1 Kings

1 Kings 3:7–9

⁷And 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. ⁸Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to count or number.

⁹Therefore 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?”

Read all of 1 Kings 3

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

1 Kings 3:7

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And now	וְעַתָּה֙	wə·‘at·tāh	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H6258 now
O LORD	יְהוָ֣ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
my God	אֱלֹהָ֔י	’ĕ·lō·hāy	Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common singular	H430 God
You	אַתָּה֙	’at·tāh	Pronoun - second person masculine singular	H859 thou
Your servant	עַבְדְּךָ֔	‘aḇ·də·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H5650 slave, servant
king	הִמְלַ֣כְתָּ	him·laḵ·tā	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H4427 be or become king, or queen, reign
in my father	אָבִ֑י	’ā·ḇî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1 father
David’s	דָּוִ֣ד	dā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
place	תַּ֖חַת	ta·ḥaṯ	Preposition	H8478 the under part
But I	וְאָֽנֹכִי֙	wə·’ā·nō·ḵî	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - first person common singular	H595 I
only a little	קָטֹ֔ן	qā·ṭōn	Adjective - masculine singular	H6996 small, young, unimportant
child	נַ֣עַר	na·‘ar	Noun - masculine singular	H5288 a shaking, scattering
not	לֹ֥א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
knowing	אֵדַ֖ע	’ê·ḏa‘	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H3045 know
to go out	צֵ֥את	ṣêṯ	Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H3318 go or come out
or come in	וָבֹֽא׃	wā·ḇō	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H935 come in, come, go in, go

1 Kings 3:8

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Your servant	וְעַ֨בְדְּךָ֔	wə·‘aḇ·də·ḵā	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H5650 slave, servant
is here among	בְּת֥וֹךְ	bə·ṯō·wḵ	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H8432 midst
the people	עַמְּךָ֖	‘am·mə·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H5971 people
You have chosen	בָּחָ֑רְתָּ	bā·ḥā·rə·tā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H977 choose
a people	עַם־	‘am-	Noun - masculine singular	H5971 people
too numerous	מֵרֹֽב׃	mê·rōḇ	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular	H7230 multitude, abundance, greatness
to count	יִמָּנֶ֛ה	yim·mā·neh	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H4487 count, number, reckon, assign
or number	יִסָּפֵ֖ר	yis·sā·p̄êr	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5608 count

1 Kings 3:9

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Therefore give	וְנָתַתָּ֨	wə·nā·ṯa·tā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
Your servant	לְעַבְדְּךָ֜	lə·‘aḇ·də·ḵā	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H5650 slave, servant
an understanding	שֹׁמֵ֙עַ֙	šō·mê·a‘	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H8085 hear
heart	לֵ֤ב	lêḇ	Noun - masculine singular	H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
to judge	לִשְׁפֹּ֣ט	liš·pōṭ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H8199 judge, govern
Your people	עַמְּךָ֔	‘am·mə·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H5971 people
and to discern	לְהָבִ֖ין	lə·hā·ḇîn	Preposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct	H995 discern
between	בֵּֽין־	bên-	Preposition	H996 interval, space between
good	ט֣וֹב	ṭō·wḇ	Noun - masculine singular	H2896 pleasant, agreeable, good
and evil	לְרָ֑ע	lə·rā‘	Preposition-l; Adjective - masculine singular	H7451 bad, evil
For	כִּ֣י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
who	מִ֤י	mî	Interrogative	H4310 who?
is able	יוּכַל֙	yū·ḵal	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3201 be able, have power, prevail, endure
to govern	לִשְׁפֹּ֔ט	liš·pōṭ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H8199 judge, govern
this	הַזֶּֽה׃	haz·zeh	Article; Pronoun - masculine singular	H2088 this, that
great	הַכָּבֵ֖ד	hak·kā·ḇêḏ	Article; Adjective - masculine singular	H3515 heavy
people of Yours	עַמְּךָ֥	‘am·mə·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H5971 people

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

1 Kings 3:7 1 Chronicles 29:1 · Numbers 27:17 · Jeremiah 1:6 · Matthew 18:3–4 · Daniel 2:21 · Daniel 4:32 · 2 Samuel 5:2 · Psalm 121:8 · 1 Samuel 18:16 · Daniel 4:25 · Ecclesiastes 10:16 · John 10:3–4

1 Kings 3:8 Genesis 15:5 · 1 Chronicles 21:2 · Genesis 22:17 · Genesis 13:16 · 1 Chronicles 27:23–24 · 1 Samuel 12:22 · Psalm 78:71 · Exodus 19:5–6 · Deuteronomy 7:6–8 · 1 Chronicles 21:5–6

1 Kings 3:9 James 1:5 · Hebrews 5:14 · Proverbs 16:16 · John 5:30 · Proverbs 2:3–9 · 2 Samuel 14:17 · Proverbs 3:13–18 · Isaiah 11:2–4 · 1 Chronicles 22:12 · Psalm 72:1–2 · Ephesians 5:17 · Psalm 119:144

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.