1 Kings 3
Study sheet, King James Version, with the original-language words this chapter turns on.
The text
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
10And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Words in this chapter
Definitions are Strong's own wording from his Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Counts are how often each word appears in this chapter, from the tagged text.
- אֵתʼêthH85321× in this chapter
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
- לֹאlôʼH380817× in this chapter
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
- בֵּןbênH112116× in this chapter
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
- אָמַרʼâmarH55915× in this chapter
to say (used with great latitude)
- מֶלֶךְmelekH442813× in this chapter
a king
- אֲשֶׁרʼăsherH83412× in this chapter
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
- מוּתmûwthH419111× in this chapter
to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill
- כִּיkîyH358810× in this chapter
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
- חַיchayH24168× in this chapter
alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively
- נָתַןnâthanH54148× in this chapter
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
- שָׁאַלshâʼalH75928× in this chapter
to inquire; by implication, to request; by extension, to demand
- בַּיִתbayithH10047× in this chapter
a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
- זֹאתzôʼthH20637× in this chapter
this (often used adverb)
- פָּנִיםpânîymH64407× in this chapter
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)
- שְׁלֹמֹהShᵉlômôhH80107× in this chapter
Shelomah, David's successor
- אִשָּׁהʼishshâhH8027× in this chapter
a woman
- גַּםgamH15716× in this chapter
properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and
- זֶהzehH20886× in this chapter
the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that
- יוֹםyôwmH31176× in this chapter
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
- יָלַדyâladH32056× in this chapter
to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage
- אֵלʼêlH4136× in this chapter
near, with or among; often in general, to
- דָּוִדDâvidH17325× in this chapter
David, the youngest son of Jesse
- הָיָהhâyâhH19615× in this chapter
to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
- הָלַךְhâlakH19805× in this chapter
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
- הִנֵּהhinnêhH20095× in this chapter
lo!
- יְהֹוָהYᵉhôvâhH30685× in this chapter
Jehovah, Jewish national name of God
- עֶבֶדʻebedH56505× in this chapter
a servant
- עַםʻamH59715× in this chapter
a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
- עָשָׂהʻâsâhH62135× in this chapter
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
- בּוֹאbôwʼH9355× in this chapter
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
- אָבʼâbH14× in this chapter
father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application
- דָּבָרdâbârH16974× in this chapter
a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
- הוּאhûwʼH19314× in this chapter
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or are
- אֶחָדʼechâdH2594× in this chapter
properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first
- אֱלֹהִיםʼĕlôhîymH4304× in this chapter
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
- עַלʻalH59214× in this chapter
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
- בִּיןbîynH9954× in this chapter
to separate mentally (or distinguish), i.e.(generally) understand
- בָּמָהbâmâhH11163× in this chapter
an elevation
- גָּדוֹלgâdôwlH14193× in this chapter
great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent
- זָבַחzâbachH20763× in this chapter
to slaughter an animal (usually in sacrifice)