^3:5One night in Gibeon the Lord appeared⁹ to Solomon in a dream. God said, “Tell¹⁰ me what I should give you.” ^3:6Solomon replied, “You demonstrated¹¹ great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served¹² you faithfully, properly, and sincerely.¹³ You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne.¹⁴^3:7Now, 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.¹⁵^3:8Your servant stands¹⁶ among your chosen people;¹⁷ they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. ^3:9So give your servant a discerning mind¹⁸ so he can make judicial decisions for¹⁹ your people and distinguish right from wrong.²⁰ Otherwise²¹ no one is able²² to make judicial decisions for²³ this great nation of yours.”²⁴^3:10The Lord²⁵ was pleased that Solomon made this request.²⁶^3:11God 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,²⁷^3:12I²⁸ grant your request,²⁹ and give³⁰ you a wise and discerning mind³¹ superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you.³²^3:13Furthermore, I am giving³³ you what you did not request—riches and honor so that you will be the greatest king of your generation.³⁴^3:14If you follow my instructions³⁵ by obeying³⁶ my rules and regulations, just as your father David did,³⁷ then I will grant you long life.”³⁸^3:15Solomon then woke up and realized it was a dream.³⁹ He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant, offered up burnt sacrifices, presented peace offerings,⁴⁰ and held a feast for all his servants.

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1 Kings 3:9: Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?...

Footnotes

9 Or “revealed himself.”
10 Heb “ask.”
11 Heb “did.”
12 Heb “walked before.”
13 Heb “in faithfulness and in innocence and in uprightness of heart with you.”
14 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.”
15 Heb “and I do not know going out or coming in.”
16 There is no verb expressed in the Hebrew text; “stands” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
17 Heb “your people whom you have chosen.”
18 Heb “a hearing heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
19 Heb “to judge.”
20 Heb “to understand between good and evil.”
21 Heb “for”; the word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.
22 Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”
23 Heb “to judge.”
24 Heb “your numerous people.”
25 The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in v. 15 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
26 Heb “And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, for Solomon asked for this thing.”
27 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.”
28 This statement is introduced in the Hebrew text by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows.
29 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.
30 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”).
31 Heb “heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
32 Heb “so that there has not been one like you prior to you, and after you one will not arise like you.”
33 The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made.
34 Heb “so that there is not one among the kings like you all your days.” The lacks the words “all your days.”
35 Heb “walk in my ways.”
36 Or “keeping.”
37 Heb “walked.”
38 Heb “I will lengthen your days.”
39 Heb “and look, a dream.”
40 Or “tokens of peace”; , “fellowship offerings.”