that grow out of the walls. He also taught about animals, birds, ·crawling things [reptiles], and fish. 34 People from all nations came to listen to King Solomon’s wisdom. The kings of all nations sent them to him, ·because they had heard of [or to listen to] Solomon’s wisdom.
Solomon Asks for Wisdom(A)
1 Solomon, David’s son, ·became a powerful king [solidified/secured/established his kingdom/royal authority; L strengthened himself over his kingdom], because the Lord his God was with him and ·made him very great [exalted/magnified/empowered him].
2 Solomon spoke to all the people of Israel—the ·commanders [officers] of thousands of men and of hundreds of men, the judges, every leader in all Israel, and the ·leaders [L heads] of the ·families [clans]. 3 Then Solomon and all the ·people [assembly] with him went to the ·place of worship [L high place] at the town of Gibeon. God’s ·Meeting Tent [Tabernacle], which Moses the Lord’s servant had made in the ·desert [wilderness], was there. 4 David had brought the Ark of God from Kiriath Jearim to Jerusalem, where he had ·made [prepared] a place for it and had set up a tent for it [1 Sam. 6:1–15]. 5 But the bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri, who was the son of Hur, had made was in Gibeon in front of the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle]. So Solomon and the ·people [assembly] worshiped there. 6 Solomon went up to the bronze altar ·in the presence of [before] the Lord at the ·Meeting Tent [Tabernacle] and ·offered [sacrificed] a thousand burnt offerings on it.
7 That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
8 Solomon answered, “You have ·been very kind [shown/demonstrated loyalty/unfailing love] to my father David, and you have made me king in his place. 9 Now, Lord God, ·may your promise to my father David come true [or your promise to my father David has been fulfilled]. You have made me king of a ·people [nation] ·who are as many [as numerous] as the dust of the earth [Gen. 1:16]. 10 Now give me wisdom and knowledge so I can lead these people, ·because no one can rule them without your help [for who can rule/govern this great people/nation of yours?].”
11 God said to Solomon, “You have not asked for wealth or riches or ·honor [fame], or for the ·death of your enemies [L life of those who hate you], or for a long life. ·But since [Because] you have asked for wisdom and knowledge to ·lead [rule; govern] my people, over whom I have made you king, 12 I will give you wisdom and knowledge. I will also give you more wealth, riches, and ·honor [fame] than any king who has lived before you or any who will live after you.”
13 Then Solomon left the ·place of worship [L high place], the ·Meeting Tent [Tabernacle], at Gibeon and went back to Jerusalem. There King Solomon ·ruled [reigned] over Israel.
Solomon’s Wealth(B)
14 Solomon ·had [gathered; amassed; accumulated] fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses. He kept some in ·special cities for the chariots [chariot cities], and others he kept with him in Jerusalem. 15 In Jerusalem Solomon made silver and gold as ·plentiful [common] as stones and cedar trees as ·plentiful [common] as the ·fig [sycamore-fig] trees on the ·western hills [L Shephelah]. 16 He imported horses from Egypt and ·Kue [Cilicia; C present-day southern Turkey]; his traders bought them in ·Kue [Cilicia] for the ·prevailing [usual; standard] price. 17 They imported chariots from Egypt for ·about fifteen pounds [L six hundred shekels] of silver apiece, and horses cost ·nearly four pounds of silver [L one hundred fifty] apiece. Then they ·sold [exported] the horses and chariots to all the kings of the Hittites and the Arameans.
A Prayer for the King
Of Solomon.
72 God, give the king your good judgment
and the king’s son your ·goodness [righteousness].
2 Help him judge your people ·fairly [rightly]
and decide what is ·right [just] for the poor.
3 Let there be ·peace [or prosperity] on the mountains
and ·goodness [righteousness] on the hills for the people.
4 Help him be ·fair [just] to the poor
and ·save [give victory to] the ·needy [or children of the needy]
and ·punish [crush] those who ·hurt [oppress; exploit] them.
5 May they ·respect [fear] you as long as the sun
and as long as the moon, throughout the generations.
6 Let him ·be [L come down] like rain on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth.
7 Let ·goodness [righteousness] ·be plentiful [bloom forth] while he lives.
Let ·peace [or prosperity] continue ·as long as there is a [L until there is no] moon.
8 ·Let his kingdom go [L May he have dominion/rule] from sea to sea,
and from the ·Euphrates River [L river] to the ends of the earth.
9 Let the people of the ·desert [wilderness] ·bow down to [cringe/cower before] him,
and make his enemies lick the dust.
10 Let the kings of Tarshish [48:7] and the ·faraway lands [L islands]
bring him ·gifts [tribute].
Let the kings of Sheba [C an unknown location, perhaps present-day Yemen, Eritrea, or Ethiopia; see 1 Kin. 10:1–13] and Seba [C either in southern Egypt or further south; Gen. 10:7; Is. 43:3; 45:14]
bring their ·presents [tribute] to him.
11 Let all kings ·bow down [bend the knee] to him
and all nations serve him [Ps. 2].
12 He will ·help [protect] the poor when they cry out
and the needy when no one else will help.
13 He will ·be kind to [take pity on] the poor and the needy,
and he will ·save their lives [give victory to the needy].
14 He will ·save [redeem] them from ·cruel people who try to hurt them [L violence and oppression],
because their ·lives [L blood] are precious to ·him [L his eyes].
15 Long live the king!
Let him receive gold from Sheba [v. 10].
Let people always pray for him
and ·bless [praise] him all day long.
16 Let ·the fields grow plenty of grain [L there be much grain in the land/earth]
and ·the hills be covered with crops [L let there be abundance on the top of the mountains; or let it wave on the top of the mountains].
·Let the land be as fertile as Lebanon [L May its fruit be like that of Lebanon],
and let the cities grow like the grass in a field.
17 Let ·the king be famous [L his name/fame be] forever;
let ·him be remembered as long as the sun shines [L his name/fame continue as long as the sun].
Let the nations be ·blessed [praised] because of him,
and may they all ·bless [praise] him [Gen. 12:3].
18 ·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does such ·miracles [wonderful things].
19 Praise his glorious name forever.
Let his glory [C manifest presence] fill the whole world.
Amen and amen.
20 This ends the prayers of David son of Jesse [C at one time it did, but see other Davidic psalms at Ps. 101, 103, 108–110, and others].
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