1 Kings 3:6-9

Solomon's Prayer for Wisdom

6 And Solomon said, "You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because h he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and i have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. 7 And now, O Lord my God, j you have made your servant king in place of David my father, k although I am but a little child. I do not know l how to go out or come in. 8 m And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, n too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 o Give your servant therefore an understanding mind p to govern your people, that I may q discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?"

  1. Cross References
    1 Kings 2:4
    That the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.
    1 Kings 9:4
    And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my rules.
    Psalms 15:2
    He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart.
  2. Cross References
    1 Kings 1:48
    And the king also said, 'Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has granted someone to sit on my throne this day, my own eyes seeing it.'
  3. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 28:5
    And of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons) he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.
  4. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 29:1
    And David the king said to all the assembly, "Solomon my son, whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced, and the work is great, for the palace will not be for man but for the Lord God.
  5. Cross References
    Numbers 27:17
    Who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.
  6. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 7:6
    For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
  7. Cross References
    Genesis 13:16
    I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.
    Genesis 15:5
    And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be.
  8. Cross References
    Proverbs 2:6
    For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
    Proverbs 2:9
    Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path.
    James 1:5
    If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
  9. Cross References
    Psalms 72:1 - 2
    Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son!
  10. Cross References
    2 Samuel 14:17
    And your servant thought, 'The word of my lord the king will set me at rest,' for my lord the king is like the angel of God to discern good and evil. The Lord your God be with you!
    Isaiah 7:15
    He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.
    Hebrews 5:14
    But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.