1 Kings 3:6

6 And Solomon said, "You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because ¹he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and ²have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.

1 Kings 3:6 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 3:6

And Solomon said
In his dream; not that he dreamt he said, when he did not; but he really said, as follows:

thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father great mercy;
bestowed many favours and blessings upon him, both temporal and spiritual:

according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and
in uprightness of heart with thee;
in the truth of doctrine and worship, according to the revealed will and word of God, and which he observed with great strictness, living soberly, righteously, and godly, though not without failings and imperfections, yet with great integrity and sincerity; and this holy walk of his was not the cause of God's showing mercy to him, nor was it in proportion to that, but what he was influenced to by the mercy that was shown him:

and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given
him a son to sit on his throne, as [it is] this day;
a son to be his successor, meaning himself; which was an additional favour to all the rest, and was in reserve, and now bestowed, as time had made to appear.

1 Kings 3:6 In-Context

4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

5 At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, "Ask what I shall give you."

6 And Solomon said, "You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.

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

8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Kings 2:4; 1 Kings 9:4; [Psalms 15:2]
• 2. 1 Kings 1:48