1 Kings 3:16

_THEN CAME THERE TWO WOMEN, THAT WERE HARLOTS, UNTO THE KING, AND STOOD BEFORE HIM._ Then came there two women. Eastern monarchs, who generally administer justice in person-at least in all cases of difficulty-having their seat in the gate of the city (Solomon afterward built "the porch of judgment," 1 Kings 7:7), 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 Solomon, upon the natural feelings of the contending parties....

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 with which God endued him, Solomon had great reputation among his people. This was better to him than weapons of war; for this he was both feared and loved....

Verse 1 Kings 3:16. _THEN 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). 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 persons would have been permitted under the reign of David. Though there is no mention of their _husbands_, it is probable they might have been at this time in other parts, following their necessary occupations; and the settling the present business could not have been delayed till their return; the appeal to justice mus...

EXPOSITION IN this section we see how remarkably the gracious promise of Gibeon (1 Kings 3:12) was fulfilled. The "understanding to discern judgment" has been richly bestowed. And this, no doubt, is the reason why the story is related here. Ἐπιδεῖξαί τὴν τοῦ βασιλεως ἐβουλήθη σοφίαν_ _(Theodoret). It is just possible, as Thenius maintains, that the narrative was handed down to a succeeding age by tradition, and was not incorporated into any of the documents from which our historian compiled his narrative; but this argues nothing against its authenticity or its inspiration. It is, as Bähr observes, a thoroughly Oriental story. 1 KINGS 3:16 THEN CAME THERE TWO WOMEN THAT WERE HARLOTS [The Jewish writers here, as in th

THEN CAME THERE TWO WOMEN [THAT] WERE HARLOTS UNTO THE KING,.... The same day, as Abarbinel thinks, the night before which the Lord had appeared to Solomon; this came to pass through the providence of God, that there should be immediately an instance and proof of the wisdom and understanding the Lord had given to Solomon; these women, according to the Targum, were victuallers or inn keepers; and so Ben Gersom thinks they were sellers of food, as Rahab; though he observes it is possible they might, prostitute themselves: this may be said in their favour, that common prostitutes do not usually bear children, or, when they do, take no care of them, have no affection for them, and much less are fond of them, as these seem to be; but, on the other hand, no mention being made of their husbands, and living together in one house, and alone, and being impudent, brawling, and litigious, give great...

2. JEHOVAH APPEARS TO SOLOMON HIS PRAYER AND THE ANSWER CHAPTER 3 _ 1. Affinity with Pharaoh and Pharaoh's daughter (1 Kings 3:1)_ 2. Solomon loved the LORD (1 Kings 3:2) 3. Jehovah appears to Solomon (1 Kings 3:5) 4. The wisdom granted and exemplified (1 Kings 3:16) We shall now see how the Lord kept His promise He made unto David in the establishment of his kingdom. After the execution of the demanded judgment Solomon entered into affinity with Pharaoh King of Egypt (probably the last King of the 21 Tanitic dynasty) and married his daughter. She was with him in David's city until he made an end of

1 KINGS 3:1 TO 1 KINGS 4:34. EARLY DAYS, REIGN, AND WISDOM OF SOLOMON. The sources of this section are various, and the arrangement of the narrative in the LXX should be noticed. There are (_a_) a statistical account of Solomon s reign, referred to, apparently in 1 Kings 11:41, as the book of the acts of Solomon; (_b_) a number of narratives about this reign; (_c_) several Deuteronomic additions_ e.g._ 1 Kings 3:6; 1 Kings 3:14, etc.: and (_d_) some very late passages, possibly originally explanatory notes. The history of Solomon's reign

Solomon's judgement between the two harlots, and the effect produced thereby (Not in Chronicles) 16. _Then came,_&c. We need not, any more than with τότε in the New Test., consider -then" as indicating immediate succession in order of time upon what has gone before. _harlots_ The Chaldee paraphrase explains in the sense of πανδοκεύτριαι, but Josephus calls them (_Ant_. viii. 2, 2) ἑταῖραι τὸν βίον. _and stood before him_ The Eastern monarchs sat often to give judgement at the gate of the city and so were accessible to all applicants. So sat the elders of the city by the Mosaic ordinance (Deuteronomy 21:19). Compare also Ruth 4:11; 2 Samuel 19:8;...

THEN CAME THERE TWO WOMEN, &C.— See Judges 2:1 respecting the word זנות _zonoth_ rendered _harlots._ Solomon knew at once, that the only sign whereby to discover the true mother, would be her affection and compassionate tenderness for her child; and therefore, in order to distinguish between the two, his business was to make trial of this. And if we suppose, that when he commanded the child to be divided he spake with a sedate countenance and seeming earnestness, as the true mother's petition to the king makes it apparent that he did, then we may suppose further, not only that the two women, but all the people present, with horror and admiration expected the execution of the thing; but when the whole ended in so just a decision, quite contrary to what they looked for, it raised joy in every breast, and gave a more advantageous commendation to the judge. It may not be improper, upon th

B. THE DEMONSTRATION OF HIS Wisdom 3:16-28 TRANSLATION (16) Then two women, harlots, came unto the king, and stood before him. (17) And the one woman said, O my lord the king, I and this woman were sleeping in one house; and I brought forth a child with her in the house. (18) And it came to pass on the third day after I brought forth a child, this woman brought forth a child also, and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house besides the two of us in the house. (19) And the son of this woman died in the night when she laid on top of him. (20) And she arose in the middle of the night, and took my son from beside me while your handmaiden slept, and she laid him in her breast, and her dead son she laid in my breast. (21) When I arose in the morning to nurse my son, behold he was dead. But I considered him closely in the morning, and behold he was not my son to whom I had...