1 Kings 3:23

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.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
said	וַיֹּ֣אמֶר vai.Yo.mer	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
king	הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ ha.Me.lekh	H4428	a king · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
one	זֹ֣את zot	H2063	this (often used adverb) · demonstrative particle
saith	אֹמֶ֔רֶת 'o.Me.ret	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · verb, qal active participle, feminine singular absolute
son	בְּנִ֥י be.Ni	H1121	a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix
liveth	הַחַ֖י ha.Chai	H2416	alive · definite article + adjective, masculine singular absolute
son	וּבְנֵ֣ךְ u.ve.Nekh	H1121	a son (as a builder of the family name) · conjunction + noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person feminine singular
dead	הַמֵּ֑ת ha.Met	H4191	to die (literally or figuratively) · definite article + verb, qal active participle, masculine singular absolute
other	וְזֹ֤את ve.Zot	H2063	this (often used adverb) · conjunction + demonstrative particle
saith	אֹמֶ֙רֶת֙ 'o.Me.ret	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · verb, qal active participle, feminine singular absolute
son	בְּנֵ֥ךְ be.Nekh	H1121	a son (as a builder of the family name) · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person feminine singular
dead	הַמֵּ֖ת ha.Met	H4191	to die (literally or figuratively) · definite article + verb, qal active participle, masculine singular absolute
son	וּבְנִ֥י u.ve.Ni	H1121	a son (as a builder of the family name) · conjunction + noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix
living	הֶחָֽי he.Chai	H2416	alive · definite article + adjective, masculine singular absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Kings 3:16–end

An instance is here given of Solomon's wisdom, to show that the grant lately made him had a real effect upon him. The proof is fetched, not from the mysteries of state and the policies of the council-board, though there no doubt he excelled, but from the trial and determination of a cause between party and party, which princes, though they devolve them upon their judges, must not think it below them to take cognizance of. Observe, I. The case opened, not by lawyers, but by the parties themselves, though they were women, which made it the easier to such a piercing eye as Solomon had to discern between right and wrong by their own showing. These two women were harlots, kept a public house, and…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Kings 3:16

HIS JUDGMENT BETWEEN TWO HARLOTS. (Kg1 3:16-28) 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 Solomon upon the natural feelings of the contending parties. Next: 1 Kings Chapter 4

Adam Clarke on 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 Jos 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 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 co…

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Dictionary and topics

Law of Moses — Is the whole body of the Mosaic legislation (1 Kings 2:3; 2 Kings 23:25; Ezra 3:2). It is called by way of eminence simply “the Law” (Heb. Torah, Deut. 1:5; 4:8, 44; 17:18, 19; 27:3, 8). As a written…
Solomon — Peaceful, (Heb. Shelomoh), David’s second son by Bathsheba, i.e., the first after their legal marriage (2 Sam. 12). He was probably born about B.C. 1035 (1 Chr. 22:5; 29:1). He succeeded his father…
Judge · Kings and other rulers as — Kings and other rulers as
Justice · Exemplified: Solomon — Exemplified: Solomon
Magistrates · Should: Judge wisely — Should: Judge wisely
Wisdom · Of — Of

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

1 Kings 3:23

Word by word — the Hebrew

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Kings 3:16–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Kings 3:16

Adam Clarke on 1 Kings 3:16

Dictionary and topics

1 Kings 3:23

Word by word — the Hebrew

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Kings 3:16–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Kings 3:16

Adam Clarke on 1 Kings 3:16

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on 1 Kings 3:23

Keil & Delitzsch on 1 Kings 3:16-26

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Kings 3:16-28

Rashi on 1 Kings 3:21