1 Kings

1 Kings 3:24–28

24The king continued, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought him a sword, 25and the king declared, “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”

26Then the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she yearned with compassion for her son. “Please, my lord,” she said, “give her the living baby. Do not kill him!”

But the other woman said, “He will be neither mine nor yours. Cut him in two!”

27Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. By no means should you kill him; she is his mother.”

28When all Israel heard of the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.

Read all of 1 Kings 3

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

1 Kings 3:24

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
The kingהַמֶּ֖לֶךְham·me·leḵArticle; Noun - masculine singularH4428 king
continuedוַיֹּ֥אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
Bringקְח֣וּqə·ḥūVerb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralH3947 take
meלִי־lî-Preposition; first person common singular
a swordחָ֑רֶבḥā·reḇNoun - feminine singularH2719 sword
So they brought himוַיָּבִ֥אוּway·yā·ḇi·’ūConjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralH935 come in, come, go in, go
a swordהַחֶ֖רֶבha·ḥe·reḇArticle; Noun - feminine singularH2719 sword

1 Kings 3:25

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
and the kingהַמֶּ֔לֶךְham·me·leḵArticle; Noun - masculine singularH4428 king
declaredוַיֹּ֣אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
Cutגִּזְר֛וּgiz·rūVerb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralH1504 cut, divide
the livingהַחַ֖יha·ḥayArticle; Noun - masculine singularH2416 alive, living
childהַיֶּ֥לֶדhay·ye·leḏArticle; Noun - masculine singularH3206 child, son, boy, youth
in twoלִשְׁנָ֑יִםliš·nā·yimPreposition-l; Number - mdH8147 two
and giveוּתְנ֤וּū·ṯə·nūConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralH5414 give, put, set
halfהַחֲצִי֙ha·ḥă·ṣîArticle; Noun - masculine singularH2677 half
to oneלְאַחַ֔תlə·’a·ḥaṯPreposition-l; Number - feminine singularH259 one
and halfהַחֲצִ֖יha·ḥă·ṣîArticle; Noun - masculine singularH2677 half
to the otherלְאֶחָֽת׃lə·’e·ḥāṯPreposition-l; Number - feminine singularH259 one

1 Kings 3:26

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Then the womanהָאִשָּׁה֩hā·’iš·šāhArticle; Noun - feminine singularH802 woman, wife, female
whoseאֲשֶׁר־’ă·šer-Pronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
sonבְּנָ֨הּbə·nāhNoun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singularH1121 son
was aliveהַחַ֜יha·ḥayArticle; Noun - masculine singularH2416 alive, living
spokeוַתֹּ֣אמֶרwat·tō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularH559 utter, say
toאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
the kingהַמֶּ֗לֶךְham·me·leḵArticle; Noun - masculine singularH4428 king
becauseכִּֽי־kî-ConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
she yearnedנִכְמְר֣וּniḵ·mə·rūVerb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common pluralH3648 grow warm and tender, be or grow hot
with compassionרַחֲמֶיהָ֮ra·ḥă·me·hāNoun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singularH7356 womb
forעַל־‘al-PrepositionH5921 height
her sonבְּנָהּ֒bə·nāhNoun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singularH1121 son
Pleaseבִּ֣יbîPreposition; first person common singularH994 I pray, excuse me
my lordאֲדֹנִ֗י’ă·ḏō·nîNoun - masculine singular construct; first person common singularH113 lord
she saidוַתֹּ֣אמֶר׀wat·tō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularH559 utter, say
giveתְּנוּ־tə·nū-Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralH5414 give, put, set
herלָהּ֙lāhPreposition; third person feminine singular
the livingהַחַ֔יha·ḥayArticle; Noun - masculine singularH2416 alive, living
babyהַיָּל֣וּדhay·yā·lūḏArticle; Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singularH3205 bear, bring forth, beget
Do notאַל־’al-AdverbH408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
kill himתְּמִיתֻ֑הוּtə·mî·ṯu·hūVerb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural; third person masculine singularH4191 die
But the otherוְזֹ֣אתwə·zōṯConjunctive waw; Pronoun - feminine singularH2063 this
saidאֹמֶ֗רֶת’ō·me·reṯVerb - Qal - Participle - feminine singularH559 utter, say
He will beיִהְיֶ֖הyih·yehVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
neitherלֹ֥אlōAdverb - Negative particleH3808 not
mineלִ֥יlîPreposition; first person common singular
norגַם־ḡam-ConjunctionH1571 also, moreover, yea
yoursלָ֛ךְlāḵPreposition; second person feminine singular
Cut him in twoגְּזֹֽרוּ׃gə·zō·rūVerb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralH1504 cut, divide

1 Kings 3:27

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Then the kingהַמֶּ֜לֶךְham·me·leḵArticle; Noun - masculine singularH4428 king
gave his rulingוַיֹּ֗אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
Giveתְּנוּ־tə·nū-Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine pluralH5414 give, put, set
the livingהַחַ֔יha·ḥayArticle; Noun - masculine singularH2416 alive, living
babyהַיָּל֣וּדhay·yā·lūḏArticle; Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singularH3205 bear, bring forth, beget
to the first womanלָהּ֙lāhPreposition; third person feminine singular
By no meansלֹ֣אlōAdverb - Negative particleH3808 not
should you kill himתְמִיתֻ֑הוּṯə·mî·ṯu·hūVerb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural; third person masculine singularH4191 die
sheהִ֖יאhîPronoun - third person feminine singularH1931 he, she
is his motherאִמּֽוֹ׃’im·mōwNoun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singularH517 mother

1 Kings 3:28

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
When allכָל־ḵālNoun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֗לyiś·rā·’êlNoun - proper - masculine singularH3478 Israel
heardוַיִּשְׁמְע֣וּway·yiš·mə·‘ūConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralH8085 hear
of the judgmentהַמִּשְׁפָּט֙ham·miš·pāṭArticle; Noun - masculine singularH4941 judgment
the kingהַמֶּ֔לֶךְham·me·leḵArticle; Noun - masculine singularH4428 king
had givenשָׁפַ֣טšā·p̄aṭVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH8199 judge, govern
they stood in aweוַיִּֽרְא֖וּway·yir·’ūConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralH3372 fear
ofמִפְּנֵ֣יmip·pə·nêPreposition-m; Noun - common plural constructH6440 face, before
forכִּ֣יkîConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
they sawרָא֔וּrā·’ūVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralH7200 see
thatכִּֽי־kî-ConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
the wisdomחָכְמַ֧תḥā·ḵə·maṯNoun - feminine singular constructH2451 wisdom
of Godאֱלֹהִ֛ים’ĕ·lō·hîmNoun - masculine pluralH430 God
in himבְּקִרְבּ֖וֹbə·qir·bōwPreposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH7130 inward part, midst
to administerלַעֲשׂ֥וֹתla·‘ă·śō·wṯPreposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH6213 do, make
justiceמִשְׁפָּֽט׃סmiš·pāṭNoun - masculine singularH4941 judgment

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

1 Kings 3:25 Proverbs 25:8

1 Kings 3:26 Isaiah 49:15 · Jeremiah 31:20 · 1 John 3:17 · Genesis 43:30 · Hosea 11:8 · Philippians 2:1 · Philippians 1:8

1 Kings 3:28 1 Kings 3:9–12 · Colossians 2:3 · Daniel 2:47 · 1 Corinthians 1:24 · Ecclesiastes 7:19 · Daniel 2:21 · Proverbs 24:21 · Ezra 7:25

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.