1 Kings 3:16

1 Kings 3:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
• New International Version (NIV)Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now two women who were harlots came to the king, and stood before him.

Context of 1 Kings 3:16

14And if you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days.” 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 held a feast for all his servants. Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17The one woman said, “Pardon me, 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 it 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.

1 Kings 3:16 word by word

אָ֣ז תָּבֹ֗אנָה שְׁתַּ֛יִם נָשִׁ֥ים זֹנ֖וֹת אֶל־הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַֽתַּעֲמֹ֖דְנָה לְפָנָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

• Thenאָז'âz · thenH227
• twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• womenאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• who were prostitutesזָנָהzânâh · to fornicateH2181
• cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• and stoodעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440

Cross-references for 1 Kings 3:16

• Leviticus 19:29‘Do not profane your daughter by making her a prostitute, so that the land does not fall into prostitution, and the land does not become full of outrageous sin.
• Deuteronomy 23:17“None of the daughters of Israel shall be a cult prostitute, nor shall any of the sons of Israel be a cult prostitute.
• Joshua 2:1Then Joshua the son of Nun sent two men as spies secretly from Shittim, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab, and rested there.
• Judges 11:1Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a valiant warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute. And Gilead had fathered Jephthah.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 3:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Then came there two women - harlots - The word זנות zonoth, which we here, and in some other places, improperly translate harlots, is by the Chaldee (the best judge in this case) rendered פונדקין pundekayan, tavern-keepers. (See on Joshua 2:1; (note)). If these had been harlots, it is not likely they would have dared to appear before Solomon; and if they had been common women, it is not likely they would have had children; nor is it likely that such…Read the comment
• 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. 16prostitutes: The law condemned prostitution (Leviticus 19:29; Deuteronomy 23:18), but it still existed in ancient Israel. These women were among the most looked down upon in Israelite society. However, Solomon showed kindness and fairness to them by treating them as mothers, not just as prostitutes.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. Then came there two women--Eastern monarchs, who generally administer justice in person, at least in all cases of difficulty, often appeal to the principles of human nature when they are at a loss otherwise to find a clue to the truth or see clearly their way through a mass of conflicting testimony. The modern history of the East abounds with anecdotes of judicial cases, in which the decision given was the result of an experiment similar to this of…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 3:16

• Arbitration
• Judge
• Rulers
• Solomon
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• Affinity
• Divide
• Solomon
• Yearn
• Abishag
• Crime; Crimes
• Decision
• Israel, History of
• Judge
• King; Kingdom

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