Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom
(2 Chronicles 1:1–13; Psalms 45:1–17; Psalms 72:1–20)
Later, Solomon formed an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying his daughter. Solomon brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his palace and the house of the LORD, as well as the wall around Jerusalem. 1Ki 9:241Ki 11:11Ki 6:11Ki 9:15-192Ch 2:1-42Ch 8:112Sa 5:71Ch 11:7
The people, however, were still sacrificing on the high places because a house for the Name of the LORD had not yet been built. 1Ki 22:432Ch 33:17Deu 12:2-5Lev 26:301Ch 17:4-61Ch 28:3-61Ki 5:3Act 7:47-49 And Solomon loved the LORD and walked in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 1Co 8:3Psa 31:23Deu 30:16Deu 6:51Ki 3:141Ki 3:6Deu 10:12Deu 30:20
Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for it was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar there. 1Ch 16:392Ch 1:32Ch 7:51Ch 21:292Ch 1:6-12Isa 40:16Jos 9:31Ki 8:63
One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!” 1Ki 9:2Jas 1:5-6Num 12:62Ch 1:7-12Jhn 14:13-14Mrk 10:36Gen 28:12-13Mat 2:13
Solomon replied, “You have shown much loving devotion to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart. And You have maintained this loving devotion by giving him a son to sit on his throne this very day. 1Ki 9:41Ki 1:481Ki 2:42Co 9:112Sa 7:8-121Ch 29:12-142Co 9:52Ki 20:3
And 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. 1Ch 29:1Num 27:17Jer 1:6Mat 18:3-41Sa 18:162Sa 5:2Dan 2:21Dan 4:25 Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to count or number. Gen 15:51Ch 21:2Gen 13:16Gen 22:171Ch 21:5-61Ch 27:23-241Sa 12:22Deu 7:6-8
Therefore 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?” Jas 1:5Heb 5:14Pro 16:16Jhn 5:30Pro 2:3-92Sa 14:17Pro 3:13-181Ch 22:12
Now it pleased the Lord 1that Solomon had made this request. Pro 15:8 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this instead of requesting long life or wealth for yourself or death for your enemies—but you have asked for discernment to administer justice— 1Ki 3:9Jas 4:2-3Pro 16:31Rom 8:26Mat 20:21-22Psa 4:6 behold, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has never been nor will ever be another like you. 1Jn 5:14-15Ecc 1:16Mat 12:421Ki 5:121Ki 10:23-241Ki 3:282Ch 2:12Rom 8:26-27
Moreover, I will give you what you did not request—both riches and honor—so that during all your days no man in any kingdom will be your equal. Eph 3:20Mat 6:33Pro 3:16Psa 84:11-12Rom 8:321Ki 4:21-241Ki 10:23-291Co 3:22-23 So if you walk in My ways and keep My statutes and commandments, just as your father David did, I will prolong your days.” Pro 3:2Psa 91:161Ki 15:5Zec 3:71Ki 2:3-41Ki 3:62Ch 34:2Pro 3:16
Then Solomon awoke, and indeed it had been a dream. So he returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he held a feast for all his servants. 1Ki 8:65Gen 41:7Dan 5:1Est 1:31Ch 16:1-21Ki 8:632Ch 30:22-262Ch 7:5
Solomon Judges Wisely
At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. Exo 18:16Jdg 11:1Deu 23:17Jos 2:1Lev 19:29Num 27:2Exo 18:13
One woman said, “Please, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth while she was in the house. Gen 43:20Rom 13:7 On the third day after I gave birth, this woman also had a baby. We were alone, with no one in the house but the two of us. During the night this woman’s son died because she rolled over on him. So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I was asleep. She laid him in her bosom and put her dead son at my bosom. Jhn 3:20Job 24:13-17Mat 13:25Psa 139:11 The next morning, when I got up to nurse my son, I discovered he was dead. But when I examined him, I realized that he was not the son I had borne.” 1Sa 1:23Gen 21:7Lam 4:3-4
“No,” said the other woman, “the living one is my son and the dead one is your son.” 1Ki 3:23-24
But the first woman insisted, “No, the dead one is yours and the living one is mine.” So they argued before the king.
Then the king replied, “This woman says, ‘My son is alive and yours is dead,’ but that woman says, ‘No, your son is dead and mine is alive.’”
The king continued, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought him a sword, and the king declared, “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.” Pro 25:8
Then the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she yearned with compassion for her son. “Please, my lord,” she said, “give her the living baby. Do not kill him!” Isa 49:15Jer 31:201Jn 3:17Gen 43:30Hos 11:8Php 1:8Php 2:12Ti 3:3
But the other woman said, “He will be neither mine nor yours. Cut him in two!”
Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. By no means should you kill him; she is his mother.”
When all Israel heard of the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice. 1Ki 3:9-12Col 2:3Dan 2:471Co 1:24Dan 2:21Ecc 7:19Pro 24:21Ezr 7:25