# 1 Kings 03 📖 [[📚 Explore the Bible Books]] [[1 Kings Overview]] | [[1 Kings 02]] | [[1 Kings 04]] > [!info] Table of Contents > [[#📜 Scripture Text (NET)]] [[#📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary]] [[#🧠 Chapter Summary]] [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]] [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]] > [[#🤔 Interesting Facts]] [[#🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference]] [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]] ## 📜 Scripture Text (NET) (The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005) ### The Lord Gives Solomon Wisdom [[#Verse 01.]] Solomon made an alliance by marriage with Pharaoh, king of Egypt; he married Pharaoh’s daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he could finish building his residence and the temple of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem.  [[#Verse 02.]] Now the people were offering sacrifices at the high places, because in those days a temple had not yet been built to honor the Lord.  [[#Verse 03.]] Solomon demonstrated his loyalty to the Lord by following the practices of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. [[#Verse 04.]] The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for it had the most prominent of the high places. Solomon would offer up 1,000 burnt sacrifices on the altar there.  [[#Verse 05.]] One night in Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream. God said, “Tell me what I should give you.”  [[#Verse 06.]] Solomon replied, “You demonstrated great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served you faithfully, properly, and sincerely. You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne.  [[#Verse 07.]] Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in my father David’s place, even though I am only a young man and am inexperienced.  [[#Verse 08.]] Your servant stands among your chosen people; they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number.  [[#Verse 09.]] So give your servant a discerning mind so he can make judicial decisions for your people and distinguish right from wrong. Otherwise no one is able to make judicial decisions for this great nation of yours.”  [[#Verse 10.]] The Lord was pleased that Solomon made this request.  [[#Verse 11.]] God said to him, “Because you asked for the ability to make wise judicial decisions, and not for long life, or riches, or vengeance on your enemies,  [[#Verse 12.]] I grant your request and give you a wise and discerning mind superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you.  [[#Verse 13.]] Furthermore, I am giving you what you did not request—riches and honor so that you will be the greatest king of your generation.  [[#Verse 14.]] If you follow my instructions by obeying my rules and regulations, just as your father David did, then I will grant you long life.”  [[#Verse 15.]] Solomon then woke up and realized it was a dream. He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant, offered up burnt sacrifices, presented peace offerings, and held a feast for all his servants. ### Solomon Demonstrates His Wisdom [[#Verse 16.]] Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. [[#Verse 17.]] One of the women said, “My master, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was with me in the house.  [[#Verse 18.]] Then three days after I had my baby, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one else in the house except the two of us.  [[#Verse 19.]] This woman’s child suffocated during the night when she rolled on top of him.  [[#Verse 20.]] She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your servant was sleeping. She put him in her arms, and put her dead son in my arms.  [[#Verse 21.]] I got up in the morning to nurse my son, and there he was, dead! But when I examined him carefully in the morning, I realized it was not my baby.”  [[#Verse 22.]] The other woman said, “No! My son is alive; your son is dead!” But the first woman replied, “No, your son is dead; my son is alive.” Each presented her case before the king. [[#Verse 23.]] 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.’”  [[#Verse 24.]] The king ordered, “Get me a sword.” So they placed a sword before the king.  [[#Verse 25.]] The king then said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one and half to the other!”  [[#Verse 26.]] The real mother spoke up to the king, for her motherly instincts were awakened. She said, “My master, give her the living child! Whatever you do, don’t kill him!” But the other woman said, “Neither one of us will have him. Let them cut him in two!”  [[#Verse 27.]] The king responded, “Give the first woman the living child; don’t kill him. She is the mother.”  [[#Verse 28.]] When all Israel heard about the judicial decision which the king had rendered, they respected the king, for they realized that he possessed divine wisdom to make judicial decisions. ## ==📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary== ###### Overall. ###### Verse 01. ###### Verse 02. ###### Verse 03. ###### Verse 04. ###### Verse 05. ###### Verse 06. ###### Verse 07. ###### Verse 08. ###### Verse 09. ###### Verse 10. ###### Verse 11. ###### Verse 12. ###### Verse 13. ###### Verse 14. ###### Verse 15. ###### Verse 16. ###### Verse 17. ###### Verse 18. ###### Verse 19. ###### Verse 20. ###### Verse 21. ###### Verse 22. ###### Verse 23. ###### Verse 24. ###### Verse 25. ###### Verse 26. ###### Verse 27. ###### Verse 28. ###### Verse 29. ## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights - coming soon. %% PRIVATE NOTES (only I see this) Write down things that are not straight from commentary but interesting facts that ground the text in history. %% ## 🧠 Chapter Summary - coming soon. %% PRIVATE NOTES (only I see this) Write a short paragraph (3–5 sentences) summarizing what happens in this chapter. - What is the main event or teaching? - How does this chapter fit the book’s overall story? - What stands out immediately? Anything Apologetic to point out? %% ## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application - coming soon. %% PRIVATE NOTES (only I see this) - 📌 Observation 1 - 📌 Observation 2 - 📌 Observation 3 - (Add more as needed.) %% %% #### Today, I can apply this chapter by: - ✅ Application 1 - ✅ Application 2 Make these very practical: - "Trust God's timing in an uncertain situation." - "Speak truth even when it’s unpopular." Think: - What do we learn about God here? - What do we learn about people? - Are there promises, commands, or warnings? %% ## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember - coming soon. %% PRIVATE NOTES (only I see this) - 📖 [Verse Reference] – "Quote of important verse." - 📖 [Verse Reference] – "Quote of another important verse." (You can link to deeper notes if you want later.) %% ## 🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference - 🔗 coming soon. - 🔗 coming soon. %% Examples: - John 1:1 and Genesis 1 - Romans 5 and Genesis 3 %% ## 🙏 Devotional Reflection - coming soon. %% PRIVATE NOTES (only I see this) Write 3–6 sentences reflecting on: - How this chapter encourages your faith, - Convicts your heart, - Reveals God's character. Optional format: "In light of this chapter, I am challenged to..." or "I am comforted by..." %% ##### 📂 Internal Links/Personal Notes