1 Kings 3:15-25

15 Shlomo awoke; and, behold, it was a dream: and he came to Yerushalayim, 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.
16 Then there came two women who were prostitutes, to the king, and stood before him.
17 The one woman said, Oh, my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.
18 It happened the third day after 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 This woman's child died in the night, because she lay on it.
20 She arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while your handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
21 When I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead; but when I had looked at it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, whom I bore.
22 The other woman said, No; but the living is my son, and the dead is your son. This said, No; but the dead is your son, and the living is my son. Thus they spoke before the king.
23 Then said the king, The one says, This is my son who lives, and your son is the dead: and the other says, No; but your son is the dead, and my son is the living.
24 The king said, Get me a sword. They brought a sword before the king.
25 The king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.

1 Kings 3:15-25 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST KINGS 3

This chapter relates the marriage of Solomon with Pharaoh's daughter, 1Ki 3:1; his piety and devotion, 1Ki 3:2-4; his prayer for wisdom and understanding, which was acceptable to God, who promised to grant his request, with an addition to it, 1Ki 3:5-15; an instance and proof of the wisdom given him in determining a case between two harlots brought before him, which greatly raised his reputation, and gave him reverence among his people, 1Ki 3:16-28.

The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.