The Meaning of 1 Kings 2:20 Explained

1 Kings 2:20

KJV: Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay.

YLT: And she saith, 'One small petition I ask of thee, turn not back my face;' and the king saith to her, 'Ask, my mother, for I do not turn back thy face.'

Darby: Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; refuse me not. And the king said to her, Ask, my mother, for I will not refuse thee.

ASV: Then she said, I ask one small petition of thee; deny me not. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother; for I will not deny thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then she said,  I desire  one  small  petition  of thee; [I pray thee], say  me  not nay.  And the king  said  unto her, Ask on,  my mother:  for I will not say  thee  nay. 

What does 1 Kings 2:20 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 2:10-25 - A Foolish And Fatal Petition
So David's troubled life came to a close, but he has never ceased to lead the praises of the saints.
At the very beginning of his reign Solomon was confronted by a difficult problem. There was so close a connection in public opinion between the title to the crown and the possession of a deceased monarch's harem, that it would have been impossible to grant Adonijah's request without giving strong encouragement to his pretensions. Solomon treated Bathsheba with profound respect, but his love for her did not blind him to his duty to his realm, Proverbs 20:26.
Notice that solemn declaration, "As Jehovah liveth," 1 Kings 2:24. It was common to the godly of those days. See 1 Kings 17:1. They would not use the phrase lightly nor flippantly, but with a profound realization of standing in the presence of God. Let us recall those words of our Lord, "As the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father," John 6:57, and let us draw daily on His life, so that we may live-yet not we, but he in us and we in Him, Galatians 2:20.
1 Kings 2:1-46 - Breaking Three Commandments
From a worldly point of view Naboth might have done a good stroke of business by selling his estate to. Ahab. A royal price and assured favor might have been his-but he had a conscience! Above the persuasive tones of the monarch's offer sounded the voice of God: "The land shall not be sold for ever, for the land is mine." See Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7; Ezekiel 46:18.
Ahab knew perfectly well that Jezebel could not give him the property of another except by foul means, but he took pains not to inquire. Though the direct orders for Naboth's death did not come from him, yet, by his silence, he was an accomplice and an accessory; and divine justice penetrates all such specious excuses. God holds us responsible for wrongs which we do not arrest, though we have the power. The crime was blacker because of the pretext of religion, as suggested by a fast. See also 2 Kings 9:26. The blood of murdered innocence cries to God, and his requital, though delayed, is inevitable. See Revelation 6:9-10. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 2

1  David, having given a charge to Solomon
3  of Reverence
5  of Joab
7  of Barzillai
8  of Shimei
10  Solomon succeeds
12  Adonijah, moving Bathsheba to ask unto Solomon for Abishag,
13  is put to death
26  Abiathar, having his life given him, is deprived of the priesthood
28  Joab fleeing to the horns of the altar, is there slain
35  Benaiah is put in Joab's room, and Zadfok in Abiathar's
36  Shimei, confined to Jerusalem, by occasion of going to Gath, is put to death

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 2:20 mean?

And she said petition one small I desire of you not Do refuse - me and said to her the king Ask it my mother for not I will refuse you
וַתֹּ֗אמֶר שְׁאֵלָ֨ה אַחַ֤ת קְטַנָּה֙ אָֽנֹכִי֙ שֹׁאֶ֣לֶת מֵֽאִתָּ֔ךְ אַל־ תָּ֖שֶׁב אֶת־ פָּנָ֑י וַיֹּֽאמֶר־ לָ֤הּ הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ שַׁאֲלִ֣י אִמִּ֔י כִּ֥י לֹֽא־ אָשִׁ֖יב פָּנָֽיִךְ

וַתֹּ֗אמֶר  And  she  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
שְׁאֵלָ֨ה  petition 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁאֵלָה  
Sense: request, thing asked for, demand.
אַחַ֤ת  one 
Parse: Number, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
קְטַנָּה֙  small 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: קָטָן 
Sense: young, small, insignificant, unimportant.
שֹׁאֶ֣לֶת  desire 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: שָׁאַל 
Sense: to ask, enquire, borrow, beg.
מֵֽאִתָּ֔ךְ  of  you 
Parse: Preposition-m, Direct object marker, second person masculine singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
תָּ֖שֶׁב  Do  refuse 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect Jussive, second person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
פָּנָ֑י  me 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וַיֹּֽאמֶר־  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָ֤הּ  to  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
שַׁאֲלִ֣י  Ask  it 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: שָׁאַל 
Sense: to ask, enquire, borrow, beg.
אִמִּ֔י  my  mother 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אֵם  
Sense: mother.
אָשִׁ֖יב  I  will  refuse 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.