1 Kings 3
3
Solomon’s Rule Consolidated
1Now Solomon became a son-in-law to Pharaoh king of Egypt [and formed an alliance] by #3:1 Pharaoh gave the Canaanite city of Gezer to his daughter as a dowry. Located on a major trade route it was strategically important to the economies of both Egypt and Israel (see 9:16).taking Pharaoh’s daughter [in marriage]. He brought her to the #3:1 This was on the south side of the eastern ridge of Jerusalem.City of David [where she remained temporarily] until he had finished building his own house (palace) and the house of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem. 2But [in the meantime] the people were still sacrificing [to God] on the high places (hilltops) [as the pagans did to their idols], for there was no [permanent] house yet built for the #3:2 See note Deut 12:5.Name of the Lord.
3Now Solomon loved the Lord, walking [at first] in the statutes of David his father, except [for the fact that] he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places [ignoring the law that required all sacrifices to be offered at the tabernacle]. [Lev 17:3, 4] 4The king went to Gibeon [near Jerusalem, where the tabernacle and the bronze altar stood] to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, “Ask [Me] what I shall give you.”
Solomon’s Prayer
6Then Solomon said, “You have shown Your servant David my father great lovingkindness, because he walked before You in faithfulness and righteousness and with uprightness of heart toward You; and You have kept for him this great lovingkindness, in that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today. 7So now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of David my father; and as for me, I am but a little boy [#3:7 Solomon was already a father (see 11:42; 14:21).in wisdom and experience]; I do not know how to go out or come in [that is, how to conduct business as a king]. 8Your servant is among Your people whom You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. 9So give Your servant an understanding mind and a hearing heart [with which] to judge Your people, so that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge and rule this great people of Yours?” [James 1:5]
God’s Answer
10Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. 11God said to him, “Because you have asked this and have not asked for yourself a long life nor for wealth, nor for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to recognize justice, 12behold, I have done as you asked. I have given you a wise and discerning heart (mind), so that no one before you was your equal, nor shall anyone equal to you arise after you. 13I have also given you what you have not asked, both wealth and honor, so that there will not be anyone equal to you among the kings, for all your days. 14If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and My commandments, as your father David #3:14 Lit walked.did, then I will lengthen your days.”
15Then Solomon awoke, and he realized that it was a dream. He came [back] to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; he offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and he prepared a feast for all his servants. [2 Sam 6:17]
Solomon Wisely Judges
16Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17And the one woman said, “O my lord, this woman and I live in the same house; and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. 18And on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. And we were [alone] together; no one else was with us in the house, just we two. 19Now this woman’s son died during the night, because she lay on him [and smothered him]. 20So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from [his place] beside me while your maidservant was asleep, and laid him on her bosom, and laid her dead son on my bosom. 21When I got up in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead. But when I examined him carefully in the morning, behold, it was not my son, the one whom I had borne.” 22Then the other woman said, “No! For my son is the one who is living, and your son is the dead one.” But the first woman said, “No! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.” [This is how] they were speaking before the king.
23Then the king said, “This woman says, ‘This is my son, the one who is alive, and your son is the dead one’; and the other woman says, ‘No! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the one who is alive.’ ” 24Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king. 25Then the king said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to the one [woman] and half to the other.” 26Then the woman whose child was the living one spoke to the king, for she was deeply moved over her son, “O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; cut him!” 27Then the king said, “Give the first woman [who is pleading for his life] the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother.” 28When all [the people of] Israel heard about the judgment which the king had made, they [were in awe and reverently] feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was within him to administer justice.
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Melaḵim Aleph (1 Kings) 3
3
1And Shelomoh joined in marriage with Pharaoh sovereign of Mitsrayim, and took the daughter of Pharaoh, and brought her to the City of Dawiḏ until he had completed building his own house, and the House of יהוה, and the wall all around Yerushalayim.
2Only, the people slaughtered at the high places, for a house for the Name of יהוה had not been built until those days.
3And Shelomoh loved יהוה, walking in the laws of his father Dawiḏ, except that he slaughtered and burned incense at the high places.
4And the sovereign went to Gib‛on to slaughter there, for that was the great high place. Shelomoh offered a thousand ascending offerings on that slaughter-place.
5At Gib‛on יהוה appeared to Shelomoh in a dream by night, and Elohim said, “Ask what I should give you.”
6And Shelomoh said, “You have shown great loving-commitment to your servant Dawiḏ my father, as he walked before You in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You. And You have guarded for him this great loving-commitment, and did give him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7“And now, O יהוה my Elohim, You have set up Your servant to reign instead of my father Dawiḏ. But I am a little child, I do not know how to go out or to come in.
8“And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted.
9“Shall You then give to Your servant an understanding heart to rule Your people, to discern between good and evil? For who is able to rule this great people of Yours?”
10And the word was good in the eyes of יהוה, that Shelomoh had asked this.
11So Elohim said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand right-ruling,
12see, I shall do according to your words. See, I shall give you a wise and understanding heart, so that there was none like you before you, and none like you shall arise after you.
13“And I shall also give you what you have not asked: both riches and esteem, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the sovereigns all your days.
14“And if you walk in My ways, to guard My laws and My commands, as your father Dawiḏ walked, then I shall prolong your days.”
15And Shelomoh awoke, and see, it was a dream! And he came into Yerushalayim and stood before the ark of the covenant of יהוה, and offered up ascending offerings and made peace offerings. And he made a feast for all his servants.
16Then two women, whores, came to the sovereign, and stood before him.
17And one woman said, “O my master, this woman and I dwell in the same house. And I gave birth while she was in the house.
18“And it came to be, the third day after I had given birth, that this woman also gave birth. And we were together. There was no one else with us in the house, only the two of us in the house.
19“Then this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him.
20“And she rose up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your female servant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
21“And I rose up in the morning to nurse my son and saw he was dead. But I looked at him closely in the morning, and saw he was not my son whom I had borne.”
22And the other woman said, “No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.” And the first woman said, “No! For the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.” And they spoke before the sovereign.
23And the sovereign said, “The one says, ‘This is my son, who lives, and your son is the dead one,’ while the other says, ‘No! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’ ”
24And the sovereign said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the sovereign.
25And the sovereign said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.”
26And the woman whose son was living spoke to the sovereign, for she was overcome with compassion for her son. And she said, “O my master, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!” But the other said, “Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him.”
27And the sovereign answered and said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him – she is his mother.”
28And all Yisra’ĕl heard of the right-ruling which the sovereign had rendered. And they feared the sovereign, for they saw that the wisdom of Elohim was in him to do right-ruling.
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