1 Kings 3:7
5 One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!”
6 Solomon 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.
And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David’s place. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in.
8 Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to count or number.
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?”
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David’s place. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in.
- KJV
- And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
- WEB
- Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king instead of David my father. I am just a little child. I don’t know how to go out or come in.
- ASV
- And now, O Jehovah my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in.
- DARBY
- And now, Jehovah my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father; and I am but a little child: I know not to go out and to come in.
- BLB
- And now, O YHWH my God, You have made Your servant to reign in place of David my father, and I [am] a little child. I do not know going out or coming in.
- ÅB
- Nå har du da, Herre min Gud, gjort din tjener til konge i min far Davids sted; men jeg er bare en ungdom og vet ikke hvordan jeg skal bære meg at i ett og alt.
- OTB
- Nå, Herre min Gud, du har gjort din tjener til konge i stedet for min far David, men jeg er bare et lite barn; jeg vet ikke hvordan jeg skal gå ut eller komme inn.
- B1930
- Nu har du da, Herre min Gud, gjort din tjener til konge i min far Davids sted; men jeg er bare en ungdom og vet ikke hvorledes jeg skal bære mig at i ett og alt.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
1 Chronicles 29:1
Then King David said to the whole assembly, “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great because this palace is not for man, but for the LORD God.
Read in contextNumbers 27:17
who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
Read in contextJeremiah 1:6
“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!”
Read in contextMatthew 18:3–4
“Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Read in contextDaniel 4:32
You will be driven away from mankind to live with the beasts of the field, and you will feed on grass like an ox. And seven times will pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes.”
Read in context2 Samuel 5:2
Even in times past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them back. And to you the LORD said, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be ruler over them.’”
Read in contextJob 32:6–8
So Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite declared: “I am young in years, while you are old; that is why I was timid and afraid to tell you what I know.
Read in contextPsalms 121:8
The LORD will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore.
Read in context