· Translation: KJV

2 Chronicles 1:10Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this your people, that is so great?"

The setting

Gibeon, Israel, ~970 BC. Dawn after Solomon's massive sacrifice of 1,000 burnt offerings. God appears to the young king in a dream...

The emotion here: overwhelmed by the weight of kingship over God's chosen people

The original word

chokmah (חָכְמָה) — skill in living, practical wisdom, not just knowledge

Why it matters

Solomon was likely only 20 years old when he became king of 12 tribes

Read with care

What most readers miss in 2 Chronicles 1:10

Solomon says 'go out and come in' — ancient idiom for leading in battle

Common misconceptionPeople think Solomon was asking for intelligence or book smarts. He was asking for the skill to govern justly — he knew people's lives hung on his decisions.

Bible Genome reading

2 Chronicles 1:10 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerSolomon
EraUnited Kingdom
Primary emotionseeking
Literary typeprayer
MarkPrayer

Emotional genome

Comfort power40%
Quotability70%
Memorability70%
Crisis relevance40%
Standalone50%
Themes:wisdom requestleadership humilitydivine dependence

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 2 Chronicles 1

2 Chronicles 1:10 comes from the book of 2 Chronicles, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Solomon. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 40% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the prayer genre of biblical literature. Key themes include wisdom request, leadership humility, divine dependence. Notable phrases: give me wisdom and knowledge; who can judge this your people. This verse is a prayer.

Your reflection

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