1 Kings 3 17

1 Kings 3:17 kjv

And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.

1 Kings 3:17 nkjv

And one woman said, "O my lord, this woman and I dwell in the same house; and I gave birth while she was in the house.

1 Kings 3:17 niv

One of them said, "Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was there with me.

1 Kings 3:17 esv

The one woman said, "Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house.

1 Kings 3:17 nlt

"Please, my lord," one of them began, "this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was with me in the house.

1 Kings 3 verses

1 Kings 3 17 Meaning

The first woman, initiating the legal appeal, addresses King Solomon with profound respect as "my lord." She immediately sets the scene, explaining that she and the other woman shared a single dwelling. Crucially, she then states that her childbirth occurred within this shared house, specifically "with her in the house," laying the foundational fact for the subsequent dispute. This verse establishes the core elements of the case: the involved parties, their living arrangement, and the private setting of the pivotal event, highlighting the absence of external witnesses.

1 Kings 3 17 Context

This verse is the very first instance where King Solomon exercises the divine wisdom he explicitly requested and received from God at Gibeon (1 Kgs 3:5-15). The preceding narrative details Solomon's prayer for an "understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil" (1 Kgs 3:9), and God's affirmative response, promising unparalleled wisdom. Therefore, the case of the two harlots is not just a random dispute but serves as a providential demonstration and initial public validation of Solomon's God-given extraordinary discernment. Historically, in ancient Israel, judicial matters could be brought directly to the king, especially complex or appeal cases, indicating the importance and severity of this particular dispute for the vulnerable women who sought the highest authority.

1 Kings 3 17 Word analysis

• "And the one woman" (וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הָאִשָּׁ֣ה הָֽאַחַ֗ת - va·to·mer ha·'ish·shah ha·'a·ḥat):
  • va·to·mer (וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙): Hebrew waw-consecutive perfect, typically meaning "and she said," indicating a sequence of action.
  • ha·'ish·shah (הָאִשָּׁ֣ה): The definite article "the" emphasizes this specific woman who speaks first.
  • ha·'a·ḥat (הָֽאַחַ֗ת): "The one." Distinguishes her as the initial speaker and sets up the premise of two distinct individuals.
• "O my lord," (בִּ֣י אֲדֹנִ֔י - bi 'a·do·ni):
  • bi (בִּ֣י): An emphatic particle, literally "in me," functioning as an interjection of urgent appeal, "please" or "O." It expresses deference and earnest supplication, often used when addressing a superior in authority.
  • a·do·ni (אֲדֹנִ֔י): "My lord." A respectful title for an authority figure, particularly the king, acknowledging his supreme judicial power.
• "I and this woman dwell in one house;" (אֲנִ֤י וְהָֽאִשָּׁה֙ הַזֹּ֔את יֹשְׁבֹ֣ת אֲנַ֔חְנוּ בְּבַ֖יִת אֶחָ֑ד - a·ni ve·ha·'ish·shah ha·zot yosh·voth a·nach·nu bə·vai·yit 'e·chadh):
  • yosh·voth (יֹשְׁבֹ֣ת): "Dwelling," "living." Feminine plural participle, indicating their continued habitation.
  • bə·vai·yit 'e·chadh (בְּבַ֖יִת אֶחָ֑ד): "In one house." This phrase establishes the shared, singular dwelling space. The emphasis on "one house" is crucial as it implies the absence of outside witnesses and the confined, intimate setting of the events.
• "and I was delivered of a child with her in the house." (וָאֵלֵד֙ עִמָּהּ֙ בַּבַּ֔יִת - va·'e·led im·mah ba·ba·yit):
  • va·'e·led (וָאֵלֵד֙): "And I gave birth" or "I was delivered." Derived from the root yalad (יָלַד), "to bear, bring forth." This is the core event being described.
  • im·mah (עִמָּהּ֙): "With her." Indicates the other woman's presence during the birth.
  • ba·ba·yit (בַּבַּ֔יִת): "In the house." A repetition of the detail of the location. This redundancy powerfully reinforces that all critical events happened privately, without external witnesses, escalating the need for discerning judgment.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house": This opening phrase sets the scene by establishing the parties involved, their relationship (sharing a dwelling), and their address to authority. The "one house" (בַּיִת אֶחָד) highlights the limited sphere of the events, underscoring the subsequent difficulty of discerning truth when no external witnesses are available, thereby requiring unique divine insight from the king. The deferential address "O my lord" establishes the hierarchical context of the appeal, where these vulnerable women seek royal justice.
• "and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.": This phrase delivers the initial, factual basis of the first woman's claim and establishes the critical events that led to the dispute. The specific mention of "with her in the house" emphasizes the private, confined nature of both births, leaving no external testimony and demanding a judgment based on wisdom and insight, rather than common legal procedure reliant on witnesses.

1 Kings 3 17 Bonus section

• The description of the women as zonot (זֹנוֹת, usually translated "harlots" or "prostitutes") in 1 Kgs 3:16 indicates their marginal social status. This further highlights the severity of their dilemma and their lack of other recourse, strengthening their direct appeal to the king. Such women typically had no family advocates to support their legal claims, making the king their last and only hope for justice.
• The repetition of "in the house" ("בַּבַּ֔יִת" - ba·ba·yit) at the end of the verse serves as a crucial literary device. It not only provides context for the event but also heightens the narrative tension by emphasizing the enclosed environment where the key events unfolded unwitnessed by any outside party. This dramatic setup directly showcases the need for supernatural wisdom.

1 Kings 3 17 Commentary

1 Kings 3:17 opens the most celebrated narrative of Solomon's wisdom, setting the factual premise for a profound moral and legal dilemma. The first woman's direct, respectful address to the king immediately establishes his role as the supreme arbiter. Her declaration that she and the other woman shared "one house" (בית אחד) and that she gave birth "with her in the house" (עִמָּהּ בַּבַּיִת), intentionally repeated, is more than mere detail. It subtly underscores the complete lack of external witnesses, presenting Solomon with a judicial conundrum that conventional law, reliant on testimony (as in Deut 19:15), could not resolve. This scenario serves as the perfect crucible for God to display His promised wisdom through Solomon, transforming a seemingly intractable dispute between two women of low social standing into a monumental demonstration of divine discernment. This divine intervention would firmly establish Solomon's authority and God's favor, assuring the people that their king possessed God's own judgment.