1 Kings 3:7

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.

📖 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

• 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.

• 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.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And now, O Jehovah{H3068} my God,{H430} thou hast made thy servant{H5650} king{H4427} instead of David{H1732} my father:{H1} and I am but a little{H6996} child;{H5288} I know{H3045} not how to go out{H3318} or come in.{H935}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And now, O LORD{H3068} my God{H430}, thou hast made thy servant{H5650} king{H4427}{(H8689)} instead of David{H1732} my father{H1}: and I am but a little{H6996} child{H5288}: I know{H3045}{(H8799)} not how to go out{H3318}{(H8800)} or come in{H935}{(H8800)}.

• 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 Who may go out before them and who may come in before them, who may lead them out and who may bring them in; so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep without a shepherd.
• 1 Chr 29:1 : 1 Furthermore, King David said to all the assembly, Solomon my son, whom alone God has chosen, is still young and tender, and the work is great: for the palace is not for man, but for the LORD God.
• Jer 1:6 : 6 Then I said, Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
• Dan 2:21 : 21 And he changes the times and the seasons: he removes kings and sets up kings: he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who know understanding.
• Dan 4:25 : 25 That they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He will.
• Dan 4:32 : 32 And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; they shall make you eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He will.
• Dan 5:18 : 18 O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom, majesty, glory, and honor.
• Dan 5:21 : 21 Then he was driven from the sons of men; his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and that He appoints over it whomever He chooses.
• Matt 18:3-4 : 3 And said, Truly I say to you, Unless you are converted and become like little children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
• John 10:3-4 : 3 To him the gatekeeper opens; and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he has sent out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
• John 10:9 : 9 I am the door; if anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will go in and out, and find pasture.
• Job 32:6-8 : 6 And Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, answered and said, I am young, and you are very old; therefore I was afraid, and did not dare to show you my opinion. 7 I said, Let days speak, and multitude of years teach wisdom. 8 But there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty gives them understanding.
• Ps 121:8 : 8 The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.
• Eccl 10:16 : 16 Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and your princes eat in the morning!
• Deut 31:2 : 2 And he said to them, I am one hundred and twenty years old today; I can no longer go out and come in: also the LORD has said to me, You shall not go over this Jordan.
• 1 Sam 18:16 : 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
• 2 Sam 5:2 : 2 Also, in times past when Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel out and brought them in. And the LORD said to you, You will feed my people Israel, and you will be a captain over Israel.