1 Kings 3:22

1 Kings 3:22 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)The other woman said, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours.” But the first one insisted, “No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine.” And so they argued before the king.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But the other woman said, "No, the living child is mine, and the dead child is yours." The first said, "No, the dead child is yours, and the living child is mine." Thus they spoke before the king.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the other woman said, “No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.” And the first woman said, “No! But the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.” Thus they spoke before the king.

Context of 1 Kings 3:22

20So she got up during the night and she took my son from my side. I was still asleep. She put my son beside her. She put her dead son beside me. 21When I got up in the morning to feed my son, I saw that he was dead! So I looked carefully at him in the morning light. Then I realized that he was not my son. He was not the son that I had given birth to!’ Then the other woman said, ‘No, that is not true! It is my son who is alive. Your son is dead!’ But the first woman answered, ‘No! The dead baby is your son. My son is alive!’ They continued to argue like that in front of the king. 23Then the king said, ‘One of you says, “My son is alive and your son is dead.” But the other one says, “No! Your son is dead and my son is alive.” ’ 24So the king said, ‘Bring a sword to me!’ So they brought a sword to the king.

1 Kings 3:22 word by word

וַתֹּאמֶר֩ הָאִשָּׁ֨ה הָאַחֶ֜רֶת לֹ֣א כִ֗י בְּנִ֤י הַחַי֙ וּבְנֵ֣ךְ הַמֵּ֔ת וְזֹ֤את אֹמֶ֙רֶת֙ לֹ֣א כִ֔י בְּנֵ֥ךְ הַמֵּ֖ת וּבְנִ֣י הֶחָ֑י וַתְּדַבֵּ֖רְנָה לִפְנֵ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the otherאַחֵר'achêr · anotherH312
• womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Nay; but the livingחַיchay · aliveH2416
• my sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• and the deadמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• Thus they spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428

Cross-references for 1 Kings 3:22

• 1 Kings 3:23Then the king said, ‘One of you says, “My son is alive and your son is dead.” But the other one says, “No! Your son is dead and my son is alive.” ’

Commentaries on 1 Kings 3:22

• 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 3:22

• Arbitration
• Judge
• Parents
• 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