1 Kingschapter 3

The Judgment of Solomon — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

A.High places and a Pharaoh's daughter — a mixed beginningvv. 1-4

1 Later, Solomon formed an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying his daughter. Solomon brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his palace and the house of the LORD, as well as the wall around Jerusalem. 2 The people, however, were still sacrificing on the high places because a house for the Name of the LORD had not yet been built. 3 And Solomon loved the LORD and walked in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 4 Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for it was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar there.

B.Ask what I shall give thee: an understanding heartvv. 5-15

5 One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!” 6 Solomon replied, “You have shown much loving devotion to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart. And You have maintained this loving devotion by giving him a son to sit on his throne this very day. 7 And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David’s place. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in. 8 Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to count or number. 9 Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?” 10 Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had made this request. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this instead of requesting long life or wealth for yourself or death for your enemies—but you have asked for discernment to administer justice— 12 behold, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has never been nor will ever be another like you. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you did not request—both riches and honor—so that during all your days no man in any kingdom will be your equal. 14 So if you walk in My ways and keep My statutes and commandments, just as your father David did, I will prolong your days.” 15 Then Solomon awoke, and indeed it had been a dream. So he returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he held a feast for all his servants.

C.Divide the living child — the wisdom of God in himvv. 16-28

16 At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 One woman said, “Please, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth while she was in the house. 18 On the third day after I gave birth, this woman also had a baby. We were alone, with no one in the house but the two of us. 19 During the night this woman’s son died because she rolled over on him. 20 So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I was asleep. She laid him in her bosom and put her dead son at my bosom. 21 The next morning, when I got up to nurse my son, I discovered he was dead. But when I examined him, I realized that he was not the son I had borne.” 22 “No,” said the other woman, “the living one is my son and the dead one is your son.” But the first woman insisted, “No, the dead one is yours and the living one is mine.” So they argued before the king. 23 Then the king replied, “This woman says, ‘My son is alive and yours is dead,’ but that woman says, ‘No, your son is dead and mine is alive.’” 24 The king continued, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought him a sword, 25 and the king declared, “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.” 26 Then the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she yearned with compassion for her son. “Please, my lord,” she said, “give her the living baby. Do not kill him!” But the other woman said, “He will be neither mine nor yours. Cut him in two!” 27 Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. By no means should you kill him; she is his mother.” 28 When all Israel heard of the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

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Chapter summary

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Solomon marries Pharaoh's daughter and worships at the great high place at Gibeon, where Jehovah appears in a dream: 'Ask what I shall give thee.' He asks not for long life, riches, or the lives of his enemies, but 'an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and evil' (3:9). The request pleases God, who grants wisdom beyond any before or after. And the unasked riches and honor besides. Then the proof: two harlots, one living child, and a sword called for. The true mother's yielding exposes her, and all Israel fears the king, seeing that the wisdom of God is in him to do justice.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.

Context

History · Jeremiah — 1 Kings overview

A. 1–4 High places and a Pharaoh's daughter — a mixed beginning
B. 5–15 Ask what I shall give thee: an understanding heart
C. 16–28 Divide the living child — the wisdom of God in him

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

1 Kings 93 verses
- 1 Kings 9:2the LORD appeared to him a second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon.
- 1 Kings 9:4And as for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, with a heart of integrity and uprightness, doing all I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and ordinances,
- 1 Kings 9:24As soon as Pharaoh’s daughter had come up from the City of David to the palace that Solomon had built for her, he built the supporting terraces.
- Read 1 Kings 9 →
2 Chronicles 12 verses
- 2 Chronicles 1:3And Solomon and the whole assembly went to the high place at Gibeon because it was the location of God’s Tent of Meeting, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness.
- 2 Chronicles 1:7That night God appeared to Solomon and said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!”
- Read 2 Chronicles 1 →
Proverbs 162 verses
- Proverbs 16:16How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! To gain understanding is more desirable than silver.
- Proverbs 16:31Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is attained along the path of righteousness.
- Read Proverbs 16 →
Proverbs 32 verses
- Proverbs 3:2for they will add length to your days, years and peace to your life.
- Proverbs 3:16Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.
- Read Proverbs 3 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

James 11 verse
- James 1:5Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
- Read James 1 →
1 Kings 111 verse
- 1 Kings 11:1King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh—women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women.
- Read 1 Kings 11 →
2 Chronicles 81 verse
- 2 Chronicles 8:11Solomon brought the daughter of Pharaoh up from the City of David to the palace he had built for her. For he said, “My wife must not live in the house of David king of Israel, because the places the ark of the LORD has entered are holy.”
- Read 2 Chronicles 8 →
1 Kings 221 verse
- 1 Kings 22:43And Jehoshaphat walked in all the ways of his father Asa; he did not turn away from them, but did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. The high places, however, were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
- Read 1 Kings 22 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.