1 Kings 3:19

1 Kings 3:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And this woman’s child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
• New International Version (NIV)“During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And this woman's son died in the night, because she lay on him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him.

Context of 1 Kings 3:19

17And the one woman said, “O my lord, this woman and I live in the same house; and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. 18And on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. And we were [alone] together; no one else was with us in the house, just we two. Now this woman’s son died during the night, because she lay on him [and smothered him]. 20So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from [his place] beside me while your maidservant was asleep, and laid him on her bosom, and laid her dead son on my bosom. 21When I got up in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead. But when I examined him carefully in the morning, behold, it was not my son, the one whom I had borne.”

1 Kings 3:19 word by word

וַיָּ֛מָת בֶּן־הָאִשָּׁ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את לָ֑יְלָה אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁכְבָ֖ה עָלָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And this woman’sאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• childבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• diedמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• in the nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
• because she overlaidשָׁכַבshâkab · to lie down: lay downH7901

Commentaries on 1 Kings 3:19

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-28Verses 16-28 An instance of Solomon's wisdom is given. Notice the difficulty of the case. To find out the true mother, he could not try which the child loved best, and therefore tried which loved the child best: the mother's sincerity will be tried, when the child is in danger. Let parents show their love to their children, especially by taking care of their souls, and snatching them as brands out of the burning. By this and other instances of the wisdom…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-28Solomon's decision about the true mother of the living baby shows his wisdom in legal matters. First Kings 4–10 show his wisdom in all parts of his rule.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 3:19

• Arbitration
• Judge
• Rulers
• Solomon
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• Affinity
• Divide
• Solomon
• Yearn
• Abishag
• Decision
• Israel, History of
• Kings, Books of
• Proverbs, the Book of
• Queen of Sheba

Commentaries on 1 Kings 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings