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?
Ver. 9. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart.] Heb., A hearing heart; for wisdom is gotten by prayer and hearing the word, by begging and digging, as Proverbs 2:3,4; we also must run the like method, Jam 1:5 ran through all the exercises of Christ's school, if we would be wise to salvation.
That I may discern between good and bad.] Rupertus blameth Solomon for this, that he asked of God wisdom, and not holiness rather, bonum illud quod verum et summum est, which is the principal good thing. But it was doubtless a saving and sanctifying knowledge that Solomon prayed for, and obtained; not an apprehensive knowledge only, and notional, but effective and practical also, and directive of the life. Socrates, the wisest of all the Greeks, made no distinction between σοφια, wisdom, and σωπροσυνη, good conversation. Ignorat sane improbus omnis, saith Aristotle, He is not wise that is ill-conditioned.