1 Kings 3:13, commentary and pictures

God gave Solomon a wise and understanding heart with none like him before or after, and added what he had not asked, both riches and honor, so that no king would be like him all his days. Solomon had confessed he was but a little child who did not know how to go out or come in and lead God's great people, and asked for an understanding heart to judge and discern between good and bad rather than asking for long life, riches and honor, or the life of his enemies, and his unselfish choice pleased the Lord. The gift was joined to the promise to establish his reign and lengthen his days if he would walk in God's ways and keep His statutes and commandments as David his father did. His prosperity and unequaled fame, wisdom and glorious reign would have continued if he had remained humble and obedient under God's protecting care. His prayer for an understanding heart remains the pattern for all today, teaching that heavenly wisdom should be sought for God's glory rather than from selfish aims, for earthly riches are temporary and none can act acceptably without wisdom from on high. He was never so rich or wise or truly great as when in humility he confessed his helplessness and need of divine aid, and his later turning to other gods and following his own impulses stands as a warning that those who depart will share his sorrows.

Solomon's Prayer and Promise

In a night dream after the people's hearts had turned to obey Solomon as they had David, God spoke with him and he recalled God's great mercy to David his father who walked in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart and who was given a son to sit on his throne. Set as king in David's place, he confessed that he was only a little child who did not know how to go out or come in or how to lead God's great uncounted chosen people. He asked for an understanding heart to judge the people and to discern between good and bad, a petition for a quick mind, a large heart and a tender spirit. The prayer was made in humility and helplessness, with realization of lack of discernment and great need for divine aid to carry his responsibilities, without selfish aspiration for knowledge to exalt himself above others.

The speech pleased the Lord because Solomon asked for understanding to discern judgment to judge God's great people rather than asking for long life, riches and honor, or the life of his enemies. He chose wisdom to discharge his duties faithfully and to cause his reign to bring glory to God rather than temporal riches or worldly honor and personal wealth or power. His unselfish request brought blessings beyond what he requested, and prayers should not arise from selfish aims but God's gifts and heavenly wisdom should be sought for His glory, since earthly riches are temporary while heavenly treasure cannot be lost. These gifts followed his humble request for divine help and for an understanding heart rather than for wealth, long life, or victory over enemies.

Therefore God gave him a wise and understanding heart with none like him before or after and added what he had not asked, both riches and honor, so that there would not be any among the kings like him all his days. The addition made him unequaled and incomparable among kings in his lifetime and greater than the other kings of his time. The promise of unequaled riches and honor was given in addition to wisdom and understanding, though he had not asked for them.

The gift was joined to the further promise to establish Solomon's reign and to make Israel a wise and understanding people, and to lengthen his days if he would walk in God's ways and keep His statutes, judgments and commandments as David his father did. The promise of long life was conditional on walking in God's ways and keeping His commandments, and wisdom, riches, honor and God's protecting care were to continue on that obedience. Every point of his prayer at Gibeon was the ground of the rich blessings God was ready to give and should be carefully studied.

Solomon's God-given understanding, knowledge and glorious reign became a wonder to the world, giving him fame, excellence of character, greatness of power and superior knowledge that all nations acknowledged and marveled at. Many came from all parts of the world to behold him and to be instructed in difficult matters, and his kingdom, power, wisdom and glory came through Jehovah's favor so that he could make the world know God. The gift enabled him for many years to live in devotion to God, uprightness, firm principle and strict obedience, to direct every important enterprise and manage the business of the kingdom with wisdom. It enabled him to write many proverbs and compose many songs and to faithfully carry out the directions for building the most magnificent temple the world ever saw, unequaled for richness, beauty and costly design. His years of devotion, uprightness, firm principle and obedience brought honor and fame among the nations, and the glory of his promising early reign amazed the world.

Obedience, Failure, and Example

The riches and honor added beyond what was asked, with no king like him all his days, came as prosperity and kingly influence directly from God through Jehovah's favor. That prosperity would never have been taken from him if he had continued to obey all the commandments of the Lord. The gifts were given with the admonition to remain humble and obedient, and on condition that he walk in God's ways and keep His statutes, judgments and commandments as David did, walking in the way of righteousness and truth. God desires to surround His people with His protecting arm and to bless them above all other people and preserve them in purity while they remain closely connected with Him, and He made no mistake in placing Solomon in a position of great responsibility. Every point of the prayer at Gibeon, on which the rich blessings God was ready to give depended, is to be carefully studied.

Solomon failed to keep his contract with God and to heed the admonition, by following the promptings of his own heart, so the Lord left him to his own impulses. He turned to other gods and failed to heed the Lord's commands. He departed from God when he went to other nations to secure facilities for building the temple instead of building with what God had provided. His later pride, pursuit of political power and unfaithfulness stood in contrast to his promising early reign, when he chose God's wisdom and his reign's glory amazed the world. His departure brought sorrow, as a warning that if God's people depart from Him they will share the sorrows of Solomon.

The prayer for an understanding heart to judge the people and discern between good and bad is a sample prayer, given in the night season, appropriate for all people today, high and low, rich and poor, who have duties to perform, responsibilities to carry and a part to act. No one can act his part acceptably without wisdom from on high. Prayers should not arise from selfish aims, but God's gifts and heavenly wisdom are to be sought for His glory. Heavenly wisdom prepares a person to use God-given talents and means rightly without forgetting their Giver. Earthly riches are temporary, while heavenly treasure cannot be lost.

Solomon prayed in humility and unselfishness at Gibeon, realizing he was as helpless as a little child without divine aid to carry his responsibilities, knowing he lacked discernment and feeling his great need for wisdom. He had no selfish aspiration for knowledge to exalt himself above others, but chose wisdom to discharge his duties faithfully and to cause his reign to bring glory to God. He was never so rich or so wise or so truly great as when he confessed in that humility, I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.