1-Kings - 3:27



27 Then the king answered, "Give her the living child, and in no way kill it. She is its mother."

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of 1-Kings 3:27.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
The king answered, and said: Give the living child to this woman, and let it not be killed, for she is the mother thereof.
And the king answered and said, Give this one the living child, and in no wise put it to death: she is its mother.
And the king answereth and saith, 'Give ye to her the living child, and put it not at all to death; she is its mother.'
Then the king made answer and said, Give her the child, and do not put it to death; she is the mother of it.
The king responded and said: "Give the living infant to this woman, and do not kill it. For she is his mother."

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

Then the king answered and said, give her the living child,
and in no wise slay it,.... That is, to her who desired it might not be slain, but rather be given to her who had no right to it:
she is the mother thereof; which might be strongly concluded from her compassion for it, her eagerness and earnestness to have its life spared, and from the indifference of the other, yea, from her cruelty and barbarity in moving to have it divided.

Solomon saw from this which was the mother of the living child, and handed it over to her.
(Note: Grotius observes on this: "The ἀγχίνοια of Solomon was shown by this to be very great. There is a certain similarity in the account of Ariopharnis, king of the Thracians, who, when three persons claimed to be the sons of the king of the Cimmerii, decided that he was the son who would not obey the command to cast javelins at his father's corpse. The account is given by Diodorus Siculus.")

She is the mother - As is evident from her natural affection to the child, which she had rather have given away from her, than destroyed.

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