1 Kings 3:27

1 Kings 3:27 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
• New International Version (NIV)Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then the king answered and said, "Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother."
• New King James Version (NKJV)So the king answered and said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him; she is his mother.”

Context of 1 Kings 3:27

25The king then said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one and half to the other!” 26The real mother spoke up to the king, for her motherly instincts were aroused. She said, “My master, give her the living child! Whatever you do, don’t kill him!” But the other woman said, “Neither one of us will have him! Let them cut him in two!” The king responded, “Give the first woman the living child; don’t kill him. She is the mother.” 28When all Israel heard about the judicial decision which the king had rendered, they respected the king, for they realized that he possessed supernatural wisdom to make judicial decisions.

1 Kings 3:27 word by word

וַיַּ֨עַן הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר תְּנוּ־לָהּ֙ אֶת־הַיָּל֣וּד הַחַ֔י וְהָמֵ֖ת לֹ֣א תְמִיתֻ֑הוּ הִ֖יא אִמּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• answeredעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• her the livingחַיchay · aliveH2416
• childיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
• and in no wiseמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• the motherאֵם'êm · motherH517

Commentaries on 1 Kings 3:27

• 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 3:27

• Arbitration
• Judge
• Parents
• Rulers
• Solomon
• Tact
• 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