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Text -- 1 Kings 3:1-28 (NET)
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Strongs On/Off
Context
The Lord Gives Solomon Wisdom
3:1 Solomon made an alliance by marriage with Pharaoh , king of Egypt ; he married Pharaoh’s daughter . He brought her to the City of David until he could finish building his residence and the temple of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem .
3:2 Now the people were offering sacrifices at the high places , because in those days a temple had not yet been built to honor the Lord .
3:3 Solomon demonstrated his loyalty to the Lord by following the practices of his father David , except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places .
3:4 The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices , for it had the most prominent of the high places . Solomon would offer up a thousand burnt sacrifices on the altar there.
3:5 One night in Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream . God said , “Tell me what I should give you.”
3:6 Solomon replied , “You demonstrated great loyalty to your servant , my father David , as he served you faithfully , properly , and sincerely . You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne .
3:7 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 .
3:8 Your servant stands among your chosen people ; they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number .
3:9 So give your servant a discerning mind so he can make judicial decisions for your people and distinguish right from wrong . Otherwise no one is able to make judicial decisions for this great nation of yours.”
3:10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon made this request .
3:11 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 ,
3:12 I grant your request , and give you a wise and discerning mind superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you.
3:13 Furthermore , I am giving you what you did not request – riches and honor so that you will be the greatest king of your generation.
3:14 If you follow my instructions by obeying my rules and regulations , just as your father David did , then I will grant you long life .”
3:15 Solomon then woke up and realized it was a dream . He went to Jerusalem , stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant , offered up burnt sacrifices , presented peace offerings , and held a feast for all his servants .
Solomon Demonstrates His Wisdom
3:16 Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
3:17 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 .
3:18 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 .
3:19 This woman’s child suffocated during the night when she rolled on top of him.
3:20 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 .
3:21 I got up in the morning to nurse my son , and there he was, dead ! But when I examined him carefully in the morning , I realized it was not my baby .”
3:22 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 .
3:23 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 .’”
3:24 The king ordered , “Get me a sword !” So they placed a sword before the king .
3:25 The king then said , “Cut the living child in two , and give half to one and half to the other !”
3:26 The real mother spoke up to the king , for her motherly instincts were aroused . She said , “My master , give her the living child ! Whatever you do, don’t kill him!” But the other woman said , “Neither one of us will have him! Let them cut him in two !”
3:27 The king responded , “Give the first woman the living child ; don’t kill him. She is the mother .”
3:28 When all Israel heard about the judicial decision which the king had rendered , they respected the king , for they realized that he possessed supernatural wisdom to make judicial decisions .
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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics
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Names, People and Places:
Dictionary Themes and Topics:
Solomon |
Micah, Book of |
Temple, Solomon's |
Wisdom |
Judge |
Prayer |
Gibeon |
Dream |
Arbitration |
LAW OF MOSES |
DECISION |
PROVERBS, THE BOOK OF |
QUEEN OF SHEBA |
Rulers |
DIVINATION |
INTERCESSION |
Children |
Communion |
WISDOM OF SOLOMON, THE |
Parents |
more
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expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes -> 1Ki 3:1; 1Ki 3:1; 1Ki 3:2; 1Ki 3:2; 1Ki 3:3; 1Ki 3:3; 1Ki 3:4; 1Ki 3:4; 1Ki 3:5; 1Ki 3:5; 1Ki 3:6; 1Ki 3:6; 1Ki 3:6; 1Ki 3:6; 1Ki 3:7; 1Ki 3:8; 1Ki 3:8; 1Ki 3:9; 1Ki 3:9; 1Ki 3:9; 1Ki 3:9; 1Ki 3:9; 1Ki 3:9; 1Ki 3:9; 1Ki 3:10; 1Ki 3:10; 1Ki 3:11; 1Ki 3:12; 1Ki 3:12; 1Ki 3:12; 1Ki 3:12; 1Ki 3:12; 1Ki 3:13; 1Ki 3:13; 1Ki 3:14; 1Ki 3:14; 1Ki 3:14; 1Ki 3:14; 1Ki 3:15; 1Ki 3:15; 1Ki 3:18; 1Ki 3:19; 1Ki 3:19; 1Ki 3:21; 1Ki 3:21; 1Ki 3:22; 1Ki 3:26; 1Ki 3:26; 1Ki 3:26; 1Ki 3:28; 1Ki 3:28; 1Ki 3:28
NET Notes: 1Ki 3:1 For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
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NET Notes: 1Ki 3:2 Heb “for the name of the Lord.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor (thus the translation here...
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NET Notes: 1Ki 3:4 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 ...
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NET Notes: 1Ki 3:6 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.”
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NET Notes: 1Ki 3:10 Heb “And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, for Solomon asked for this thing.”
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NET Notes: 1Ki 3:11 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 o...
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NET Notes: 1Ki 3:12 Heb “so that there has not been one like you prior to you, and after you one will not arise like you.”
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NET Notes: 1Ki 3:13 Heb “so that there is not one among the kings like you all your days.” The LXX lacks the words “all your days.”
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NET Notes: 1Ki 3:18 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 be...
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NET Notes: 1Ki 3:22 Heb “they spoke before the king.” Another option is to translate, “they argued before the king.”
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