1 KingsChapter 3

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Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his own house, the house of the LORD, and the wall around Jerusalem.

The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because no house had yet been built for the name of the LORD.

Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David—except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.

The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place; Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, "Ask what I should give you."

Solomon answered, "You showed great kindness to your servant David, my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward you. You have kept for him this great kindness and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.

And now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, but I am only a young man; I do not know how to go out or come in.

Your servant is among your people whom you have chosen, a people so numerous they cannot be counted or numbered.

So give your servant a listening heart to judge your people, to discern between good and evil—for who is able to judge this great people of yours?"

It pleased the LORD that Solomon had asked for this.

God said to him, "Because you have asked for this and have not asked for long life for yourself, or riches, or the death of your enemies, but have asked for discernment to hear a case rightly,

I now do as you have asked. I give you a heart so wise and discerning that no one like you has ever lived before you, and no one like you will arise after you.

I also give you what you did not ask for: both riches and honor, so that among kings there will be no one like you all your days.

And if you walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, I will lengthen your days."

Then Solomon awoke—and it had been a dream. He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and gave a banquet for all his servants.

Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.

One of the women said, "Please, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth while she was there in the house.

On the third day after I gave birth, this woman also had a child. We were alone; there was no stranger with us in the house—only the two of us.

During the night this woman's son died, because she lay on him.

So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while your servant was asleep. She laid him at her breast and laid her dead son at mine.

When I got up in the morning to nurse my son, there he was—dead. But when I looked at him closely in the morning, I saw that he was not the son I had borne."

The other woman said, "No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours." But the first insisted, "No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine." So they argued before the king.

Then the king said, "One says, 'This is my son who is alive, and your son is dead,' and the other says, 'No! Your son is dead, and my son is alive.'"

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

Then the king ordered, "Cut the living child in two, and give half to one and half to the other."

But the woman whose son was alive was moved with deep compassion for her son and said to the king, "Please, my lord, give her the living child—only do not kill him!" The other said, "He shall be neither mine nor yours. Cut him in two!"

Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living child to her; do not kill him. She is his mother."

When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.

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Summary2

Chapter 3

Main Theme: God gives Solomon exceptional wisdom in response to his humble prayer.

Content: Solomon forms an alliance with Egypt through marriage to Pharaoh's daughter, while working on major construction projects. At the high place in Gibeon, God appears to him in a dream and offers Solomon whatever he asks for. Solomon humbly prays for a listening heart to judge the people, and God grants him unmatched wisdom as well as riches and honor that he did not ask for. Solomon's wisdom is demonstrated in the judgment between two women who both claim to be the mother of a living child.

Key Words/Images:

High Places (במות): Temporary places of worship used before the temple was built, where both the people and Solomon offered sacrifices.
Listening Heart (לֵב שֹׁמֵעַ): Solomon's prayer for the ability to listen and understand in order to judge fairly.
The Sword Judgment: The wise test that revealed the true mother through her willingness to give up the child to save its life.
God's Wisdom (חָכְמַת אֱלֹהִים): The people's recognition that Solomon's judgment was given by God.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for 1 Kings 3

People

Pharaoh's daughter is mentioned as Solomon’s wife in the opening of the chapter (v. 1). This marriage represents a remarkable diplomatic alliance. In Egyptian history, it was highly unusual for Pharaoh’s daughters to be married off to foreign rulers—Egypt considered itself the dominant power. The fact that Solomon achieved such a marriage indicates either Israel’s significant status at this time or a period of Egyptian weakness (likely during the 21st dynasty). She was temporarily housed in the City of David until Solomon’s own house, the temple of the Lord, and the walls of Jerusalem were completed.

Places

Gibeon (גִּבְעוֹן) was located at modern-day el-Jib, about 10 km northwest of Jerusalem. Archaeological excavations have confirmed the city’s importance during this period. The site is described as "the great high place" (הַבָּמָה הַגְּדוֹלָה), indicating that it was the most important cultic center before the temple was built. According to 2 Chronicles 1:3–6, the tent of meeting and the bronze altar made by Bezalel were located in Gibeon. This explains why Solomon chose this place for his great sacrifice of a thousand burnt offerings.

Events and Customs

High places (בָּמוֹת) were local shrines, typically situated on hills or elevated ground. Before the temple was built, worship at such sites was an accepted practice in Israel, although it was later condemned. The text almost excuses this practice by explaining that "no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord" (v. 2).

Divine dream revelation was a well-known practice in the ancient Near East. Royal "incubation dreams"—where a ruler slept at a holy place to receive divine guidance—are documented in both Egyptian and Mesopotamian sources. Solomon’s experience at Gibeon follows this pattern, but the text emphasizes that the initiative came from God Himself.

Key Terms

"A listening heart" (לֵב שֹׁמֵעַ) in verse 9 is a central concept. In Hebrew, the "heart" is the seat of intellect and will, not merely emotions. The verb שָׁמַע (shama) means both "to hear" and "to obey". Solomon is therefore asking for a heart that both understands and acts rightly—a receptive and obedient mind capable of distinguishing between good and evil in judging situations.

"To go out and come in" (צֵאת וָבֹא) in verse 7 is an idiom describing daily leadership and administration, especially in military and royal contexts. When Solomon calls himself a "young boy" who does not know how to "go out and come in", he expresses humility regarding the task of leading the people.

Chapter-Specific Insights

The story of the two women and the child (vv. 16–28) has parallels with narratives from several other cultures. This so-called "Solomon’s judgment" motif has become an archetypal example of wisdom in world literature. The fact that the women are described as זֹנוֹת (prostitutes) underscores that Solomon’s justice applied to all members of society, regardless of social status. The king’s role as supreme judge was central in the ancient Near East, and this episode demonstrates that God had fulfilled His promise of wisdom.

People2

David4 Solomon7

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Key words7

Solomon — King David's son who succeeded him as king over Israel and was known for his wisdom and wealth.
Wisdom — The ability to understand, judge, and act in a way that is wise and righteous, based on knowledge and experience.
Dream — An experience that occurs in the mind while sleeping, often consisting of thoughts, images, and feelings.
Fear of God — Deep respect and awe for God, which often leads to obedience to his commands and will.
Temple — A holy place dedicated to God, where people can worship and offer gifts to him.
Sacrifice — A gift given to God, often in the form of animals, food, or other valuable things, as a sign of gratitude, reverence, or atonement.
Righteousness — Acting in accordance with God's will and commands, as well as treating others with justice and equality.