0 SAB 1 Kings 3

1 Kings

CHAPTER 3

Solomon "takes" the Pharaoh's daughter and sacrifices 1000 animals to God
3:1-4, Cf. 1 Chr 1:3-6

1 And 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.

Solomon became friends with the Egyptian Pharaoh and "took" his daughter (for a wife?).

He brought her to Jerusalem, while he built his house, God's house, and the wall around the city.

2 Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days.

But the people sacrificed in high places, since God's house hadn't been built yet.

3 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.

Solomon loved God and lived like his father David, except he sacrificed burnt offerings in high places.

4 And 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.

Solomon killed and sacrificed 1000 animals to God at Gibeon. [1]

God appears to Solomon in a dream
3:5-15, Cf. 2 Chr 1:7-17

5In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

6 And 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.

7 And 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.

8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

9 Give 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?

While he was in Gibeon, God appeared to him in a dream, and said,

What would you like me give to you?

Solomon said (in a hundred words or so),

Wisdom.

10 And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing.

11 And 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;

God said (in even more words),

12 Behold, 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.

Okay, I'll make you the wisest guy who has ever lived. [2]

13 And 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.

I'll also make you the richest king.

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.

And, if you'll "walk in my ways" like David did [3], then you'll live a long life.

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.

When Solomon awoke, he realized it was only a dream. [4]

Two prostitutes and a baby
3:16-28

16 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.

Two prostitutes came and stood before Solomon.

17 And 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.

18 And 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.

One woman said,

I delivered a baby while living in the same house as this woman.

When my baby was three days old, this woman delivered her own baby.

19 And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.

Her baby died because she mistakenly laid on top of it.

20 And 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.

21 And 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.

She got up at midnight and took my son while I was sleeping, and laid her dead son next to me.

22 And 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.

The other woman said,

No, the living son is mine. Hers is dead.

23 Then 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.

24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.

Solomon said, "Bring me a sword."

25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.

When a sword was brought, Solomon said, "Cut the living child in two and give one half to each woman."

26 Then 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.

The mother of the living child said, "Don't kill the child. Give it to her."

The mother of the dead child said, "Go ahead and divide it."

27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.

Solomon said, "Give the child to the first woman. She is the mother."

28 And 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.

And after that, everyone feared Solomon and saw that the wisdom of God was in him.
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