1 Kings 3:7

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, but I am only a young and inexperienced servant who does not know how to carry out his duties.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְעַתָּה֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֔י אַתָּה֙ הִמְלַ֣כְתָּ אֶֽת־עַבְדְּךָ֔ תַּ֖חַת דָּוִ֣ד אָבִ֑י וְאָֽנֹכִי֙ נַ֣עַר קָטֹ֔ן לֹ֥א אֵדַ֖ע צֵ֥את וָבֹֽא׃

Transliteration

And-now YHWH my ʾĕlōhîm, you himlaktā ʾet-your servant in-place-of dāwid my father; and-I naʿar qāṭōn, not ʾēdaʿ go-out and-come-in.

Grammar Details

• *wĕʿattāh*: conjunction + adverb - and now
• *YHWH*: divine name - Yahweh/LORD
• *ʾĕlōhay*: noun, masculine plural construct with 1st person singular suffix - my God
• *ʾattāh*: personal pronoun, 2nd masculine singular - you
• *himlaktā*: Hiphil perfect, 2nd masculine singular - you have made king
• *ʾet*: direct object marker
• *ʿabdĕkā*: noun, masculine singular with 2nd masculine singular suffix - your servant
• *taḥat*: preposition - in place of/instead of
• *dāwid*: proper noun, masculine - David
• *ʾābî*: noun, masculine singular with 1st person singular suffix - my father
• *wĕʾānōkî*: conjunction + personal pronoun, 1st person singular - and I
• *naʿar*: noun, masculine singular - young man/youth/boy
• *qāṭōn*: adjective, masculine singular - small/young
• *lōʾ*: negative particle - not
• *ʾēdaʿ*: Qal imperfect, 1st person singular - I know
• *ṣēʾt*: Qal infinitive construct - to go out
• *bōʾ*: Qal infinitive construct - to come in

Word Meanings

• *naʿar qāṭōn*: little child/young boy/inexperienced youth
• *ṣēʾt wābōʾ*: go out and come in/conduct affairs/lead

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  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.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  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.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And now, O Jehovah 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.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  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.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Now LORDE my God, thou hast made thy seruaunt kynge in my father Dauids steade: As for me, I am but a small yonge man, knowynge nether my outgoynge ner ingoynge.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy seruant King in steade of Dauid my father: and I am but a yong childe, and know not howe to go out and in.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And nowe O Lord my God, it is thou that hast made thy seruaunt king in steade of Dauid my father: And I am but young, & wote not howe to go out and in.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  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.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Now, Yahweh my God, you have made your servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child; I don't know how to go out or come in.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And now, O Jehovah my God, Thou hast caused thy servant to reign instead of David my father; and I `am' a little child, I do not know to go out and to come in;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And now, O Jehovah 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.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And now, O Jehovah 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.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in the place of David my father; and I am only a young boy, with no knowledge of how to go out or come in.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Now, Yahweh my God, you have made your servant king instead of David my father. I am but a little child. I don't know how to go out or come in.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in my father David’s place, even though I am only a young man and am inexperienced.

Referenced Verses

• Num 27:17 : 17 to go out and come in before them, to lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep without a shepherd.
• 1 Chr 29:1 : 1 Then King David said to the entire assembly, "My son Solomon, the one chosen by God, is young and inexperienced, and the work is great because this temple is not for man but for the LORD God."
• Jer 1:6 : 6 Then I said, 'Ah, Lord GOD! I do not know how to speak because I am too young.'
• Dan 2:21 : 21 He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.
• Dan 4:25 : 25 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar.
• Dan 4:32 : 32 All the inhabitants of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, 'What have You done?'
• Dan 5:18 : 18 'O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty, greatness, glory, and splendor.'
• Dan 5:21 : 21 He was driven away from people, his mind became like that of an animal, and he lived among the wild donkeys. He ate grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he acknowledged that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of men and sets over it whomever He wishes.
• Matt 18:3-4 : 3 And he said, "Truly, I tell you, unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
• John 10:3-4 : 3 The gatekeeper opens the door for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
• John 10:9 : 9 I am the door. If anyone enters through me, they will be saved; they will come in and go out, and find pasture.
• Job 32:6-8 : 6 So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said, "I am young in years, and you are old; therefore, I held back and was afraid to tell you what I think. 7 I thought, ‘Age should speak; let many years teach wisdom.’ 8 But it is the spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty, that gives understanding.
• Ps 121:8 : 8 The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
• Eccl 10:16 : 16 Woe to you, O land, whose king is a youth and whose princes feast in the morning.
• Deut 31:2 : 2 He said to them, 'I am now 120 years old, and I am no longer able to lead you. The LORD has said to me, 'You shall not cross the Jordan.''
• 1 Sam 18:16 : 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David because he led them in their campaigns.
• 2 Sam 5:2 : 2 "In the past, even when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them back. And the LORD said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.’”