1 Kings 3 (NET)

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 David1 until he could finish building his residence and the temple of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem.2 2 Now the people were offering sacrifices at the high places,3 because in those days a temple had not yet been built to honor the Lord.4 3 Solomon demonstrated his loyalty to the Lord by following5 the practices6 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.7 Solomon would offer up8 a thousand burnt sacrifices on the altar there. 5 One night in Gibeon the Lord appeared9 to Solomon in a dream. God said, “Tell10 me what I should give you.” 6 Solomon replied, “You demonstrated11 great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served12 you faithfully, properly, and sincerely.13 You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne.14 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.15 8 Your servant stands16 among your chosen people;17 they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning mind18 so he can make judicial decisions for19 your people and distinguish right from wrong.20 Otherwise21 no one is able22 to make judicial decisions for23 this great nation of yours.”24 10 The Lord25 was pleased that Solomon made this request.26 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,27 12 I28 grant your request,29 and give30 you a wise and discerning mind31 superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you.32 13 Furthermore, I am giving33 you what you did not request – riches and honor so that you will be the greatest king of your generation.34 14 If you follow my instructions35 by obeying36 my rules and regulations, just as your father David did,37 then I will grant you long life.”38 15 Solomon then woke up and realized it was a dream.39 He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant, offered up burnt sacrifices, presented peace offerings,40 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.41 19 This woman’s child suffocated42 during the night when she rolled43 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,44 dead! But when I examined him carefully in the morning, I realized it was not my baby.”45 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.46

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 mother47 spoke up to the king, for her motherly instincts were aroused.48 She said, “My master, give her the living child! Whatever you do, don’t kill him!”49 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 respected50 the king, for they realized51 that he possessed supernatural wisdom52 to make judicial decisions.

13:1sn The phrase City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7. 23:1map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. 33:2sn Offering sacrifices at the high places. The “high places” were places of worship that were naturally or artificially elevated. 43:2tn 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. 53:3tn Heb “Solomon loved the Lord by walking in.” 63:3tn Or “policies, rules.” 73:4tn Heb “for it was the great high place.” 83:4tn 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. 93:5tn Or “revealed himself.” 103:5tn Heb “ask.” 113:6tn Heb “did.” 123:6tn Heb “walked before.” 133:6tn Heb “in faithfulness and in innocence and in uprightness of heart with you.” 143:6tn 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.” 153:7tn Heb “and I do not know going out or coming in.” 163:8tn There is no verb expressed in the Hebrew text; “stands” is supplied in the translation for clarification. 173:8tn Heb “your people whom you have chosen.” 183:9tn Heb “a hearing heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.) 193:9tn Heb “to judge.” 203:9tn Heb “to understand between good and evil.” 213:9tn Heb “for”; the word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement. 223:9tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.” 233:9tn Heb “to judge.” 243:9tn Heb “your numerous people.” 253:10tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in v.15 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay). 263:10tn Heb “And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, for Solomon asked for this thing.” 273:11tn 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.” 283:12tn This statement is introduced in the Hebrew text by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows. 293:12tn 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. 303:12tn 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”). 313:12tn Heb “heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.) 323:12tn Heb “so that there has not been one like you prior to you, and after you one will not arise like you.” 333:13tn The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made. 343:13tn Heb “so that there is not one among the kings like you all your days.” The LXX lacks the words “all your days.” 353:14tn Heb “walk in my ways.” 363:14tn Or “keeping.” 373:14tn Heb “walked.” 383:14tn Heb “I will lengthen your days.” 393:15tn Heb “and look, a dream.” 403:15tn Or “tokens of peace”; NIV, TEV “fellowship offerings.” 413:18sn 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. 423:19tn Heb “died.” 433:19tn Heb “lay, slept.” 443:21tn Heb “look.” 453:21tn Heb “look, it was not my son to whom I had given birth.” 463:22tn Heb “they spoke before the king.” Another option is to translate, “they argued before the king.” 473:26tn Heb “the woman whose son was alive.” 483:26tn Heb “for her compassions grew warm for her son.” 493:26tn The infinitive absolute before the negated jussive emphasizes the main verb. 503:28tn Heb “feared,” perhaps in the sense, “stood in awe of.” 513:28tn Heb “saw.” 523:28tn Heb “the wisdom of God within him.”