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1 Kings 3:11

in 1 Kings 3

So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this instead of requesting long life or wealth for yourself or death for your enemies—but you have asked for discernment to administer justice—

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern justice;

KJV

And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;

This verse in 1 Kings 3

Commentary

4 notes on this verse
Thine enemies - e. g. Hadad the Edomite 1Ki 11:14-22 and Rezon the son of Eliadah 1Ki 11:23-25, whom Solomon might well have wished to remove.

This site's exposition

it pleased the Lord that Solomon had made this request

on 1 Kings 3:10-12

God names the three things Solomon passed over, “long life or wealth for yourself or death for your enemies”. Any king of the ancient world might have asked for these. God grants “a wise and discerning heart, so that there has never been nor will ever be another like you”.

This site's exposition

death for your enemies

Albert Barnes names the enemies Solomon might have asked to be rid of, Hadad the Edomite and Rezon, who trouble his reign in chapter 11. The king had just cleared his own court of rivals in chapter 2. Here he asks for justice.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And God said unto him,....

The words behind it

27 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said

    vaiyomerH559 →5305 times

  • אֱלֹהִ֜יםGod

    ʾelohimH430 →2601 times

  • אֵלָ֗יוto him

    ʾelavH413 →5510 times

  • יַעַן֩because

    yaanH3282 →99 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֨רthat

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • שָׁאַ֜לְתָּyou asked

    shaaltaH7592 →171 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • הַדָּבָ֣רthe thing

    hadavarH1697 →1440 times

  • הַזֶּ֗ה<the> this

    hazehH2088 →1180 times

  • וְלֹֽא־and not

    velo'-H3808 →5168 times

  • שָׁאַ֨לְתָּyou asked

    shaaltaH7592 →171 times

  • לְּךָ֜for yourself

    lekha

  • יָמִ֣יםdays

    yamimH3117 →2304 times

  • רַבִּ֗יםmany

    rabimH7227 →454 times

  • וְלֹֽא־and not

    velo'-H3808 →5168 times

  • שָׁאַ֤לְתָּyou asked

    shaaltaH7592 →171 times

  • לְּךָ֙for yourself

    lekha

  • עֹ֔שֶׁרwealth

    ʾosherH6239 →37 times

  • וְלֹ֥אand not

    velo'H3808 →5168 times

  • שָׁאַ֖לְתָּyou asked

    shaaltaH7592 →171 times

  • נֶ֣פֶשׁ[the] life of

    nefeshH5315 →754 times

  • אֹיְבֶ֑יךָenemies your

    ʾoyeveikhaH341 →282 times

  • וְשָׁאַ֧לְתָּand you asked

    veshaaltaH7592 →171 times

  • לְּךָ֛for yourself

    lekha

  • הָבִ֖יןto understand

    havinH995 →170 times

  • לִשְׁמֹ֥עַto hear

    lishmoa'H8085 →1159 times

  • מִשְׁפָּֽט׃judgment

    mishpatH4941 →422 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Romans 8:26

    In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words.

    it leads to

    • Matthew 10:20

      For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

    • Ephesians 6:18

      Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.

    • Galatians 4:6

      And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

    • John 14:16

      And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—

    • Jude 1:20–21

      But you, beloved, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,

  • Through

    1 Kings 3:9

    Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?”

    it leads to

    • James 1:5

      Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

    • Hebrews 5:14

      But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.

    • Proverbs 16:16

      How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! To gain understanding is more desirable than silver.

Where this verse is studied

About 1 Kings

The Judgment of Solomon — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
The Judgment of Solomon — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); F. W. Farrar, The First Book of Kings (Expositor's Bible); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.