CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
1 Kings 3
Chapter 3 of 22
Chapter Overview
What happens in 1 Kings 3
God appears to Solomon in a dream and offers to give him anything he asks for. Solomon humbly asks for wisdom to lead God's people. God is so pleased that he gives Solomon both wisdom and riches. Solomon demonstrates his wisdom by solving a famous dispute between two mothers.
Scripture
1 Kings 3
Solomon Marries Pharaoh's Daughter
Study note
Solomon formed an alliance with Egypt by marrying Pharaoh's daughter. At this time, there was no temple in Jerusalem, so people still worshipped at hilltop altars. Solomon went to Gibeon, the most important high place, and offered a thousand burnt offerings.
1 Solomon made a deal with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, by marrying Pharaoh's daughter. He brought her to the City of David. She stayed there until he finished building his palace, the Lord's temple, and the wall around Jerusalem. 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.
2 At that time, people were still offering sacrifices at hilltop shrines. No temple had yet been built for the Lord's name. Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days.
3 Solomon loved the Lord. He followed what his father David taught him. But he still made offerings at the hilltop shrines. And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.
4 The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, since that was the most important hilltop shrine. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 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 Asks God for Wisdom
Study note
At Gibeon, God appeared to Solomon in a dream and offered him anything he wanted. Solomon humbly admitted he was young and inexperienced and asked for wisdom to govern God's people. God was so pleased that he gave Solomon not only great wisdom but also the riches and honor he had not asked for.
5 That night at Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream. God said, "Ask me for whatever you want." In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
6 Solomon said, "You showed great and faithful love to your servant, my father David. He lived before you with honesty, truth, and a loyal heart. You kept showing that great love by giving him a son to sit on his throne today." 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 "Now, Lord my God, you have made me king in place of my father David. But I am like a small child who does not know how to lead." 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 "I am here among your chosen people -- a nation so large it cannot be counted." 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 "So please give me a heart that understands, so I can govern your people well and tell the difference between right and wrong. Otherwise, how could anyone manage to lead this enormous nation of yours?" 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?
10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
11 God told him, "You asked for the ability to make wise choices. You did not ask for a long life, or riches, or the death of your enemies." 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;
12 "I will do exactly what you asked. I am giving you a wise and understanding mind -- no one before you has been as wise, and no one after you will match you." 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.
13 "And I am also giving you what you did not ask for: riches and honor. No other king in the world will compare to you during your lifetime." 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.
14 "If you walk in my ways and keep my rules and commands as your father David did, I will also give you a long life." And 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.
15 Solomon woke up and realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the Ark of the Lord's covenant, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he threw a banquet for all his officials. And 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.
Solomon Judges Between Two Mothers
Study note
Two women who lived together each had a baby. One baby died, and both women claimed the living child. Solomon proposed cutting the baby in half. The real mother gave up her claim to save the child. All Israel was amazed and recognized God's wisdom in their king.
16 Sometime later, two women who worked as prostitutes came before the king with a dispute. Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
17 One woman explained, "My lord, this woman and I share the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was there." 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 "Three days after my baby was born, she also had a baby. Just the two of us were in the house -- no one else was there." 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.
19 "During the night, her baby died because she accidentally rolled over on him." And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
20 "She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while I was sleeping. She put her dead baby next to me and took my living baby." 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 "When I woke up the next morning to nurse my son, I saw that he was dead! But when I looked more closely in the daylight, I realized it was not my child at all." 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.
22 The other woman argued, "No! The living child is mine, and the dead one is yours!" The first woman insisted, "No! The dead child is yours, and the living one is mine!" They went back and forth like this before the king. 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.
23 The king summarized the situation: "One says, 'My son is the living one and yours is the dead one.' The other says, 'No, your son is dead and mine is alive.'" 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 The king ordered, "Bring me a sword." A sword was brought to the king. And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
25 The king said, "Cut the living baby in two and give half to one woman and half to the other." And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.
26 The real mother's heart was torn apart with love for her son. She cried out, "Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Do not kill him!" But the other woman said, "Neither of us will have him. Go ahead and divide him." 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.
27 The king announced his decision: "Give the baby to the first woman. Do not kill him. She is his real mother." Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
28 All Israel heard the king's ruling. They were amazed and deeply respected him. They could see that God gave him wisdom to judge fairly. 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.
Key Themes
Themes in 1 Kings 3
The value of wisdom above all other giftsHumility as the foundation of wise leadershipGod's generosity to those who seek the right thingsDiscernment in judging between right and wrong
Prophetic Connections
How this chapter points to Christ
1 Kings 5-15 Matthew 12:42
Jesus declared that someone greater than Solomon was present, implying that His wisdom surpasses even Solomon's legendary gift, pointing to Christ as the ultimate source of divine wisdom.
Apply This Today
Living 1 Kings 3
When God offered Solomon anything He wanted, Solomon asked for wisdom to serve others rather than riches for himself. God was so pleased that He gave Solomon both. When we prioritize serving others and seeking God's wisdom, He often provides far more than we asked for.
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