1 Kings 3:6
ESV
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.
NIV
Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
NASB
Then Solomon said, 'You have shown great faithfulness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth, righteousness, and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great faithfulness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
CSB
And Solomon replied, "You have shown great and faithful love to your servant, my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, righteousness, and integrity. You have continued this great and faithful love for him by giving him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today.
NLT
Solomon replied, 'You showed great and faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued to show this great and faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne.
KJV
And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; 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.
NKJV
And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
What does 1 Kings 3:6 mean?
Israel's king, Solomon, has invited government, military, civil, and tribal leaders to a great sacrifice at the tabernacle in Gibeon. He made a thousand burnt offerings (1 Kings 3:4; 2 Chronicles 1:2–6). God accepts these. That night, God enters Solomon's dream and asks what the new king wants. Solomon has already shown wisdom in how he dealt with men who would take the crown from him (1 Kings 2:13–46). Leading God's people is a great task. Solomon realizes he needs understanding to make good decisions.The text has already said that Solomon loves Yahweh (Exodus 3:15) and follows the "statutes of David his father" (1 Kings 3:3). Now, Solomon demonstrates proper perspective. He's not king because of his own brilliance or experience or intelligence. Solomon is king because his father David obeyed God, and God allowed Solomon to inherit the throne. This is part of the covenant God made with David (2 Samuel 7:12–13).
Two of David's sons tried to take the kingdom. They were the oldest eligible sons in their time. They were good-looking and popular (2 Samuel 14:25; 15:1–12; 1 Kings 1:5–10; 2:13–25). But God and David chose Solomon (2 Samuel 12:24–25).
The most common issue modern readers have with Solomon's praise is that David didn't perfectly live "in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness in heart." In fact, David took Bathsheba and murdered her husband Uriah (2 Samuel 11). He broke the Mosaic law and the Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 22:25–27; Exodus 20:13). He deserved to be executed.
Two points help make sense of Solomon's comments. First is that David repented, without reservation and wholeheartedly. In the historical narrative, David just said he had sinned (2 Samuel 12:13). Psalm 51 is more emotional. He recognized what God wanted: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise" (Psalm 51:17). He knew that every sin is against God (Psalm 51:4). God gave his victims dignity and worth and He established laws to protect them. David broke those laws. And yet, God is the God of grace and forgiveness. Although God sent years of judgment for David's sins, He did forgive him.
The second thing to consider is that there is no account that David ever committed idolatry or in any way worshiped anything or anyone other than God. His life was imperfect, but David imperfectly sought to follow the Lord, and the Lord alone, with great loyalty and passion. The Bible records very few people who can make that claim, let alone kings. Even Solomon, as he offers this praise, has a future of horrible idolatry in front of him (1 Kings 11:4–8). David trusted only God (1 Samuel 17).
When we judge David more harshly than God does, we reveal that we are just as guilty as David. We are just as undeserving of God's grace. Faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness in heart doesn't mean demonstrating flawless perfection. It means to follow God in humble loyalty. Thankfully, this includes an avenue to restore our relationship after we sin.
