God said to him, 'Because you have asked this, and have not asked for riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself to govern my people over whom I have made you king — God's response, pronounced with divine satisfaction, specifies what Solomon did not request: עֹשֶׁר וְנִכְסִים וְכָבוֹד (osher ve-nikhasim ve-kavod—'riches, wealth, and honor') and the life of enemies, nor even יָמִים רַבִּים (yamim rabbim, 'many days'—longevity). The series of negations emphasizes that Solomon avoided the typical temptations of royal aspiration: avarice, vengeance, self-extension. Instead, he sought לְדִין (le-din, 'to judge/govern') the divine people. God's commendation rests on the purity of Solomon's motivation and the recognition that good governance serves God's interests in the people, not the king's personal agenda. The phrase 'over whom I have made you king' reasserts divine prerogative in kingship.

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