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1 KINGS 3

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

 NASB  NKJV  NRSV  TEV   NJB
(MT versing)
Solomon's Rule Consolidated Solomon Requests Wisdom Solomon in a Dream Prays for Wisdom and Receives It Solomon Prays for Wisdom Solomon's Introduction
3:1-5 3:1-3 3:1-2 3:1-3 3:1-3
3:3-9 Solomon's Dream at Gibeon
Solomon's Prayer 3:4-9 3:4-5 3:4-15
3:6-9 3:6-9
God's Answer
3:10-14 3:10-15 3:10-14 3:10-14
Solomon Exercises Wisdom in Judgment
3:15 3:15 3:15
Solomon Wisely Judges Solomon's Wise Judgment Solomon Judges a Difficult Case The Judgment of Solomon
3:16-22 3:16-22 3:16-22 3:16-21 3:16-28
3:22
3:23-28 3:23-28 3:23-28 3:23-25
3:26
3:27
3:28

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")
FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

  1. First paragraph
  2. Second paragraph
  3. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 3:1-5
  1Then Solomon formed a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her to the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem. 2The people were still sacrificing on the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the Lord until those days. 3Now Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 4The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place; Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, "Ask what you wish Me to give you."

3:1 In the ANE marriage alliances were like peace treaties. The fact that such a powerful nation as Egypt was willing to give Solomon a princess shows the power and prestige of Israel at this time.

The Law of Moses condemned the inter-marriages with Canaanite women but never Egyptian women (cf. Gen. 24:3; Deut. 7:3). Jewish tradition says she became a proselyte. This may be true, for even in Solomon's later years when his other wives caused him to apostatize (1 Kgs. 11:4,6), there was never any Egyptian gods or practices in Israel.

Notice the building projects that Solomon did before he built her a palace (1 Kgs. 7:8; 9:24).

  1. his palace
  2. the Lord's temple (cf. 1 Kings 6)
  3. the protective walls around Jerusalem (cf. 1 Kgs. 9:15; 11:27).

▣ "the city of David" This phrase is often used of David's hometown, Bethlehem (i.e., 1 Sam. 16:1), but here it refers to Jerusalem (i.e., 2 Sam. 5:7; 1 Kgs. 2:10).

SPECIAL TOPIC: MORIAH, SALEM, JEBUS, ZION, JERUSALEM

3:2 "high places" These (BDB 119; NIDOTTE, vol. 1, p. 670) were local worship sites, which had in earlier times, been places of Canaanite fertility worship. Once there was a central temple to YHWH, these sites would be banned (cf. Lev. 17:3-5; Deut. 12:14-14; 2 Kgs. 23:8).

▣ "no house built" This would refer to the temple (cf. 1 Kings 6). During David's reign the tabernacle of the wilderness was at Gibeon, under Zadok's service (cf. 1 Chr. 16:39-40; NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 1300-1302), but the ark of the covenant was moved to Jerusalem and housed in the tent that David pitched for it (cf. 2 Sam. 6:17). Abiathar served the ark in Jerusalem.

▣ "the name of the Lord" See SPECIAL TOPIC: "THE NAME" OF YHWH (OT).

3:3 Solomon loved YHWH. This is shown by his faithful adherence to His laws.

"Walking" is a biblical metaphor for lifestyle faith and faithfulness (see NIDOTTE, vol. 1, pp. 1032-1035). Notice the conditional element in v. 14. Almost all covenants in the OT are conditional! Solomon broke YHWH's covenant in his old age (cf. 1 Kgs. 11:1-2).

SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT

3:4 "Gibeon" This was a famous and often visited local worship site. Solomon is not condemned for using it to worship YHWH. It becomes the location of YHWH's powerful dream to Solomon.

3:5 YHWH often revealed Himself and His will or information about a situation through dreams. Not all dreams are revelatory, but some are (see NIDOTTE, vol. 2, pp. 153-155).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 3:6-9
  6Then Solomon said, "You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. 9So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?"

3:6 "lovingkindness" This is a powerful word (i.e., hesed, BDB 238) which denotes covenant loyalty.

SPECIAL TOPIC: LOVINGKINDNESS (hesed)

▣ "truth and righteousness and uprightness" These words characterize David's life of faith/faithfulness.

  1. truth ‒ see SPECIAL TOPIC: BELIEVE, TRUST, FAITH, AND FAITHFULNESS (OT)
  2. righteousness ‒ see SPECIAL TOPIC: RIGHTEOUSNESS
  3. uprightness of heart ‒ this FEMININE NOUN (BDB 449; found only here) is a synonym to righteousness, meaning "straight," "right," or "smooth"; the ADJECTIVE form was used of David in 1 Sam. 29:6

3:7 "yet I am but a little child" Solomon's age is uncertain but he was a young man (cf. 1 Chr. 22:5; 29:1).

  1. rabbis ‒ 12
  2. Josephus, Antiq. ‒ 14
  3. many modern scholars ‒ early 20's (he was already married and had a son)

▣ "I do not know how to go out or come in" This is an idiom for government administration (cf. Num. 27:17).

3:8 "Your people which You have chosen" Israel was YHWH's means of revealing Himself to the world. "Chosen" (BDB 103, KB 119, Qal PERFECT) in the OT deals with service.

SPECIAL TOPIC: HE CHOSE US

▣ "a great people who cannot be numbered" This reflects YHWH's promise to the Patriarchs.

  1. dust ‒ Gen. 13:16; 28:14; Num. 23:10
  2. stars ‒ Gen. 15:5; 22:17; 26:4
  3. sand ‒ Gen. 22:17; 32:12

The large number of covenant people shows YHWH's blessing and purpose for Israel.

SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT PROMISES TO THE PATRIARCHS

3:9
NASB, NKJV, Peshitta  "an understanding heart"
NRSV, JPSOA  "an understanding mind"
REB  "a heart with skill to listen"
LXX  "a heart to hear"

The MT has "a heart to hear" (BDB 524 and BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE). The purpose of a listening heart/mind was to judge Israel properly in the wisdom and revelations of YHWH (v. 14).

▣ "to discern between good and evil" Only a personal faith relationship with YHWH and a knowledge of His Law can know this.

This phrase is used of David by a wise woman in 2 Sam. 14:17 and of the coming King/sign in Isa. 7:15. See NIDOTTE, vol. 2, p. 354, #3.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 3:10-14
  10It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. 11God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, 12behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. 13I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days. 14If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days."

3:10 YHWH is pleased with Solomon's request for wisdom to judge Israel. This is answered in v. 12.

There are several things that Solomon did not ask for that most leaders would have.

  1. long life
  2. riches
  3. the lives of one's enemies

YHWH grants #1 and #2 in a conditional way in v. 14. The "if" of YHWH's promises is crucial to understanding conditional covenants. They have great blessing but awesome responsibilities!

3:14 "My statutes and commandments" See SPECIAL TOPIC: TERMS FOR GOD'S REVELATION.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 3:15
  15Then 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 burnt offerings and made peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.

3:15 "the ark of the covenant" By YHWH appearing to Solomon in a dream at Gibeon, this shows He was not limited to the tabernacle.

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE ARK OF THE COVENANT

▣ "burnt offerings" See SPECIAL TOPIC: BURNT OFFERINGS.

▣ "peace offerings" See SPECIAL TOPIC: PEACE OFFERING.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 3:16-22
  16Then two women who were harlots came to the king and stood before him. 17The one woman said, "Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house; and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. 18It happened on the third day after I gave birth, that this woman also gave birth to a child, and we were together. There was no stranger with us in the house, only the two of us in the house. 19This woman's son died in the night, because she lay on it. 20So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while your maidservant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom. 21When I rose in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead; but when I looked at him carefully in the morning, behold, he was not my son, whom I had borne." 22Then the other woman said, "No! For the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son." But the first woman said, "No! For the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son." Thus they spoke before the king.

3:16-18 This is one example of Solomon's wisdom to judge. When people heard of it they feared/respected Solomon (v. 28). See Josephus, Antiq. 8.2.2.

3:16
NASB, NKJV, Peshitta  "harlots"
NRSV, TEV, NJB, REB, JPSOA, LXX  "prostitutes"

The MT has a Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE, "act as a harlot" (BDB 275, KB 275; NIDOTTE, vol. 1, pp. 1122-1125), but the Aramaic Targums have "inn keeper," like Rahab (Josh. 2:1).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 3:23-28
  23Then the king said, "The one says, 'This is my son who is living, and your son is the dead one'; and the other says, 'No! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.'" 24The king said, "Get me a sword." So they brought a sword before the king. 25The king said, "Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other." 26Then the woman whose child was the living one spoke to the king, for she was deeply stirred over her son and said, "Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him." But the other said, "He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him!" 27Then the king said, "Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother." 28When all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had handed down, they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.

3:26 "by no means kill him" This is an emphatic construction (i.e., an INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and an IMPERFECT VERB of the same root), which is repeated in v. 27.

3:28 "feared the king" This is "fear" (BDB 431, KB 432, Qal IMPERFECT with waw) in the sense of "respect" (see NIDOTTE, vol. 2, p. 529, #2).

SPECIAL TOPIC: FEAR (OT)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

  1. How is the marriage to Pharaoh's daughter different from Solomon's marriage to Canaanite women?
  2. Why are "high places" condemned? Why not here?
  3. What does "to discern between good and evil" mean?
  4. How does 1 Kgs. 3:11 seem to be contradicted by 1 Kings 2?
  5. Explain the theologoical significance of the "if" in 1 Kgs. 3:14.
  6. Why did Solomon sacrifice at both Gibeon and Jerusalem?

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