1 Kings 3:9 (GNV)

Passage

Giue therefore vnto thy seruant an vnderstanding heart, to iudge thy people, that I may discerne betweene good and bad: for who is able to iudge this thy mightie people?

Nearby Context

1 Kings 3:7 And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy seruant King in steade of Dauid my father: and I am but a yong childe, and know not howe to go out and in.

1 Kings 3:8 And thy seruant is in the mids of thy people, which thou hast chosen, euen a great people which cannot be told nor nobred for multitude.

1 Kings 3:9 Giue therefore vnto thy seruant an vnderstanding heart, to iudge thy people, that I may discerne betweene good and bad: for who is able to iudge this thy mightie people?

1 Kings 3:10 And this pleased the Lord well, that Salomon had desired this thing.

1 Kings 3:11 And God sayde vnto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thy selfe long life, neyther hast asked riches for thy selfe, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thy selfe vnderstanding to heare iudgement,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "giue", "therefore", "vnto", "seruant", "vnderstanding", "heart", "iudge", and "people". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "giue" and "therefore", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "And thy seruant is in the mids..." into verse 10's "And this pleased the Lord well that...", so "giue" and "therefore" 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 "giue" and "therefore" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.