1 Kings 3:6
in 1 Kings 3Solomon replied, “You have shown much loving devotion to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart. And You have maintained this loving devotion by giving him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father great lovingkindness, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great lovingkindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
KJV
And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
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This verse in 1 Kings 3
Commentary
5 notes on this verseTruth - In the true worship of God, in the profession, belief, practice and defense of the true religion. So truth here contains all duties to God, as righteousness doth his duties to men, and uprightness the right manner of performing both sorts of duties. With thee - That is, in thy judgment, to whom he often appealed as the witness of his integrity.
This site's exposition
according as he walked before thee
on 1 Kings 3:6-7
Solomon's prayer opens by naming covenant kindness already shown to David, the great mercy that gave David a son to sit on his throne, grounding his own request in a promise older than his reign. He then calls himself a little child who does not know how to go out or come in, an idiom for a leader's whole public conduct rather than a claim to literal boyhood, since Solomon already reigns in the city of David with a court to govern. The humility is rhetorical and real at once, a king who has everything still naming himself unequal to the office.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And Solomon said,....
But he speaks more honourably of God's goodness to his father, the mercy he had shown to him while he lived, in giving him to be sincerely religious and then recompensing his sincerity and the great kindness he had kept for him, to be bestowed on the family when he was gone, in giving him a son to sit on his throne.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
This great kindness - David himself had regarded this as God’s crowning mercy to him 1Ki 1:48.
The words behind it
32 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| שְׁלֹמֹ֗ה | shelomoh | Solomon | H8010 → | 291 times |
| אַתָּ֨ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| עָשִׂ֜יתָ | ʾasita | you have done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| עַבְדְּךָ֙ | ʾavdekha | servant your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| דָוִ֣ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אָבִי֮ | ʾavi | father my | H1 → | 1212 times |
| חֶ֣סֶד | chesed | covenant loyalty | H2617 → | 247 times |
| גָּדוֹל֒ | gadol | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁר֩ | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הָלַ֨ךְ | halakh | he walked | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| לְפָנֶ֜יךָ | lefaneikha | <to> before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| בֶּאֱמֶ֧ת | beemet | in faithfulness | H571 → | 127 times |
| וּבִצְדָקָ֛ה | uvitzdakah | and in righteousness | H6666 → | 157 times |
| וּבְיִשְׁרַ֥ת | uveyishrat | and in uprightness of | H3483 → | |
| לֵבָ֖ב | levav | heart | H3824 → | 252 times |
| עִמָּ֑ךְ | ʾimakh | with you | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| וַתִּשְׁמָר־ | vatishmor- | and you have kept | H8104 → | 468 times |
| ל֗וֹ | lo | to him | ||
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַחֶ֤סֶד | hachesed | the covenant loyalty | H2617 → | 247 times |
| הַגָּדוֹל֙ | hagadol | <the> great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| הַזֶּ֔ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| וַתִּתֶּן־ | vatiten- | and you have given | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| ל֥וֹ | lo | to him | ||
| בֵ֛ן | ven | a son | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יֹשֵׁ֥ב | yoshev | [who] sits | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כִּסְא֖וֹ | kiso | throne his | H3678 → | 135 times |
| כַּיּ֥וֹם | kaiyom | as the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
שְׁלֹמֹ֗הSolomon
shelomohH8010 →291 times
אַתָּ֨הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
עָשִׂ֜יתָyou have done
ʾasitaH6213 →2628 times
עִם־with
ʾim-H5973 →1050 times
עַבְדְּךָ֙servant your
ʾavdekhaH5650 →799 times
דָוִ֣דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
אָבִי֮father my
ʾaviH1 →1212 times
חֶ֣סֶדcovenant loyalty
chesedH2617 →247 times
גָּדוֹל֒great
gadolH1419 →526 times
כַּאֲשֶׁר֩just as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
הָלַ֨ךְhe walked
halakhH1980 →1546 times
לְפָנֶ֜יךָ<to> before you
lefaneikhaH6440 →2123 times
בֶּאֱמֶ֧תin faithfulness
beemetH571 →127 times
וּבִצְדָקָ֛הand in righteousness
uvitzdakahH6666 →157 times
וּבְיִשְׁרַ֥תand in uprightness of
uveyishratH3483 →
לֵבָ֖בheart
levavH3824 →252 times
עִמָּ֑ךְwith you
ʾimakhH5973 →1050 times
וַתִּשְׁמָר־and you have kept
vatishmor-H8104 →468 times
ל֗וֹto him
lo
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַחֶ֤סֶדthe covenant loyalty
hachesedH2617 →247 times
הַגָּדוֹל֙<the> great
hagadolH1419 →526 times
הַזֶּ֔ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
וַתִּתֶּן־and you have given
vatiten-H5414 →2011 times
ל֥וֹto him
lo
בֵ֛ןa son
venH1121 →4930 times
יֹשֵׁ֥ב[who] sits
yoshevH3427 →1079 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
כִּסְא֖וֹthrone his
kisoH3678 →135 times
כַּיּ֥וֹםas the day
kaiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַזֶּֽה׃<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 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
2 Corinthians 9:11You will be enriched in every way to be generous on every occasion, so that through us your giving will produce thanksgiving to God.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 6:17–18
Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us…
- 1 Chronicles 29:12–14
Both riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler over all. In Your hands are power and might to exalt and give strength to all.
- 2 Corinthians 4:15
All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is extending to more and more people may overflow in thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
- 2 Corinthians 9:12
For this ministry of service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanksgiving to God.
- 2 Corinthians 1:11
as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the favor shown us in answer to their prayers.
- 1 Timothy 6:17–18
Through
1 Kings 2:4and so that the LORD may fulfill His promise to me: ‘If your descendants take heed to walk faithfully before Me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a…
it leads to
- Psalms 132:11–12
The LORD swore an oath to David, a promise He will not revoke: “One of your descendants I will place on your throne.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Kings 20:3
“Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
- Psalms 132:11–12
Through
1 Kings 9:4And as for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, with a heart of integrity and uprightness, doing all I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 15:5
For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not turned aside from anything the LORD commanded all the days of his life, except in the matter of…
- 1 Kings 15:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Kings
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.