1 Kings 3:27 Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother."

◄ 1 Kings 3:27 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother."

English Standard Version
Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother.”

New American Standard Bible
Then the king said, "Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother."

King James Bible
Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The king responded, "Give the living baby to the first woman, and don't kill him. She is his mother."

International Standard Version
The king announced his decision: "Give the living child to the first woman. Don't kill him. She is his mother."

American Standard Version
Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.

Douay-Rheims Bible
The king answered, and said: Give the living child to this woman, and let it not be killed, for she is the mother thereof.

Darby Bible Translation
And the king answered and said, Give this one the living child, and in no wise put it to death: she is its mother.

Young's Literal Translation
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.'

Commentaries

Matthew Henry's 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.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

1Ki 3:16-28. His Judgment between Two Harlots.

16. 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.