Discovery Box1 Kings 3:6-11 
Context3:6 Solomon replied, “You demonstrated 1 great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served 2 you faithfully, properly, and sincerely. 3 You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne. 4 3:7 Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in my father David’s place, even though I am only a young man and am inexperienced. 5 3:8 Your servant stands 6 among your chosen people; 7 they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. 3:9 So give your servant a discerning mind 8 so he can make judicial decisions for 9 your people and distinguish right from wrong. 10 Otherwise 11 no one is able 12 to make judicial decisions for 13 this great nation of yours.” 14 3:10 The Lord 15 was pleased that Solomon made this request. 16 3:11 God said to him, “Because you asked for the ability to make wise judicial decisions, and not for long life, or riches, or vengeance on your enemies, 17
1 tn Heb “did.”
2 tn Heb “walked before.”
3 tn Heb “in faithfulness and in innocence and in uprightness of heart with you.”
4 tn Heb “and you have kept to him this great loyalty and you gave to him a son [who] sits on his throne as this day.”
5 tn Heb “and I do not know going out or coming in.”
6 tn There is no verb expressed in the Hebrew text; “stands” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
7 tn Heb “your people whom you have chosen.”
8 tn Heb “a hearing heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
9 tn Heb “to judge.”
10 tn Heb “to understand between good and evil.”
11 tn Heb “for”; the word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.
12 tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”
13 tn Heb “to judge.”
14 tn Heb “your numerous people.”
15 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in v.15 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
16 tn Heb “And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, for Solomon asked for this thing.”
17 tn Heb “because you asked for this thing, and did not ask for yourself many days and did not ask for yourself riches and did not ask for the life of your enemies, but you asked for yourself understanding to hear judgment.”
