1 Kings 2:20
in 1 Kings 2“I have just one small request of you,” she said. “Do not deny me.” “Make your request, my mother,” the king replied, “for I will not deny you.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then she said, I ask one small petition of thee; deny me not. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother; for I will not deny thee.
KJV
Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay.
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This verse in 1 Kings 2
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
who sat down at his right hand
on 1 Kings 2:19-21
Solomon rises to meet his mother and seats her at his right hand, the one place in Scripture where a queen mother receives that honor. Solomon bows to Bathsheba before he refuses her request. The refusal is weighed on its own merits rather than on whose mouth carried it.
This site's exposition
I have just one small request
Bathsheba calls the request small. Solomon promises before he hears it, and John Gill reads that promise as bound by what is fit and lawful. Matthew Henry notes that even the dearest friend must never bring a king to do a wrong thing.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The best friend we have in the world must not have such an interest in us as to bring us to do a wrong thing, either unjust or unwise. (1.) Solomon convinces his mother of the unreasonableness of the request, and shows her the tendency of it, which, before, she was not aware of. His reply is somewhat sharp: " Ask for him the kingdom also,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee,.... It was but one, and a little one, and therefore she hoped it would be granted: I pray thee, say me not nay; do not refuse it, or deny it me, or turn away my thee with shame and disappointment: and the king said, ask on, my mother, for I will not say thee nay; since it is a small one, as thou sayest, and provided it is fit and lawful to be granted.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
To speak to him. To speak on his behalf, on behalf of Adoniyahu. 11 Alternatively, on behalf of Shlomo, because she felt that Shlomo’s kingdom would be strengthened by granting Adoniyahu’s request.—Malbim.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתֹּ֗אמֶר | vatomer | and she said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| שְׁאֵלָ֨ה | sheelah | a petition | H7596 → | |
| אַחַ֤ת | ʾachat | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| קְטַנָּה֙ | ketanah | small | H6996 → | 101 times |
| אָֽנֹכִי֙ | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| שֹׁאֶ֣לֶת | shoelet | [am] asking | H7592 → | 171 times |
| מֵֽאִתָּ֔ךְ | meitakh | from with <the> you | H854 → | 929 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תָּ֖שֶׁב | tashev | you turn away | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| פָּנָ֑י | panai | face my | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וַיֹּֽאמֶר־ | vaiyomer- | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָ֤הּ | lah | to her | ||
| הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| שַׁאֲלִ֣י | shaali | ask | H7592 → | 171 times |
| אִמִּ֔י | ʾimi | O mother my | H517 → | 220 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אָשִׁ֖יב | ʾashiv | I will turn away | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| פָּנָֽיִךְ׃ | panayikh | face your | H6440 → | 2123 times |
וַתֹּ֗אמֶרand she said
vatomerH559 →5305 times
שְׁאֵלָ֨הa petition
sheelahH7596 →
אַחַ֤תone
ʾachatH259 →971 times
קְטַנָּה֙small
ketanahH6996 →101 times
אָֽנֹכִי֙I
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
שֹׁאֶ֣לֶת[am] asking
shoeletH7592 →171 times
מֵֽאִתָּ֔ךְfrom with <the> you
meitakhH854 →929 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תָּ֖שֶׁבyou turn away
tashevH7725 →1056 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
פָּנָ֑יface my
panaiH6440 →2123 times
וַיֹּֽאמֶר־and he said
vaiyomer-H559 →5305 times
לָ֤הּto her
lah
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
שַׁאֲלִ֣יask
shaaliH7592 →171 times
אִמִּ֔יO mother my
ʾimiH517 →220 times
כִּ֥יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
אָשִׁ֖יבI will turn away
ʾashivH7725 →1056 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
פָּנָֽיִךְ׃face your
panayikhH6440 →2123 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 11:24But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
it leads to
- Matthew 10:15
Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
- Matthew 11:22
But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
- Mark 6:11
If anyone will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that place, as a testimony against them.”
- Lamentations 4:6
The punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in an instant without a hand turned to help her.
- Luke 10:12
I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
- Matthew 10:15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
About 1 Kings
This page draws on Alfred Edersheim, Bible History: Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.