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Scripture · Old Testament

1 Kings 3:9

1 Kings 3:9 is verse 9 of 1 Kings chapter 3, shown here in the Berean Standard Bible.

Berean Standard Bible

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?”

BSB source and public domain terms

King James Version

Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

World English Bible

Give your servant therefore an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this great people of yours?”

Read in context

1 Kings 3:7–11 · Berean Standard Bible

7 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?”

10 Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had made this request.

11 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—

Read all of 1 Kings 3

Hebrew words

Data created by STEPBible.org based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

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Read the commentary on 1 Kings 3

Cross-references

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge lists these related verses. Scripture text comes from the Berean Standard Bible.

1 Chronicles 22:12

Above all, may the LORD give you insight and understanding when He puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the Law of the LORD your God.

1 Chronicles 29:19

And give my son Solomon a whole heart to keep and carry out all Your commandments, decrees, and statutes, and to build Your palace for which I have made provision.”

2 Chronicles 1:10

Now grant me wisdom and knowledge, so that I may lead this people. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?”

Psalms 119:34

Give me understanding that I may obey Your law, and follow it with all my heart.

Psalms 119:73

Your hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding to learn Your commandments.

Psalms 119:144

Your testimonies are righteous forever. Give me understanding, that I may live.

Proverbs 2:3

if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding,

Proverbs 2:4

if you seek it like silver and search it out like hidden treasure,

Proverbs 2:5

then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 2:6

For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 2:7

He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk with integrity,

Proverbs 2:8

to guard the paths of justice and protect the way of His saints.

Proverbs 2:9

Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity—every good path.

Proverbs 3:13

Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who acquires understanding,

Proverbs 3:14

for she is more profitable than silver, and her gain is better than fine gold.

Proverbs 3:15

She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire compares with her.

Proverbs 3:16

Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.

Proverbs 3:17

All her ways are pleasant, and all her paths are peaceful.

Proverbs 3:18

She is a tree of life to those who embrace her, and those who lay hold of her are blessed.

Proverbs 16:16

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

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.

James 3:17

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.

Proverbs 20:12

Ears that hear and eyes that see— the LORD has made them both.

1 Kings 3:28

When all Israel heard of the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.

Psalms 72:1

Endow the king with Your justice, O God, and the son of the king with Your righteousness.

Psalms 72:2

May he judge Your people with righteousness and Your afflicted with justice.

Proverbs 14:8

The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools deceives them.

Ecclesiastes 7:11

Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun.

Ecclesiastes 7:19

Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.

Ecclesiastes 9:15

Now a poor wise man was found in the city, and he saved the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man.

Ecclesiastes 9:16

And I said, “Wisdom is better than strength, but the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heeded.”

Ecclesiastes 9:17

The calm words of the wise are heeded over the shouts of a ruler among fools.

Ecclesiastes 9:18

Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

John 5:30

I can do nothing by Myself; I judge only as I hear. And My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

2 Samuel 14:17

And now your servant says, ‘May the word of my lord the king bring me rest, for my lord the king is able to discern good and evil, just like the angel of God. May the LORD your God be with you.’”

Isaiah 11:2

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD.

Isaiah 11:3

And He will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what His eyes see, and He will not decide by what His ears hear,

Isaiah 11:4

but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and with equity He will decide for the lowly of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth and slay the wicked with the breath of His lips.

1 Corinthians 2:14

The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Corinthians 2:15

The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment.

Ephesians 5:17

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

Philippians 1:10

so that you may be able to test and prove what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,

Hebrews 5:14

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

Exodus 3:11

But Moses asked God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

Exodus 3:12

“I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.”

Exodus 4:10

“Please, Lord,” Moses replied, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue.”

Exodus 4:11

And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

Exodus 4:12

Now go! I will help you as you speak, and I will teach you what to say.”

Exodus 4:13

But Moses replied, “Please, Lord, send someone else.”

Jeremiah 1:6

“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!”

Matthew 3:11

I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

Matthew 3:14

But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?”

2 Corinthians 2:16

To the one, we are an odor of death and demise; to the other, a fragrance that brings life. And who is qualified for such a task?

2 Corinthians 3:5

Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.

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