9 Give H5414 therefore thy servant H5650 an understanding H8085 heart H3820 to judge H8199 thy people, H5971 that I may discern H995 between good H2896 and bad: H7451 for who is able H3201 to judge H8199 this thy so great H3515 a people? H5971
G1161 If any G1536 of you G5216 lack G3007 wisdom, G4678 let him ask G154 of G3844 God, G2316 that giveth G1325 to all G3956 men liberally, G574 and G2532 upbraideth G3679 not; G3361 and G2532 it shall be given G1325 him. G846
Then thine handmaid H8198 said, H559 The word H1697 of my lord H113 the king H4428 shall now be comfortable: H4496 for as an angel H4397 of God, H430 so is my lord H113 the king H4428 to discern H8085 good H2896 and bad: H7451 therefore the LORD H3068 thy God H430 will be with thee.
Yea, if thou criest H7121 after knowledge, H998 and liftest up H5414 thy voice H6963 for understanding; H8394 If thou seekest H1245 her as silver, H3701 and searchest H2664 for her as for hid treasures; H4301 Then shalt thou understand H995 the fear H3374 of the LORD, H3068 and find H4672 the knowledge H1847 of God. H430 For the LORD H3068 giveth H5414 wisdom: H2451 out of his mouth H6310 cometh knowledge H1847 and understanding. H8394 He layeth up H6845 H6845 sound wisdom H8454 for the righteous: H3477 he is a buckler H4043 to them that walk H1980 uprightly. H8537 He keepeth H5341 the paths H734 of judgment, H4941 and preserveth H8104 the way H1870 of his saints. H2623 Then shalt thou understand H995 righteousness, H6664 and judgment, H4941 and equity; H4339 yea, every good H2896 path. H4570
[[A Psalm for Solomon.]] H8010 Give H5414 the king H4428 thy judgments, H4941 O God, H430 and thy righteousness H6666 unto the king's H4428 son. H1121 He shall judge H1777 thy people H5971 with righteousness, H6664 and thy poor H6041 with judgment. H4941
I G1473 can G1410 of G575 mine own self G1683 do G4160 nothing: G3756 G3762 as G2531 I hear, G191 I judge: G2919 and G2532 my G1699 judgment G2920 is G2076 just; G1342 because G3754 I seek G2212 not G3756 mine own G1699 will, G2307 but G235 the will G2307 of the Father G3962 which hath sent G3992 me. G3165
And the spirit H7307 of the LORD H3068 shall rest H5117 upon him, the spirit H7307 of wisdom H2451 and understanding, H998 the spirit H7307 of counsel H6098 and might, H1369 the spirit H7307 of knowledge H1847 and of the fear H3374 of the LORD; H3068 And shall make him of quick understanding H7306 in the fear H3374 of the LORD: H3068 and he shall not judge H8199 after the sight H4758 of his eyes, H5869 neither reprove H3198 after the hearing H4926 of his ears: H241 But with righteousness H6664 shall he judge H8199 the poor, H1800 and reprove H3198 with equity H4334 for the meek H6035 of the earth: H776 and he shall smite H5221 the earth H776 with the rod H7626 of his mouth, H6310 and with the breath H7307 of his lips H8193 shall he slay H4191 the wicked. H7563
Only the LORD H3068 give H5414 thee wisdom H7922 and understanding, H998 and give thee charge H6680 concerning Israel, H3478 that thou mayest keep H8104 the law H8451 of the LORD H3068 thy God. H430
Not G3756 that G3754 we are G2070 sufficient G2425 of G575 ourselves G1438 to think G3049 any thing G5100 as G5613 of G1537 ourselves; G1438 but G235 our G2257 sufficiency G2426 is of G1537 God; G2316
That G1519 ye G5209 may approve G1381 things that are excellent; G1308 that G2443 ye may be G5600 sincere G1506 and G2532 without offence G677 till G1519 the day G2250 of Christ; G5547
And Moses H4872 said H559 unto God, H430 Who am I, that I should go H3212 unto Pharaoh, H6547 and that I should bring forth H3318 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 out of Egypt? H4714 And he said, H559 Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token H226 unto thee, that H3588 I have sent H7971 thee: When thou hast brought forth H3318 the people H5971 out of Egypt, H4714 ye shall serve H5647 God H430 upon this mountain. H2022
But G1161 the natural G5591 man G444 receiveth G1209 not G3756 the things G3588 of the Spirit G4151 of God: G2316 for G1063 they are G2076 foolishness G3472 unto him: G846 neither G2532 G3756 can G1410 he know G1097 them, because G3754 they are spiritually G4153 discerned. G350 But G1161 he that is spiritual G4152 judgeth G3303 G350 all things, G3956 yet G1161 he himself G846 is judged G350 of G5259 no man. G3762
But G1161 John G2491 forbad G1254 him, saying, G3004 I G1473 have G2192 need G5532 to be baptized G907 of G5259 thee, G4675 and G2532 comest G2064 thou G4771 to G4314 me? G3165
I G1473 indeed G3303 baptize G907 you G5209 with G1722 water G5204 unto G1519 repentance: G3341 but G1161 he that cometh G2064 after G3694 me G3450 is G2076 mightier than G2478 I, G3450 whose G3739 shoes G5266 I am G1510 not G3756 worthy G2425 to bear: G941 he G846 shall baptize G907 you G5209 with G1722 the Holy G40 Ghost, G4151 and G2532 with fire: G4442
Then said H559 I, Ah, H162 Lord H136 GOD! H3069 behold, I cannot H3045 speak: H1696 for I am a child. H5288
Now there was found H4672 in it a poor H4542 wise H2450 man, H376 and he by his wisdom H2451 delivered H4422 the city; H5892 yet no man H120 remembered H2142 that same poor H4542 man. H376 Then said H559 I, Wisdom H2451 is better H2896 than strength: H1369 nevertheless the poor man's H4542 wisdom H2451 is despised, H959 and his words H1697 are not heard. H8085 The words H1697 of wise H2450 men are heard H8085 in quiet H5183 more than the cry H2201 of him that ruleth H4910 among fools. H3684 Wisdom H2451 is better H2896 than weapons H3627 of war: H7128 but one H259 sinner H2398 destroyeth H6 much H7235 good. H2896
Wisdom H2451 is good H2896 with an inheritance: H5159 and by it there is profit H3148 to them that see H7200 the sun. H8121
Happy H835 is the man H120 that findeth H4672 wisdom, H2451 and the man H120 that getteth H6329 understanding. H8394 For the merchandise H5504 of it is better H2896 than the merchandise H5505 of silver, H3701 and the gain H8393 thereof than fine gold. H2742 She is more precious H3368 than rubies: H6443 and all the things thou canst desire H2656 are not to be compared H7737 unto her. Length H753 of days H3117 is in her right hand; H3225 and in her left hand H8040 riches H6239 and honour. H3519 Her ways H1870 are ways H1870 of pleasantness, H5278 and all her paths H5410 are peace. H7965 She is a tree H6086 of life H2416 to them that lay hold H2388 upon her: and happy H833 is every one that retaineth H8551 her.
JOD. Thy hands H3027 have made H6213 me and fashioned H3559 me: give me understanding, H995 that I may learn H3925 thy commandments. H4687
And give H5414 unto Solomon H8010 my son H1121 a perfect H8003 heart, H3824 to keep H8104 thy commandments, H4687 thy testimonies, H5715 and thy statutes, H2706 and to do H6213 all these things, and to build H1129 the palace, H1002 for the which I have made provision. H3559
And all Israel H3478 heard H8085 of the judgment H4941 which the king H4428 had judged; H8199 and they feared H3372 the king: H6440 for they saw H7200 that the wisdom H2451 of God H430 was in him, H7130 to do H6213 judgment. H4941
And Moses H4872 said H559 unto the LORD, H3068 O H994 my Lord, H136 I H376 am not eloquent, H1697 neither heretofore, H8032 H8543 nor since H227 thou hast spoken H1696 unto thy servant: H5650 but I am slow H3515 of speech, H6310 and of a slow H3515 tongue. H3956 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto him, Who hath made H7760 man's H120 mouth? H6310 or who maketh H7760 the dumb, H483 or deaf, H2795 or the seeing, H6493 or the blind? H5787 have not I the LORD? H3068 Now therefore go, H3212 and I will be with thy mouth, H6310 and teach H3384 thee what thou shalt say. H1696 And he said, H559 O H994 my Lord, H136 send, H7971 I pray thee, by the hand H3027 of him whom thou wilt send. H7971
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Kings 3
Commentary on 1 Kings 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
Solomon's reign looked bloody in the foregoing chapter, but the necessary acts of justice must not be called cruelty; in this chapter it appears with another face. We must not think the worse of God's mercy to his subjects for his judgments on rebels. We have here,
1Ki 3:1-4
We are here told concerning Solomon,
1Ki 3:5-15
We have here an account of a gracious visit which God paid to Solomon, and the communion he had with God in it, which put a greater honour upon Solomon than all the wealth and power of his kingdom did.
1Ki 3:16-28
An instance is here given of Solomon's wisdom, to show that the grant lately made him had a real effect upon him. The proof is fetched, not from the mysteries of state and the policies of the council-board, though there no doubt he excelled, but from the trial and determination of a cause between party and party, which princes, though they devolve them upon their judges, must not think it below them to take cognizance of. Observe,