1 Kings
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1 Kings 3
1 Kings 3
1And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of Jehovah, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
1And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
Commentary · verse 1
2Only the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was no house built for the name of Jehovah until those days.
3And Solomon loved Jehovah, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.
2Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days.
3And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.
Commentary · verses 2-3
Solomon loved God but sacrificed and burnt incense in high places because there was no temple yet.
4And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt-offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.
5In Gibeon Jehovah appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
4And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.
5In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
Commentary · verses 4-5
God appeared to Solomon in a dream and asked Solomon what He should give him.
6And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father great lovingkindness, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great lovingkindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7And now, O Jehovah my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in.
6And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
Commentary · verses 6-7
Solomon was humble: "I know not how to go out or come in."
8And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
9Give thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this thy great people?
8And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
9Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
Commentary · verses 8-9
Solomon asked for an understanding heart to judge God's people.
10And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
10And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
Commentary · verse 10
God was pleased at Solomon's request.
11And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern justice; 12behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there hath been none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
13And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee, all thy days.
14And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.
11And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;
12Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
13And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.
14And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.
Commentary · verses 11-14
God gave Solomon an understanding and wise heart and also gave him riches and honor...and if Solomon walked in God's ways, God would then lengthen his days. This story was also presented in 2 Chronicles 1. In that account, Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge. The word used for "knowledge" was madda which meant "understanding and intelligence to separate mentally or distinguish." This was the same ability God gave Daniel in Daniel 1:4, 17. This was the meta ability to understand the ability to think, not merely having the ability to think. Solomon was given the ability to understand others' thought processes.
15And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream: and he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and offered up burnt-offerings, and offered peace-offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.
16Then there came two women that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
15And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.
16Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
Commentary · verses 15-16
Almost immediately upon Solomon getting the meta ability to understand thinking, a dispute arose between two harlots...women not of Israel.
17And the one woman said, Oh, my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.
18And it came to pass the third day after I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also; and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.
19And this woman’s child died in the night, because she lay upon it.
20And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thy handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
21And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead; but when I had looked at it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, whom I did bear.
17And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.
18And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.
19And this woman’s child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
20And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
21And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.
Commentary · verses 17-21
Both women bore a child of about the same age. The first woman claimed that the second woman's child died and the second woman stole the first woman's son.
22And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.
22And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.
Commentary · verse 22
The second woman agreed with the story, except she stated the first woman's son had died and the first woman stole the second woman's son.
23Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.
23Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.
Commentary · verse 23
Solomon demonstrated the ability to think by summarizing the issue: both women claimed the living son as their own. Next, Solomon demonstrated the ability to understand the process of thinking.
24And the king said, Fetch me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
25And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.
24And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
25And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.
Commentary · verses 24-25
Solomon stated the living child should be divided in half so they both could have half of the living child, meaning that neither woman could have him.
26Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her heart yearned over her son, and she said, Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, It shall be neither mine nor thine; divide it.
26Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.
Commentary · verse 26
One woman said to give the child to the other. The other said to split the child so that neither could have him.
27Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
28And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do justice.
27Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
28And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.
Commentary · verses 27-28
Solomon's focus was distinguishing between two thought processes: the mother of the living child and the mother of the dead child. Solomon knew the difference was that the mother of the living child wanted the child to live while the mother of the dead child wanted another mother to share her suffering. Would the mother of the dead child have raised the other woman's son?...or would she have killed it? As the child got older, it would have been more obvious the child was given to the wrong woman. The mother of the dead child's objective was not to possess the child, but to make sure the real mother did not have a living child. Solomon then came up with a way to distinguish between these two thought processes: threaten to give the mother of the dead child what she wanted and see who accepted the solution. Truly, Solomon had the meta ability to understand thinking.
Commentary · verse 28
A deeper point: This was an example of supernatural wisdom. Natural wisdom would have been to do an inquiry, ask witnesses, and determine an answer that awarded the child to one of the women. Unnatural wisdom would be for Solomon to immediately award the child to one of the women. Supernatural is more natural. Solomon asked for a natural object (sword) and then made a natural request (divide the baby). The result was something more than the natural would have given. This supernatural wisdom seemed to be illogical until the result was known. Then, in the final verse of this chapter, the supernatural logic was obvious to everyone to the point that people credited the source of it to God. No one walked away from this story thinking it didn't make sense. Actually, it made more sense. Jesus had this madda. While He stated things that didn't seem to make sense in the moment, the things Jesus said always made more sense when the situation was concluded. Supernatural wisdom is not less logical than natural wisdom and it is not unnatural. Supernatural wisdom is more logical than natural wisdom.
1 Kings 1-3 covered David's last words, his death, Solomon's vengeance on Adonijah, Joab, and Shimei, and God granting Solomon madda.
Doctrines on this passage
Solomon made himself Pharaoh's (King of Egypt's) son-in-law. "Affinity" meant "to become a son-in-law." This sentence jumped over the details of when Solomon built a house for God.