What Does 2 Chronicles 1:11 Mean in the King James?
And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The request turns “for thyself” inside out: what you receive for yourself is meant to serve the judgment of an entire people.
THE MEANING
God names the direction of your heart in what you ask: wisdom and knowledge are joined to the work of judging people. Wealth, honor, revenge, and long life stand beside this request as things left unasked. The verse reveals the value of knowing through the responsibility it carries.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
Wisdom is mainly a path to personal status or security; here it is sought for the judgment of a people.
THE ROOT
חָכְמָה
chokmah
GROWS FROM
חכם
To be wise or skillful.
Chokmah is not only an idea in the mind; its word family also describes practical skill. Here, wisdom is joined to knowledge for the work of judging a people.
ALSO GROWS
chakam: A wise or skilled person.
חָכָם
The same root describes the person who embodies wisdom, linking the capacity to the one who exercises it.
chakamim: Wise ones.
חֲכָמִים
The plural form shows wisdom as a quality people can carry, not merely an abstraction.
chokmah: Wisdom or skill.
חָכְמָה
This is the word in the verse: wisdom is a capacity directed toward judgment.
מַדָּע
madda
GROWS FROM
ידע
To know or perceive.
“knowledge” in this verse is madda. Madda belongs to the root of yada, knowing and perceiving. The verse joins this knowing to the work of judgment, where it meets the people and circumstances being weighed.
ALSO GROWS
yada: To know or perceive.
יָדַע
The verb at the root of madda links knowledge to an act of knowing, rather than to information held apart from experience.
da'at: Knowledge.
דַּעַת
This related noun shares the root and shows the same seed appearing in another form of knowing.
שְׁלֹמֹה
Shelomoh
GROWS FROM
שלם
To be whole or complete.
“Solomon” in this verse is Shelomoh. Shelomoh is linked to the root of shalom, wholeness. The name frames a request for wisdom and knowledge whose stated purpose is the judgment of a whole people.
ALSO GROWS
shalom: Wholeness or peace.
שָׁלוֹם
The name echoes the language of wholeness, while the verse turns to the well-being and judgment of a people.
shalem: Whole or complete.
שָׁלֵם
This form shares the root carried in Shelomoh, keeping the name connected to completeness.
Shelomoh: Solomon; a name linked to wholeness.
שְׁלֹמֹה
The name belongs to the same word family and places this request within the language of wholeness.
THE PATTERN
Wisdom is sought and received as a capacity for discernment, with its value shown in the judgment of a people.
Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.THE THREAD
For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.Proverbs joins חָכְמָה (chokmah, wisdom) with דַּעַת (da’at, knowledge), words rooted in the same vocabulary as this verse. It shows these capacities as given by the LORD, opening Solomon’s request as a receiving of wisdom for discernment.
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