1 Kings 3:23
 1 Kings 3:23 
New International Version (©2011)
The king said, "This one says, 'My son is alive and your son is dead,' while that one says, 'No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.'"

New Living Translation (©2007)
Then the king said, "Let's get the facts straight. Both of you claim the living child is yours, and each says that the dead one belongs to the other.

English Standard Version (©2001)
Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead’; and the other says, ‘No; but your son is dead, and my son is the living one.’”

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
Then the king said, "The one says, 'This is my son who is living, and your son is the dead one'; and the other says, 'No! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.'"

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
The king replied, "This woman says, 'This is my son who is alive, and your son is dead,' but that woman says, 'No, your son is dead, and my son is alive.'"

International Standard Version (©2012)
The king said, "One of them claims, 'This living son is mine, and your son is the dead one' and the other claims 'No. Your son is the dead one and my son is the living one.'

NET Bible (©2006)
The king said, "One says, 'My son is alive; your son is dead,' while the other says, 'No, your son is dead; my son is alive.'"

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
The king said, "This one keeps saying, 'My son is alive-your son is dead,' and that one keeps saying, 'No! Your son is dead-my son is alive.'"

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
Then said the king, The one says, This is my son that lives, and your son is dead: and the other says, Nay; but your son is dead, and my son is living.

American King James Version
Then said the king, The one said, This is my son that lives, and your son is the dead: and the other said, No; but your son is the dead, and my son is the living.

American Standard Version
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.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Then said the king: The one saith, My child is alive, and thy child is dead. And the other answereth: Nay, but thy child is dead, and mine liveth.

Darby Bible Translation
Then said the king, The one says, This that is living is my son, and thy son is the dead; and the other says, No, for thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.

English Revised Version
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.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead; and the other saith, No; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.

World English Bible
Then the king said, "The one says, 'This is my son who lives, and your son is the dead;' and the other says, 'No; but your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.'"

Young's Literal Translation
And the king saith, 'This one saith, This is my son, the living, and thy son is the dead; and that one saith, Nay, but thy son is the dead, and my son the living.'

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

3:16-28 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.


Pulpit Commentary

Verse 23. - Then [promptly, without hesitation] said the king, The one saith [Heb. "this is saying," i.e., keeps saying] 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.


Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Then said the king,.... As judge, summing up what had been said on both sides, which were only bare assertions without proof; the one affirming what the other denied, and the other denying what the other affirmed:

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; this he repeated to show to all present that no determination could be made by what had been said on each side, and that some other method must be taken.


1 Kings 3:23 Parallel Commentaries
Bible Hub: Online Parallel Bible


Solomon Judges Wisely
22And the other woman said, No; but the living is my son, and the dead is your son. And this said, No; but the dead is your son, and the living is my son. Thus they spoke before the king. 23Then said the king, The one said, This is my son that lives, and your son is the dead: and the other said, No; but your son is the dead, and my son is the living. 24And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. …

1 Kings 3:22 The other woman said, "No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours." But the first one insisted, "No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine." And so they argued before the king.
1 Kings 3:24 Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword for the king.