1 Kings 3
3
The Lord Gives Solomon Wisdom
1 Solomon made an alliance by marriage with Pharaoh, king of Egypt; he married Pharaoh’s daughter. He brought her to the City of David#sn The phrase City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7. until he could finish building his residence and the temple of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem.#map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. 2 Now the people were offering sacrifices at the high places,#sn Offering sacrifices at the high places. The “high places” were places of worship that were naturally or artificially elevated. because in those days a temple had not yet been built to honor the Lord.#tn Heb “for the name of the Lord.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor (thus the translation here, “to honor the Lord”). The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name. 3 Solomon demonstrated his loyalty to the Lord by following#tn Heb “Solomon loved the Lord by walking in.” the practices#tn Or “policies, rules.” of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.
4 The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for it had the most prominent of the high places.#tn Heb “for it was the great high place.” Solomon would offer up#tn The verb form is an imperfect, which is probably used here in a customary sense to indicate continued or repeated action in past time. See GKC 314 §107.b. a thousand burnt sacrifices on the altar there. 5 One night in Gibeon the Lord appeared#tn Or “revealed himself.” to Solomon in a dream. God said, “Tell#tn Heb “ask.” me what I should give you.” 6 Solomon replied, “You demonstrated#tn Heb “did.” great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served#tn Heb “walked before.” you faithfully, properly, and sincerely.#tn Heb “in faithfulness and in innocence and in uprightness of heart with you.” You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne.#tn Heb “and you have kept to him this great loyalty and you gave to him a son [who] sits on his throne as this day.” 7 Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in my father David’s place, even though I am only a young man and am inexperienced.#tn Heb “and I do not know going out or coming in.” 8 Your servant stands#tn There is no verb expressed in the Hebrew text; “stands” is supplied in the translation for clarification. among your chosen people;#tn Heb “your people whom you have chosen.” they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning mind#tn Heb “a hearing heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.) so he can make judicial decisions for#tn Heb “to judge.” your people and distinguish right from wrong.#tn Heb “to understand between good and evil.” Otherwise#tn Heb “for”; the word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement. no one is able#tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.” to make judicial decisions for#tn Heb “to judge.” this great nation of yours.”#tn Heb “your numerous people.” 10 The Lord#tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in v.15 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay). was pleased that Solomon made this request.#tn Heb “And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, for Solomon asked for this thing.” 11 God said to him, “Because you asked for the ability to make wise judicial decisions, and not for long life, or riches, or vengeance on your enemies,#tn Heb “because you asked for this thing, and did not ask for yourself many days and did not ask for yourself riches and did not ask for the life of your enemies, but you asked for yourself understanding to hear judgment.” 12 I#tn This statement is introduced in the Hebrew text by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows. grant your request,#tn Heb “I am doing according to your words.” The perfect tense is sometimes used of actions occurring at the same time a statement is made. and give#tn This statement is introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows. The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made (i.e., “right now I give you”). you a wise and discerning mind#tn Heb “heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.) superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you.#tn Heb “so that there has not been one like you prior to you, and after you one will not arise like you.” 13 Furthermore, I am giving#tn The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made. you what you did not request – riches and honor so that you will be the greatest king of your generation.#tn Heb “so that there is not one among the kings like you all your days.” The LXX lacks the words “all your days.” 14 If you follow my instructions#tn Heb “walk in my ways.” by obeying#tn Or “keeping.” my rules and regulations, just as your father David did,#tn Heb “walked.” then I will grant you long life.”#tn Heb “I will lengthen your days.” 15 Solomon then woke up and realized it was a dream.#tn Heb “and look, a dream.” He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant, offered up burnt sacrifices, presented peace offerings,#tn Or “tokens of peace”; NIV, TEV “fellowship offerings.” and held a feast for all his servants.
Solomon Demonstrates His Wisdom
16 Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 One of the women said, “My master, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was with me in the house. 18 Then three days after I had my baby, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one else in the house except the two of us.#sn There was no one else in the house except the two of us. In other words, there were no other witnesses to the births who could identify which child belonged to which mother. 19 This woman’s child suffocated#tn Heb “died.” during the night when she rolled#tn Heb “lay, slept.” on top of him. 20 She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your servant was sleeping. She put him in her arms, and put her dead son in my arms. 21 I got up in the morning to nurse my son, and there he was,#tn Heb “look.” dead! But when I examined him carefully in the morning, I realized it was not my baby.”#tn Heb “look, it was not my son to whom I had given birth.” 22 The other woman said, “No! My son is alive; your son is dead!” But the first woman replied, “No, your son is dead; my son is alive.” Each presented her case before the king.#tn Heb “they spoke before the king.” Another option is to translate, “they argued before the king.”
23 The king said, “One says, ‘My son is alive; your son is dead,’ while the other says, ‘No, your son is dead; my son is alive.’” 24 The king ordered, “Get me a sword!” So they placed a sword before the king. 25 The king then said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one and half to the other!” 26 The real mother#tn Heb “the woman whose son was alive.” spoke up to the king, for her motherly instincts were aroused.#tn Heb “for her compassions grew warm for her son.” She said, “My master, give her the living child! Whatever you do, don’t kill him!”#tn The infinitive absolute before the negated jussive emphasizes the main verb. But the other woman said, “Neither one of us will have him! Let them cut him in two!” 27 The king responded, “Give the first woman the living child; don’t kill him. She is the mother.” 28 When all Israel heard about the judicial decision which the king had rendered, they respected#tn Heb “feared,” perhaps in the sense, “stood in awe of.” the king, for they realized#tn Heb “saw.” that he possessed supernatural wisdom#tn Heb “the wisdom of God within him.” to make judicial decisions.
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1 Kings 3
3
1Salomon then made affinitie with Pharaoh King of Egypt, and tooke Pharaohs daughter, and brought her into the citie of Dauid, vntill hee had made an ende of buylding his owne house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Ierusalem round about. 2Only the people sacrificed in the hie places, because there was no house buylt vnto the name of the Lord, vntill those dayes. 3And Salomon loued the Lord, walking in the ordinances of Dauid his father: onely he sacrificed and offred incense in the hie places. 4And the King went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the chiefe hie place: a thousand burnt offrings did Salomon offer vpon that altar. 5In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Salomon in a dreame by night: and God sayd, Aske what I shall giue thee. 6And Salomon sayd, Thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant Dauid my father great mercie, when hee walked before thee in trueth, and in righteousnesse, and in vprightnes of heart with thee: and thou hast kept for him this great mercie, and hast giuen him a sonne, to sit on his throne, as appeareth this day. 7And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy seruant King in steade of Dauid my father: and I am but a yong childe, and know not howe to go out and in. 8And thy seruant is in the mids of thy people, which thou hast chosen, euen a great people which cannot be told nor nobred for multitude. 9Giue therefore vnto thy seruant an vnderstanding heart, to iudge thy people, that I may discerne betweene good and bad: for who is able to iudge this thy mightie people? 10And this pleased the Lord well, that Salomon had desired this thing. 11And God sayde vnto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thy selfe long life, neyther hast asked riches for thy selfe, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thy selfe vnderstanding to heare iudgement, 12Beholde, I haue done according to thy wordes: lo, I haue giuen thee a wise and an vnderstanding heart, so that there hath bene none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall arise the like vnto thee. 13And I haue also giuen thee that, which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour, so that among the Kings there shall be none like vnto thee all thy dayes. 14And if thou wilt walke in my wayes, to keepe mine ordinances and my commandements, as thy father Dauid did walke, I will prolong thy dayes. 15And when Salomon awoke, behold, it was a dreame, and he came to Ierusalem, and stoode before the Arke of the couenant of the Lord, and offred burnt offrings and made peace offrings, and made a feast to all his seruants. 16Then came two harlots vnto the King, and stoode before him. 17And the one woman sayd, Oh my lorde, I and this woman dwell in one house, and I was deliuered of a childe with her in the house. 18And the third day after that I was deliuered, this woman was deliuered also: and we were in the house together: no stranger was with vs in the house, saue we twaine. 19And this womans sonne died in the night: for she ouerlay him. 20And she rose at midnight, and tooke my sonne from my side, while thine handmaide slept, and layde him in her bosome, and layde her dead sonne in my bosome. 21And when I rose in the morning to giue my sonne sucke, beholde, he was dead: and when I had well considered him in the morning, beholde, it was not my sonne, whom I had borne. 22Then the other woman sayd, Nay, but my sonne liueth, and thy sonne is dead. Againe she sayde, No, but thy sonne is dead, and mine aliue: thus they spake before the King. 23Then sayde the King, She sayth, This that liueth is my sonne, and the dead is thy sonne: and the other sayth, Nay, but the dead is thy sonne, and the liuing is my sonne. 24Then the King said, Bring me a sworde: and they brought out a sworde before the King. 25And the King sayde, Deuide ye the liuing child in twaine, and giue the one halfe to the one, and the other halfe to the other. 26Then spake the woman, whose the liuing child was, vnto the King, for her compassion was kindled toward her sonne, and she sayde, Oh my lorde, giue her the liuing childe, and slay him not: but the other sayde, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but deuide it. 27Then the King answered, and sayde, Giue her the liuing childe, and slay him not: this is his mother. 28And all Israel heard the iudgement, which the King had iudged, and they feared the King: for they sawe that the wisedome of God was in him to doe iustice.
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