1 Kings 3:20

1 Kings 3:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
• New International Version (NIV)So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept, and laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your maidservant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.

Context of 1 Kings 3:20

18Then three days after I had my baby, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one else in the house except the two of us. 19This woman’s child suffocated during the night when she rolled on top of him. She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your servant was sleeping. She put him in her arms, and put her dead son in my arms. 21I got up in the morning to nurse my son, and there he was, dead! But when I examined him carefully in the morning, I realized it was not my baby.” 22The other woman said, “No! My son is alive; your son is dead!” But the first woman replied, “No, your son is dead; my son is alive.” Each presented her case before the king.

1 Kings 3:20 word by word

וַתָּקָם֩ בְּת֨וֹךְ הַלַּ֜יְלָה וַתִּקַּ֧ח אֶת־בְּנִ֣י מֵֽאֶצְלִ֗י וַאֲמָֽתְךָ֙ יְשֵׁנָ֔ה וַתַּשְׁכִּיבֵ֖הוּ בְּחֵיקָ֑הּ וְאֶת־בְּנָ֥הּ הַמֵּ֖ת הִשְׁכִּ֥יבָה בְחֵיקִֽי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And she aroseקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
• at midnightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
• at midnightתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
• and tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• my sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• from besideאֵ֫צֶל'êtsel · besideH681
• me, while thine handmaidאָמָה'âmâh · maidservantH519
• sleptיָשֵׁןyâshên · sleepingH3463
• and laidשָׁכַבshâkab · to lie down: lay downH7901
• it in her bosomחֵיקchêyq chêq chôq · bosom: embraceH2436
• her deadמוּתmûth · to dieH4191

Cross-references for 1 Kings 3:20

• Job 24:13There are those who rebel against the light; they do not know its ways and they do not stay on its paths.
• Psalms 139:11If I were to say, “Certainly the darkness will cover me, and the light will turn to night all around me,”
• Matthew 13:25But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.
• John 3:20For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed.
• 1 Kings 3:21I got up in the morning to nurse my son, and there he was, dead! But when I examined him carefully in the morning, I realized it was not my baby.”

Commentaries on 1 Kings 3:20

• 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 3:20

• Arbitration
• Judge
• Rulers
• Solomon
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• Affinity
• Divide
• Solomon
• Yearn
• Abishag
• Decision
• Handmaid
• Israel, History of
• Kings, Books of
• Midnight

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