1 Kings 3:9 Meaning and Explanation
“Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Solomon at last makes his request: not riches or long life, but a discerning heart to govern God's people in justice.
What Does 1 Kings 3:9 Mean?
Here is the request the whole chapter has been building toward. Solomon asks for an "understanding heart" — literally a listening heart — to judge the people and to discern between good and bad. He ends with a question that confesses his need all over again: "who is able to judge this thy so great a people?" He seeks not power but the wisdom to use power rightly.
Of all that he might have asked, Solomon asks to serve well. In Scripture the heart is the seat of thought and will, so a listening heart is one tuned to truth and to God. This is the prayer God loves to answer, and it points to Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom (Colossians 2:3). To ask for discernment is to ask for the very thing the world most needs from those who lead it.
1 Kings 3:9 in the Original Language
shama (שָׁמַע), 'understanding' -- literally 'hearing'; Solomon asks for a listening, attentive heart.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Kings 3:9
What does 1 Kings 3:9 mean?
Solomon at last makes his request: not riches or long life, but a discerning heart to govern God's people in justice.