1sn The phrase City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
2map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
3snOffering sacrifices at the high places. The “high places” were places of worship that were naturally or artificially elevated.
4tnHeb “for the name of the Lord.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor (thus the translation here, “to honor the Lord”). The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name.
5tnHeb “Solomon loved the Lord by walking in.”
6tn Or “policies, rules.”
7tnHeb “for it was the great high place.”
8tn The verb form is an imperfect, which is probably used here in a customary sense to indicate continued or repeated action in past time. See GKC 314 §107.b.
9tn Or “revealed himself.”
10tnHeb “ask.”
11tnHeb “did.”
12tnHeb “walked before.”
13tnHeb “in faithfulness and in innocence and in uprightness of heart with you.”
14tnHeb “and you have kept to him this great loyalty and you gave to him a son [who] sits on his throne as this day.”
15tnHeb “and I do not know going out or coming in.”
16tn There is no verb expressed in the Hebrew text; “stands” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
17tnHeb “your people whom you have chosen.”
18tnHeb “a hearing heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
19tnHeb “to judge.”
20tnHeb “to understand between good and evil.”
21tnHeb “for”; the word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.
22tnHeb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”
23tnHeb “to judge.”
24tnHeb “your numerous people.”
25tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in v.15 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
26tnHeb “And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, for Solomon asked for this thing.”
27tnHeb “because you asked for this thing, and did not ask for yourself many days and did not ask for yourself riches and did not ask for the life of your enemies, but you asked for yourself understanding to hear judgment.”
28tn This statement is introduced in the Hebrew text by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows.
29tnHeb “I am doing according to your words.” The perfect tense is sometimes used of actions occurring at the same time a statement is made.
30tn This statement is introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows. The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made (i.e., “right now I give you”).
31tnHeb “heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
32tnHeb “so that there has not been one like you prior to you, and after you one will not arise like you.”
33tn The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made.
34tnHeb “so that there is not one among the kings like you all your days.” The LXX lacks the words “all your days.”
35tnHeb “walk in my ways.”
36tn Or “keeping.”
37tnHeb “walked.”
38tnHeb “I will lengthen your days.”
39tnHeb “and look, a dream.”
40tn Or “tokens of peace”; NIV, TEV “fellowship offerings.”
41snThere was no one else in the house except the two of us. In other words, there were no other witnesses to the births who could identify which child belonged to which mother.
42tnHeb “died.”
43tnHeb “lay, slept.”
44tnHeb “look.”
45tnHeb “look, it was not my son to whom I had given birth.”
46tnHeb “they spoke before the king.” Another option is to translate, “they argued before the king.”
47tnHeb “the woman whose son was alive.”
48tnHeb “for her compassions grew warm for her son.”
49tn The infinitive absolute before the negated jussive emphasizes the main verb.
50tnHeb “feared,” perhaps in the sense, “stood in awe of.”