"And thy servant {is} in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor coun…" — 1 Kings 3:8

1 Kings 3:8 · KJV

“And thy servant {is} in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.”

— 1 Kings 3:8

Verse 7

And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I {am but} a little child: I know not {how} to go out or come in.

Verse 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? {understanding: Heb. hearing}

1 Kings 3 — Context

And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as {it is} this day. {mercy: or, bounty}

And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I {am but} a little child: I know not {how} to go out or come in.

And thy servant {is} in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

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? {understanding: Heb. hearing}

And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

Cross References

Genesis 15:5

And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

Genesis 22:17

That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which {is} upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; {shore: Heb. lip}

Genesis 13:16

And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, {then} shall thy seed also be numbered.

1 Chronicles 21:2

And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know {it}.

1 Chronicles 21:5-6

And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all {they of} Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah {was} four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.

Exodus 19:5-6

Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth {is} mine:

1 Samuel 12:22

For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.

1 Chronicles 27:23-24

But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under: because the LORD had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of the heavens.

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