1 Kings 3:9 (WEB)

Passage

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?”

Nearby Context

1 Kings 3:7 Now, Yahweh my God, you have made your servant king instead of David my father. I am just a little child. I don’t know how to go out or come in.

1 Kings 3:8 Your servant is among your people which you have chosen, a great people, that can’t be numbered or counted for multitude.

1 Kings 3:9 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?”

1 Kings 3:10 This request pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

1 Kings 3:11 God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have you asked for riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "give", "servant", "therefore", "understanding", "heart", "judge", "people", and "discern". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "give" and "servant", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "Your servant is among your people which..." into verse 10's "This request pleased the Lord that Solomon...", so "give" and "servant" 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 "give" and "servant" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.