9<\/strong>. an understanding heart<\/em> ] This is explained (2Ch 1:10<\/span>) by ‘wisdom and knowledge.’ The participle rendered ‘understanding’ is literally ‘hearing,’ and the LXX. has paraphrased the clause thus: ‘a heart to hear and judge thy people in righteousness.’ But the hearing of the heart must refer to the following of the Divine guidance and promptings from within. That this was Solomon’s meaning seems certain, from the end of this verse ‘Who is able to judge this thy so great people?’ unless (that is) he have thy constant leading, and attend thereto?<\/p>\n The word rendered ‘great’ in this verse is different from that so translated in 1Ki 3:8<\/span>. Here the literal sense is ‘heavy,’ and the reference is to the great burden of care which the king must take upon himself.<\/p>\n One of the chief functions of the Oriental monarch is always to hear and decide causes. Hence, supreme magistrates were naturally called judges. (See the introduction to the Book of Judges.) In the minds of the Jews the judge and the prince were always closely associated, the direct cognisance of causes being constantly taken by their chief civil governors. (See Exo 2:14<\/span>; Exo 18:16<\/span>, Exo 18:22<\/U><\/span>; 1Sa 8:20<\/span>; 2Sa 15:2-6<\/span>.)<\/P> Good and bad – <\/B>i. e. right and wrong, justice and injustice.<\/P> <\/p>\n Verse 9<\/span>. Give – an understanding heart to judge thy people<\/B><\/I>] He did not ask wisdom in general, but the true science of government. This wisdom he sought, and this wisdom he obtained.<\/P> <\/p>\n An understanding heart; <\/B>whereby I may both clearly discern, and faithfully perform, all the parts of my duty; for both these are spoken of in Scripture as the effects of a good understanding; and he that lives in the neglect of his duties, or the practice of wickedness, is called a fool<\/I>, and one void of understanding. <\/P> Judge, <\/B>or, govern<\/I>, as that word is used, Jdg 3:10<\/span>; 4:4<\/span>; Psa 7:8<\/span>; 67:4<\/span>; Isa 2:4<\/span>; 16:5<\/span>. <\/P> That I may discern between good and bad, <\/B>to wit, in causes and controversies among my people; that I may not through mistakes, or prejudices, or passions, give wrong sentences, and call evil good<\/I>, or good evil<\/I>. <\/P> Who is able<\/B> of himself, or without thy gracious assistance. <\/P> <\/p>\n Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart, to judge thy people<\/strong>,…. Not an understanding of things spiritual, nor of things natural, though both were given him, but of things political, what related to the civil government, that he might be able to judge or rule the people of Israel in the best manner:<\/p>\n that I may discern between good and bad<\/strong>; not merely between moral good and evil, of which he had a discernment; but between right and wrong in any case or controversy that came before him between man and man, that so he might be able to pass a right sentence, and do justice to every one:<\/p>\n for who is able to judge this thy so great a people<\/strong>? who are so very numerous, and have so many causes to be heard and and those many of them very intricate and difficult; so that no man is equal to such arduous work, unless he has more than an ordinary capacity given him by the Lord.<\/p>\n 9<\/strong>. <\/strong> An understanding heart <\/strong> Noble choice! “It was the choice offered to the youthful king on the threshold of life, the choice so often imagined in fiction, and here actually presented in real life. The answer is the ideal answer of such a prince, burdened with the responsibility of his position.<\/p>\n He made the demand for the gift which he, of all the heroes of the ancient Church, was the first to claim. He showed his wisdom by asking for wisdom. He became wise because he had set his heart upon it. This was to him the special aspect through which the Divine Spirit was to be approached, and grasped, and made to bear on the wants of men; not the highest, not the choice of David, not the choice of Isaiah; but still the choice of Solomon.” Stanley. <\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n To judge thy people <\/strong> The Oriental mind always associates the functions of the judge with the monarch, as he is expected to hear and decide important cases. See note on 1Ki 3:16<\/span>.<\/p>\n “<\/strong> 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 your great people?” <\/p>\n So he prayed to YHWH from the bottom of his heart that He would give him an understanding heart so that he could rightly judge and rule over His people. The ‘heart’ was regularly seen in the ancient world as the source of thought and mind, as well as of emotion. With the heart man thought, and willed, and experienced. Solomon wanted to be able to judge ‘between good and evil’, both between right and wrong, and between what was wise and unwise. For how else could anyone judge this great people of YHWH? <\/p>\n “Good and evil”<\/strong> can refer to moral good and evil, or to the good and bad things that can come on mankind, e.g. sun, rain, storms and earthquakes. Thus it often indicates ‘everything’. We should note for example that when Isaiah said that ‘God creates evil’ he meant that God was overall responsible for bad things that happened to the world as well as good things, not that He was responsible for creating sin. (Compare ‘shall evil come on a city and YHWH has not done it?’ – Amo 3:6<\/span>). <\/p>\n 1Ki 3:10<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n ‘<\/strong> And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.’ <\/p>\n Solomon’s reply ‘pleased the Lord’ (adonay). It gave Him great joy that Solomon’s first concern was to serve Him satisfactorily, by ruling His people righteously. Note the rare use of ‘Lord’ (adonay) in 1 Kings (not apparent in most English translations where YHWH is regularly translated as LORD). It occurs twice in the phrase ‘Lord YHWH’ (1Ki 2:26<\/span>; 1Ki 8:53<\/span>), once of ‘the Ark of the covenant of the Lord’ (1Ki 3:15<\/span>), and once on the mouths of false prophets (1Ki 22:6<\/span>) and only here, when used by itself, of YHWH. In 2 Kings it occurs twice, once where it refers to ‘the Lord’ causing a noise to be heard by means of a ‘miracle’ (2Ki 7:6<\/span>) and once where YHWH rebukes the king of Assyria through Isaiah on the grounds that he has ‘reproached the Lord’ by what he had said (2Ki 19:23<\/span>). Thus it is used in order to indicate God as the Sovereign Lord over creation and all men, and its use here must be seen as significant. It is emphasising that it was the Great One, Who was over all things and from Whom he could have asked anything, to whom he had made his request. Well is it for us to remember also, that when we pray for things we are praying to our Sovereign Lord and Creator as those who are His servants as well as His sons. Then, like Solomon, we might be more thoughtful about what we ask. <\/p>\n 1Ki 3:11-13<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n ‘<\/strong> And God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have you asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your word. Lo, I have given you a wise and an understanding heart, so that there has been none like you before you, nor after you shall any arise like you. And I have also given you what you did not ask, both riches and honour, so that there will not be any among the kings like you, all your days.” <\/p>\n The use of the divine names in the passage is interesting. In 1Ki 3:4<\/span> his dream comes from ‘YHWH’, his covenant God, but it is ‘God’ (Elohim) the Lord of all the world Who speaks to him and desires Solomon to tell Him what He should give him, thus not binding him in his reply to keep in mind the covenant. In 1Ki 3:7<\/span> Solomon replies to ‘YHWH my God’, recognising Him from both viewpoints and acknowledging that he has covenant responsibilities. In 1Ki 3:10<\/span> it is ‘the Sovereign Lord’ (adonay) who was pleased at what Solomon had asked for. Here now it is ‘God’ Who addresses him and confirms that He will give him much more than what he has asked for, because his request had only had in mind being able to serve God fully and rightly. <\/p>\n And God informed him that because he had asked for wisdom to rule rightly, rather than for long life, wealth or glory in warfare, He would not only give him understanding in order that he might discern what was just and right, but would also give him such a wise and understanding heart that none before or after him would stand comparison with him, and would furthermore also give him the wealth and glory that he had not asked for, so that none in his day would be able to compare with him. <\/p>\n The wisdom that Solomon was given will be expanded on in the narrative, it would include: <\/p>\n The wisdom to make right judgments on behalf of the people (1Ki 3:16-28<\/span>). <\/p>\n Wisdom in respect of speaking proverbs which give wisdom; instruction; discernment; ability to deal rightly in righteousness, judgment and equity; prudence to the simple; and deeper understanding (see Pro 1:2-6<\/span>), and wisdom concerning nature and natural things, both of which were universally respected (1Ki 4:29-34<\/span>). <\/p>\n Wisdom as regards the decision to build the Temple (1Ki 5:7<\/span>). <\/p>\n Wisdom to seek peace rather than conflict (1Ki 5:12<\/span>). <\/p>\n Wisdom concerning YHWH as revealed in his prayer in 1Ki 8:22-53<\/span>. <\/p>\n Wisdom to answer all the Queen of Sheba’s hard questions with which she came to test him (1Ki 10:1-8<\/span>). <\/p>\n His wisdom thus covered all aspects of existence. <\/p>\n 1Ki 3:9 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?<\/p>\n Ver. 9. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart.<\/strong> ] Heb., A hearing heart; for wisdom is gotten by prayer and hearing the word, by begging and digging, as Pro 2:3-4<\/span> ; we also must run the like method, Jam 1:5 ran through all the exercises of Christ’s school, if we would be wise to salvation. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n That I may discern between good and bad.<\/strong> ] Rupertus blameth Solomon for this, that he asked of God wisdom, and not holiness rather, bonum illud quod verum et summum est,<\/em> which is the principal good thing. But it was doubtless a saving and sanctifying knowledge that Solomon prayed for, and obtained; not an apprehensive knowledge only, and notional, but effective and practical also, and directive of the life. Socrates, the wisest of all the Greeks, made no distinction between , wisdom, and , good conversation. Ignorat sane improbus omnis,<\/em> saith Aristotle, He is not wise that is ill-conditioned.<\/p>\n Give. Compare 2Ch 1:10. <\/p>\n understanding = hearing. Solomon began by asking wisdom from God. Rehoboam (his son) began by asking counsel from man (1Ki 12:6, 1Ki 12:8). <\/p>\n Give therefore: 1Ch 22:12, 1Ch 29:19, 2Ch 1:10, Psa 119:34, Psa 119:73, Psa 119:144, Pro 2:3-9, Pro 3:13-18, Pro 16:16, Jam 1:5, Jam 3:17 <\/p>\n understanding: Heb. hearing, Pro 20:12 <\/p>\n to judge: 1Ki 3:28, Psa 72:1, Psa 72:2, Pro 14:8, Ecc 7:11, Ecc 7:19, Ecc 9:15-18, Joh 5:30 <\/p>\n discern: 2Sa 14:17, Isa 11:2-4, 1Co 2:14, 1Co 2:15, Eph 5:17, Phi 1:10,*Gr: Heb 5:14 <\/p>\n who is able: Exo 3:11, Exo 3:12, Exo 4:10-13, Jer 1:6, Mat 3:11, Mat 3:14, 2Co 2:16, 2Co 3:5 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Gen 12:2 – General Exo 18:17 – not good Exo 18:21 – able men Exo 31:3 – filled Deu 34:9 – full of the spirit 1Ki 3:11 – discern 1Ki 5:7 – a wise son 1Ki 7:7 – of judgment 1Ki 10:24 – which God 2Ki 2:9 – Elisha said 2Ki 15:5 – judging 1Ch 11:2 – ruler 2Ch 32:4 – find Job 28:12 – General Psa 119:66 – Teach me Pro 1:2 – General Pro 2:6 – the Lord Pro 8:15 – decree Pro 18:15 – General Pro 25:2 – the honour Ecc 10:10 – wisdom Isa 11:3 – and he shall not Dan 9:12 – our judges Mat 12:42 – hear Rom 16:19 – yet 1Co 3:10 – as a Col 3:16 – all<\/p>\n A NOBLE REQUEST<\/p>\n Give thy servant an understanding heart.<\/p>\n 1Ki 3:9<\/p>\n I. Not wealth, not pleasure, not fame, not victory, not length of days, but an understanding heart, was the choice of Solomons boyhood.The prayer for wisdom is always pleasing to God. (1) Even intellectual wisdomhow far higher is it, how far worthier of man as God made him, than any alternative of fashion or vanity, of wit or vice! Fear not to ask of God an understanding heart, even in studies which name not His name. (2) But the speech which pleased the Lord was a prayer rather for practical wisdom. The gift which Solomons prayer drew down was the gift of justice. When he seated himself in the gate to hear the causes which Israel brought to him, intellect was nothing; judgment, the power to discriminate between good and badthis was his work. This therefore was his prayer.<\/p>\n II. The bitter and painful thing to remember in the history before us is the wreck and ruin of that prayer, which in itself was so beautiful and so acceptable.(1) It may have been that Solomons largeness of heart slipped into latitudinarianism. (2) That which cankered Solomons wisdom was the entrance of sinful lust.<\/p>\n III. We may hope that even out of this wreck the lost life found a way to arise.We read the Book of Ecclesiastes as the record of that hope. Let us hope that the nights prayer at Gibeon was being answered, though in dim and broken reflection, in the latest utterances of the Preacher, son of David, king of Jerusalem.<\/p>\n Dean Vaughan.<\/p>\n Illustrations<\/p>\n (1) The heartthe understandingand the right use of both togethermake character. There cannot be a right character without the three. If there is no love, or if there is no intellect, or if either of them be not properly regulated, the character suffers; the character cannot be complete. And the design of all educationof our education of our children, of Gods education of us allis, and ought to be, to make character. Character includes heart, head, conduct; and the character determines the man.<\/p>\n (2) I leave the mysterythat Solomon afterwards abused that vast gift; that that very heart went wrong! It is a very solemn thing, but there is a great deal of most grave teaching here. No one prayer can secure continuance; one period of life is no guarantee for another period of life; a very bad chapter may succeed a very good one. A wise and an understanding heart may fall; the intellect may become darkened, and the heart may go wrong, and the wisest man become the worst!<\/p>\n (3) To ask anything from God in the right way is not an easy thing. It implies that we have yielded ourselves to God and gained His entrance into our lives. There is, therefore, no true asking that does not enlarge the asker so that God can give him even more than he asked for. And God is always eager to give Him more; He is only waiting for us to hold out a bigger basket.<\/p>\n (SECOND OUTLINE)<\/p>\n Give therefore Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between good and bad, etc.<\/p>\n 1Ki 3:9<\/p>\n I. God comes to every one of us saying, Ask what I shall give thee.Goethe said he admired the man who knew precisely what he aimed at in life. God wishes you at the commencement of your career to come up to the height of a great choice. You must choose; your refusal to choose is itself a choice, and it is the liberty to choose your own aim in life, and at last your own destiny, that makes life so serious. Life comes to every man with its riddle; and if he answers it aright, it is well with him; but if he tries to go on neglecting the commandments of the Giver of life, if he tries to go on living in his own way, and not in Gods way, life to him will be a thing of loss, and he will become an object to be wept over. We are placed here, naked as the giant of fable, to wrestle with the rude elements of the world, to conquer in the midst of its varied probation; but remember this: no devil nor devils child can cast you down without your own consent.<\/p>\n II. Notice that the speech pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing.It was this thing in contrast to three other things that he rejected: long life, riches, and revenge on his enemies.<\/p>\n III. The reasons are here assigned why it pleased the Lord that Solomon rejected the false and chose the true aim in life.(1) Because he chose what enabled him to be serviceable to others. Our great poet has told us that Heaven does with us as we do with torches; do not light them for themselves. We are lit in order to be the light of the world. (2) It pleased the Lord because he chose to walk in the statutes of a good father, and so to encourage him in his last days in his faith in Gods covenant. (3) It pleased the Lord because he chose God Himself as his portion rather than all His gifts.<\/p>\n 1Ki 3:9. Give to thy servant an understanding heart Whereby I may both clearly discern, and faithfully perform all the parts of my duty: for both these are spoken of in Scripture as the effects of a good understanding; and he that lives in the neglect of his duties, or the practice of wickedness, is called a fool, and one void of understanding. To judge thy people Or govern, as that word is often used. That I may discern between good and bad Namely, in causes and controversies among thy people; that I may not, through mistake, or prejudice, or passion, give wrong sentences, and call evil good, or good evil. Absalom, that was a fool, wished himself a judge: Solomon, that was a wise man, trembles at the undertaking. The more knowing and considerate men are, the more jealous they are of themselves.<\/p>\n 3:9 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 {g} great a people?<\/p>\n (g) Which are so many in number.<\/p>\n 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? 9. an understanding heart ] This is explained (2Ch 1:10) by ‘wisdom and knowledge.’ The participle rendered ‘understanding’ is literally ‘hearing,’ and the LXX. … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Kings 3:9”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8837","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8837"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8837\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"