1 Kings 3:11 (DRB)

Passage

And the Lord said to Solomon: Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life nor riches, nor the lives of thy enemies, but hast asked for thyself wisdom to discern judgment;

Nearby Context

1 Kings 3:9 Give therefore to thy servant an understanding heart, to judge thy people, and discern between good and evil. For who shall be able to judge this people, thy people, which is so numerous?

1 Kings 3:10 And the word was pleasing to the Lord, that Solomon had asked such a thing.

1 Kings 3:11 And the Lord said to Solomon: Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life nor riches, nor the lives of thy enemies, but hast asked for thyself wisdom to discern judgment;

1 Kings 3:12 Behold I have done for thee according to thy words, and have given thee a wise and understanding heart, in so much that there hath been no one like thee before thee, nor shall arise after thee.

1 Kings 3:13 Yea, and the things also which thou didst not ask, I have given thee; to wit, riches and glory: so that no one hath been like thee among the kings in all days heretofore.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lord", "said", "solomon", "thou", "hast", and "asked". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lord" and "said", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "And the word was pleasing to the..." into verse 12's "Behold I have done for thee according...", so "lord" and "said" belong inside that flow. In 1 Kings context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "lord" and "said" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.