1 Solomon marries Pharaoh's daughter 2-4 High places being in use, Solomon sacrifices at Gibeon 5-15 Solomon at Gibeon, in the choice which God gave him, preferring wisdom, obtains wisdom, riches, and honour 16-28 Solomon's judgment make him renowned

A.M. 2990 B.C. 1014 An. Ex. Is.477
affinity 2Ch 18:1 Ezr 9:14

and took 1Ki 7:8 9:24 11:1

the city 2Sa 5:7 1Ch 11:7

his own 1Ki 7:1-12

the house 1Ki 6:1-38 7:13-15 2Ch 2:1-4:22 Ezr 5:11

the wall 1Ki 9:15-19

2 Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days.

the people It was not right to offer sacrifices in any place but where the tabernacle and ark were; and wherever they were, whether on a high place or a plain, sacrifices might be lawfully offered, previously to building of the temple. The tabernacle was now at Gibeon, (Ch 1:3) which was therefore called the great high place; whither we find Solomon, without censure, repaired to sacrifice. 1Ki 22:43 Le 17:3-6 26:30 De 12:2-5 2Ch 33:17

was no 1Ki 5:3 1Ch 17:4-6 28:3-6 Ac 7:47-49

3 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.

loved De 6:5 10:12 30:6,16,20 2Sa 12:24,25 Ps 31:23 Mt 22:27 Mr 12:29,30 Ro 8:28 1Co 8:3 Jas 1:12 2:5 1Jo 4:19,20 5:2,3

walking 1Ki 3:6,14 2:3,4 11:34 15:3 1Ch 28:8,9 2Ch 17:3-5 Joh 14:15,21

only he 1Ki 15:14 22:24 2Ki 12:3 14:4 15:4,35 18:4,22

4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.

Gibeon 1Ki 9:2 Jos 9:3 10:2 1Ch 16:39 21:29 2Ch 1:3,7

a thousand 1Ki 8:63 2Ch 1:6,7 29:32-35 30:24 Isa 40:16 Mt 6:6,7

5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

the Lord 1Ki 9:2

in a dream Ge 28:2,13 Nu 12:6 Job 33:14,15 Mt 1:20 2:13,19

Ask what 2Ch 1:7-12 Mt 7:7,8 Mr 10:36,38-51 11:24 Joh 14:13,14 15:16 Jas 1:5,6 1Jo 5:14,15

6 And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

thy servant Nu 12:7 2Sa 7:5

great 2Sa 7:8-12 12:7,8 22:47-51 1Ch 29:12-14 Ps 78:70-72

mercy. or, bounty Ps 13:6 116:7 119:17 2Co 9:5,11

according 1Ki 2:4 9:4 15:5 2Ki 20:3 Ps 15:2 18:20-24

that 1Ki 1:48

7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.

thou hast Da 2:21 4:25,32 5:18,21

a little 1Ch 29:1 Job 32:6-8 Ec 10:16 Jer 1:6 Mt 18:3,4

to go Nu 27:17 De 31:2 1Sa 18:16 2Sa 5:2 Ps 121:8 Joh 10:3,4,9

8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

thy people Ex 19:5,6 De 7:6-8 1Sa 12:22 Ps 78:71

cannot Ge 13:16 15:5 22:17 1Ch 21:2,5,6 27:23,24

9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

Give therefore 1Ch 22:12 29:19 2Ch 1:10 Ps 119:34,73,144 Pr 2:3-9 3:13-18 16:16 Jas 1:5 3:17

understanding [heb] hearing Pr 20:12

to judge 1Ki 3:28 Ps 72:1,2 Pr 14:8 Ec 7:11,19 9:15-18 Joh 5:30

discern 2Sa 14:17 Isa 11:2-4 1Co 2:14,15 Eph 5:17 Php 1:10 Heb 5:14

who is able Ex 3:11,12 4:10-13 Jer 1:6 Mt 3:11,14 2Co 2:16 3:5

10 And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing.

pleased Pr 15:8

11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;

hast not Ps 4:6 Pr 16:31 Mt 20:21,22 Ro 8:26 Jas 4:2,3

long life [heb] many days
discern [heb] hear 1Ki 3:9

12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

I have done Ps 10:17 Isa 65:24 Ro 8:26,27 1Jo 5:14,15

I have given 1Ki 3:28 2:6,9 4:29-34 5:12 10:3-8,23,24 2Ch 1:11,12 2:12 9:5-8 Ec 1:13,16 Lu 21:15

neither Mt 12:42 Col 2:3

13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honor: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

And I Ps 84:11,12 Mt 6:33 Ro 8:32 1Co 3:22,23 Eph 3:20

riches 1Ki 4:21-24 10:23-29 Pr 3:16

shall not be. or, hath not been

14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.

if thou 1Ki 2:3,4 1Ch 22:12,13 28:9 2Ch 7:17-19 Ps 132:12 Zec 3:7

as thy 1Ki 3:3 9:4,5 15:5 2Ch 17:3,4 29:2 34:2 Ac 13:22

I will lengthen De 5:16 25:15 Ps 21:4 91:16 Pr 3:2 1Ti 4:8

15 And 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 up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

awoke Ge 41:7 Jer 31:26

before 2Sa 6:17 1Ch 16:1,2

peace offerings 1Ki 8:63,65 Le 3:1-17 7:11-19 2Sa 6:18,19 2Ch 7:5,7-10 30:22-26

a feast Ge 31:54 40:20 Es 1:3 Da 5:1 Mr 6:21

16 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.

two women Le 19:29 De 23:17 Jos 2:1

harlots The word {zanoth}, rendered {harlots}, is here translated by the Targumist, the best judge in this case, {pundekon}, `tavern-keepers:' See on Jos 2:1 Jud 11:1

Had these women been harlots, it is not likely that they would have dared to appear before Solomon; nor it likely that such persons would have been permitted in the reign of David. Their {husbands} might at this time have been following the necessary occupations in distant parts.

stood.

17 And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.

O my lord Ge 43:20 Ro 13:7

18 And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.

19 And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.

20 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.

midnight Job 24:13-17 Ps 139:11 Mt 13:25 Joh 3:20

took 1Ki 3:21

21 And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.

give Ge 21:7 1Sa 1:23 La 4:3,4

22 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.

Nay 1Ki 3:23,24

23 Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.

24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.

25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.

Divide This was apparently a very strange decision; but Solomon saw that the only way to discover the real mother was by the affections and tenderness should would necessarily shew to her offspring. The plan was tried, and succeeded; and it was a proof of his sound judgment, penetration, and acquaintance with the human heart, or rather, of his extraordinary and supernatural wisdom. See verse 28. The two following instances are in some faint manner to be compared to Solomon's decision, inasmuch as they also work upon the human sympathies. Suetionius, in his Life of the emperor Claudian, tells us, that this emperor discovered a woman to be the real mother of a young man, whom she refused to acknowledge, by commanding her to marry him, the proofs being doubtful on both sides; for, rather than commit incest, she confessed the truth. Diodorus Siculus also informs us, that Ariopharnes, king of Thrace, being appointed to decided between three young men, each of whom professed to be the son of the deceased king of the Cimmerians, and claimed the succession, discovered the real son by ordering each to shoot an arrow into the dead body of the king: two of them did this without hesitation; but the real son of the deceased monarch refused. Pr 25:8

26 Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.

her bowels Ge 43:30 Isa 49:15 Jer 31:20 Ho 11:8 Php 1:8 2:1 1Jo 3:17

yearned [heb] were hot Ps 39:3

give her Ro 1:31 2Ti 3:3

27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.

28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.

feared Ex 14:31 Jos 4:14 1Sa 12:18 1Ch 29:24 Pr 24:21

the wisdom 1Ki 3:9-12 Ezr 7:25 Ec 7:19 Da 2:21,47 5:11 1Co 1:24,30 Col 2:3

in him [heb] in the midst of him
to do Ps 72:2,4