KJV ORIGINAL
And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
And God said to him, 'Because you have asked for this, and you have not asked for a long life for yourself, or for wealth for yourself, or for the death of your enemies, but you have asked for wisdom to make good decisions,'
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
God is pleased with Solomon because instead of asking for personal gain or power over others, he asked for wisdom to lead well.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs early in Solomon's reign as the new king of Israel, after his father David had died. Solomon had just offered sacrifices at Gibeon when God appeared to him in a dream and told him to ask for whatever he wanted. Solomon's request for wisdom rather than selfish things impressed God greatly.
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