1 Kings 1:37

1Ki 1:37 As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.

Ver. 37. And make his throne greater.] God heard this prayer, and said Amen to it, set his fiat to it: for Solomon’s reign, accomplished with a civil and religious happiness, represented the triumphant Church in heaven: as David’s reign had been a figure of the Church militant upon earth.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 37. Make his throne greater than the throne of - David.] A wish of this kind a king will suffer in behalf of his son, but it is never in ordinary cases considered a compliment to say, "I hope this child will make a better man than his father," because it seems to insinuate some reflections on his father's conduct or character. Many foolish people deal in such compliments, and they may rest assured, for the reasons given above, that they are far from being either welcome or agreeable.

Claudian, in his panegyric De Quarto Consulatu Honorii Augusti, ver. 428, has words something similar to those of Benaiah, when he describes a father, worn out with toils and difficulties, committing the reins of government to the hands of his son:-

Adspice, completur votum: jam natus adaequat Te meritis; et, quod magis est optabile, vincit.

"Behold, thy desire is accomplished. Even now thy son equals thee in worth; and what is still more desirable, surpasses thee."

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

37. so be he] i.e. ‘So let him be.’ The Massoretic note corrects into ‘so shall he be,’ which makes nonsense of the verse.

make his throne greater than the throne of my lord] No doubt David’s faithful servants knew of the large promises which God had made to Solomon already, and that the heart of the king was gladdened at the thought of the future glory of his son (1Ch_17:11-27). They had therefore no fear of David’s anger when they used words such as these. That Solomon’s kingdom and grandeur did surpass David’s may be seen from the narratives in 1 Kings 10. and 2 Chronicles 9.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

As the Lord hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon,.... To guide and direct him, protect and defend him, succeed and prosper him the Targum is,

"as the Word of the Lord has been the help of my lord the king, so let him be for the help of Solomon:''

and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David: which he knew would not displease David, who not only had an affectionate regard for Solomon his son, but wished heartily the prosperity of the kingdom of Israel; and the wish on all accounts was grateful to him, though to an envious and ambitious prince it might have been disagreeable.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

As the Lord hath been with my lord - This phrase expresses a very high degree of divine favor. It occurs first in the promises of God to Isaac Gen 26:3, Gen 26:24 and Jacob Gen 28:13. See further margin reference.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

David. Parents wish their children to be still more happy than themselves, how jealous soever they may be of their own glory. (Calmet) Aspice completum votum; jam natus adæquat

Te meritis, &, quod magis est optabile, vincit. (Claud. iv. con. Honor.)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Which petition, albeit it might have offended an unworthy, vain-glorious, and envious father, he knew would be welcome to so pious and generous a man as David was, and to one so kind and indulgent to his children.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

37. Make his throne greater than the throne of… David — Such words as these would have stirred up jealousy and anger in many kings; but, as Theodoret remarks, Benaiah “knew that no one having a true father’s tenderness would be jealous of a child, and that it is characteristic of devoted fathers to wish their sons to appear more illustrious than themselves.”

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

As the Lord hath been with my lord the king cf. 1Sa_20:13. "This phrase expresses a very high degree of the Divine favour" (Rawlinson) (See Gen_26:3, 4 28:15 39:2, 21; Exodus Jos_1:5; 1Ch_22:11, etc.) even so be he with Solomon, and make has throne greater than the throne of my lord king David. This was said from a full and honest heart, not to flatter David"s vanity (Thenius). It is thoroughly characteristic of the man so far as we know him. And the prayer was fulfilled. (1Ki_3:11, 1Ki_3:12)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Than the throne of my lord Dovid Hamelech. From this [we derive] that a father is not envious of his son.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.