View source for 1 Kings 3

{{Short description|1 Kings, chapter 3}}
{{Bible chapter|letname= 1 Kings 3 |previouslink= 1 Kings 2 |previousletter= chapter 2 |nextlink= 1 Kings 4 |nextletter= chapter 4 |book= [[Books of Kings|First book of Kings]] |biblepart=[[Old Testament]] | booknum= 11 |hbiblepart= [[Nevi'im]] | hbooknum = 4 |category= [[Nevi'im#Former Prophets|Former Prophets]] | filename=Leningrad-codex-09-kings.pdf | size=250px |caption=<div style="width: 250px; text-align: center; line-height: 1em">The pages containing the [[Books of Kings]] (1 & 2 Kings) [[Leningrad Codex]] (1008 CE).</div>}}
'''1 Kings 3''' is the third [[Chapters and verses of the Bible|chapter]] of the [[Books of Kings]] in the [[Hebrew Bible]] or the First Book of Kings in the [[Old Testament]] of the [[Christianity|Christian]] [[Bible]].{{sfn|Halley|1965|p=190}}{{sfn|Collins|2014|p=288}} The book is a compilation of various annals recording the acts of the kings of Israel and Judah by a Deuteronomic compiler in the seventh century BCE, with a supplement added in the sixth century BCE.{{sfn|McKane|1993|p=324}} This chapter belongs to the section focusing on the reign of [[Solomon]] over the unified kingdom of Judah and Israel (1 Kings 1 to 11).{{sfn|Dietrich|2007|p=234}} The focus of this chapter is the reign of Solomon, the king of Israel.{{sfn|Dietrich|2007|p=236}}

==Text==
This chapter was originally written in the [[Biblical Hebrew|Hebrew language]] and since the 16th century [[Chapters and verses of the Bible|is divided into]] 28 verses.

===Textual witnesses===
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in [[Biblical Hebrew|Hebrew]] are of the [[Masoretic Text]] tradition, which includes the [[Codex Cairensis]] (895), [[Aleppo Codex]] (10th century), and [[Leningrad Codex|Codex Leningradensis]] (1008).{{sfn|Würthwein|1995|pp=35-37}} Fragments containing parts of this chapter in Hebrew were found among the [[Dead Sea Scrolls]], that is, [[List of manuscripts from Qumran Cave 6|6Q4]] (6QpapKgs; 150–75 BCE) with extant verses 12–14.{{sfn|Ulrich|2010|p=324}}<ref name=thewaytoyahuweh>[https://thewaytoyahuweh.com/dead-sea-scrolls/general-info/#1_kings Dead sea scrolls - 1 Kings]</ref>{{sfn|Fitzmyer|2008|pp=104,106}}<ref>[https://www.deadseascrolls.org.il/explore-the-archive/manuscript/6Q4-1 6Q4 at the Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library]</ref>

There is also a translation into [[Koine Greek]] known as the [[Septuagint]], made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include [[Codex Vaticanus]] ('''B'''; <math> \mathfrak{G}</math><sup>B</sup>; 4th century) and [[Codex Alexandrinus]] ('''A'''; <math> \mathfrak{G}</math><sup>A</sup>; 5th century).{{sfn|Würthwein|1995|pp=73-74}}{{efn|The whole book of 1 Kings is missing from the extant [[Codex Sinaiticus]].<ref>{{Catholic Encyclopedia|wstitle=Codex Sinaiticus}}</ref>}}

===Old Testament references===
*{{bibleverse|1 Kings|3:1–15|9}}: {{bibleverse|2 Chronicles|1:1–13|9}}; {{bibleverse|Psalm|45:1–17|9}}; {{bibleverse|Psalm|72:1–20|9}}<ref name=bsb>1 Kings 3, Berean Study Bible</ref>

==Analysis==
This chapter contains one of the important 'biblical treatments' of wisdom in the practical (or,  in this case, also political) context.{{sfn|Leithart|2006|p=43}} The first part is dominated with Solomon's request for wisdom,{{sfn|Leithart|2006|p=44}} whereas the last part is the demonstration of the wisdom he received from God.{{sfn|Leithart|2006|p=45}} The story of Solomon's judgment is similar in certain aspects to the events in [[1 Kings 1]]–[[1 Kings 2|2]] as in the table below:{{sfn|Leithart|2006|p=46}}

{| class="wikitable"
! 1 Kings 1–2 !! 1 Kings 3:16–28
|-
|two mothers: Hagith and Bathsheba || two mothers
|-
|two sons: Adonijah and Solomon || two sons
|-
|Adonijah died || one son died
|-
|Solomon rescued from threat || the other son rescued from threat
|- 
|David passed judgment in favor of Bathsheba || Solomon passed judgment
|}

=={{Anchor|Verses 1–15}} Solomon's prayer for wisdom (3:1–15)==
Early in his reign, Solomon entered a diplomatic marriage with the Egyptian [[Pharaoh's daughter (wife of Solomon)|Pharaoh's daughter]] which played a significant role in the story of Solomon (cf. 1 Kings 7:8; 9:16; 11:1), although Solomon's heir (Rehoboam) was not born from her, but from Solomon's Ammonite wife (1 Kings 14:21).{{sfn|Dietrich|2007|p=236}} Solomon received a good mark in the early religious assessment, noted that "he loved YHWH" (just as YHWH loved him, 2 Samuel 12:24). One negative note was that there were 'high places' – sacrificial sites in top of hills, but this happened because Solomon had not yet built the Temple in Jerusalem, which should later be the only place of worship according to the Torah of Moses (Deuteronomy 12).{{sfn|Dietrich|2007|p=236}} Solomon also went to a high place in [[Gibeon (ancient city)|Gibeon]] (today [[al-Jib]], about {{convert|8|km|abbr=on}} north-west of Jerusalem) to offer a great sacrifice to God and stayed overnight there, when God appeared to him to offer him a free wish. In the Hebrew Bible (and also in the [[New Testament]]) dreams are a legitimate method of discovering God's will (cf. Genesis 28; 37; 1 Samuel 28:6, 15; Joel 3:1; [[Daniel 2]]; [[Matthew 2:13]]), although it could also open to abuse (cf. Jeremiah 23:25–27; Zechariah 10:2, cf. Psalms 73:20).{{sfn|Dietrich|2007|p=236}}

===Verse 1===
:''And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.''<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Kings |3:1|KJV}} [[King James Version|KJV]]</ref>
*"Made affinity": here is not "made "alliance", but literally, "made himself son-in-law".<ref name=pulpit>Exell, Joseph S.; Spence-Jones, Henry Donald Maurice (Editors). [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/pulpit/1_kings/3.htm  On "1 Kings 3".] In: ''The [[Pulpit Commentary]]''. 23 volumes. First publication: 1890. Accessed 24 April 2019.</ref>
*"Pharaoh king of Egypt": For the first time since the Exodus, Israel had any connection with Egypt.<ref name=cambridgebible>[[Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges]]. [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/cambridge/1_kings/3.htm 1 Kings 3]. Accessed 28 April 2019.</ref> Pharaoh [[Shishak]] received [[Jeroboam I]] when he fled from Solomon (1 Kings 11:40), so the wife of Solomon must have been a daughter of a pharaoh in the previous dynasty.<ref name=cambridgebible /> This daughter of Pharaoh apparently embraced Judaism, so that there was no reproach against her marriage to Solomon, since no Egyptian deity was mentioned among those for whom Solomon built high places at a later time (1 Kings 11:1–8) when 'strange women turned away his heart after other gods'.<ref name=cambridgebible />

=={{Anchor|Verses 16–28}} Solomon's judgement (3:16–28)==
[[File:Gaspar de Crayer - The judgement of Solomon.jpg|thumb|right|200px|''The Judgement of Solomon'' by [[Gaspar de Crayer]], c. 1620]]
{{main|Judgement of Solomon}}
This section records one episode of Solomon putting to effect the wisdom granted to him in giving an 'unusually clever court judgement' when he was confronted with a seemingly insoluble problem: 'claim against counter-claim without witnesses or evidence'.{{sfn|Dietrich|2007|p=236}} It was the maternal love—in itself not a legally relevant factor—that supplied 'the key to truth and justice'.{{sfn|Dietrich|2007|p=236}} The wisdom of Solomon in the administration of justice is an important royal function (cf. 2 Samuel 8:15; 15:2–6).{{sfn|Coogan|2007|p=495 Hebrew Bible}}

==See also==
{{columns-list|colwidth=22em|
* [[David]]
* [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]]
* [[Ark of the Covenant]]
* [[Israel]]
* [[Jerusalem]]
* [[Korban]]
* [[Prostitution]]
* [[Slaughter offering]]}}
*Related Bible parts: [[2 Chronicles 1]], [[Psalm 5]], [[Psalm 45]], [[Psalm 72]]

==Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
*{{Cite book | last = Collins | first = John J. | title = Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures |chapter = Chapter 14: 1 Kings 12 – 2 Kings 25 | pages = 277–296 |publisher = Fortress Press|year = 2014 | url  = https://books.google.com/books?id=fbsoBAAAQBAJ |isbn = 978-1451469233}}
*{{cite book | last= Coogan| first = Michael David | author-link= Michael D. Coogan | title = The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books: New Revised Standard Version, Issue 48 | editor-last1 = Coogan | editor-first1= Michael David | editor-first2 = Marc Zvi | editor-last2 = Brettler | editor-first3 = Carol Ann | editor-last3 = Newsom | editor-first4= Pheme | editor-last4 = Perkins | edition= Augmented 3rd | publisher = Oxford University Press | year = 2007 |isbn = 978-0195288810 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=HmpMPgAACAAJ}}
*{{cite book|last= Dietrich | first= Walter | chapter = 13. 1 and 2 Kings | title=The Oxford Bible Commentary | editor-first1=John | editor-last1 = Barton | editor1-link = John Barton (theologian) | editor-first2=John | editor-last2= Muddiman | editor2-link = John Muddiman | publisher = Oxford University Press | edition= first (paperback) | year = 2007 | pages = 232–266 | isbn = 978-0199277186 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ZJdVkgEACAAJ | access-date=February 6, 2019}}
* {{Cite book|last = Fitzmyer|first = Joseph A.|authorlink= Joseph Fitzmyer |title = A Guide to the Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Literature|publisher = William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=TILXeWJ2eNAC | year = 2008|isbn = 9780802862419|location = Grand Rapids, MI }}
*{{cite book | last= Halley | first= Henry H. | author-link= Henry Hampton Halley | title= Halley's Bible Handbook: an abbreviated Bible commentary |edition=24th (revised)| publisher= Zondervan Publishing House | date= 1965 | url= https://archive.org/details/halleysbiblehand00henr | url-access= registration| isbn= 0-310-25720-4}}
*{{Cite book | last = Hayes | first = Christine | title = Introduction to the Bible |publisher   = Yale University Press | year = 2015 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=SKbkXYHxvlAC |isbn = 978-0300188271}}
*{{cite book |last= Leithart | first = Peter J. | title = 1 & 2 Kings | series = Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible | publisher= Brazos Press | year= 2006 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Z_gvin9G7LgC | isbn= 978-1587431258 }}
*{{Cite book | last= McKane | first= William | chapter= Kings, Book of |editor1-last = Metzger | editor1-first = Bruce M |editor1-link = Bruce M. Metzger | editor2-last = Coogan | editor2-first = Michael D | title = The Oxford Companion to the Bible | url= https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780195046458 | url-access= registration | publisher = Oxford University Press | year = 1993 | pages= [https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780195046458/page/409 409]–413 | isbn = 978-0195046458 }}
*{{Cite book | editor1-last = Metzger |editor1-first = Bruce M | editor1-link = Bruce M. Metzger
| editor2-last = Coogan | editor2-first = Michael D | title = The Oxford Companion to the Bible
| publisher = Oxford University Press | year = 1993 | isbn = 978-0195046458}}
*{{Cite book | editor-last  = Ulrich | editor-first = Eugene | title = The Biblical Qumran Scrolls: Transcriptions and Textual Variants | year = 2010 | publisher = Brill | url  = https://archive.org/details/TheBiblicalQumranScrolls }}
*{{cite book | last = Würthwein | first = Ernst | author-link = Ernst Würthwein | title = The Text of the Old Testament | publisher = Wm. B. Eerdmans |location = Grand Rapids, MI | year=  1995 | translator-first1 = Erroll F.| translator-last1 = Rhodes | isbn = 0-8028-0788-7 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=FSNKSBObCYwC | access-date= January 26, 2019}}

==External links==
* [[Judaism|Jewish]] translations:
** [https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/15887 Melachim I - I Kings - Chapter 3 (Judaica Press)]. Hebrew text and English translation [with [[Rashi]]'s commentary] at Chabad.org
* [[Christianity|Christian]] translations:
** [http://www.gospelhall.org/bible/bible.php?passage=1+Kings+3 ''Online Bible'' at GospelHall.org] (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
** [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=11&chapter=3&version=9 1 Kings chapter 3. Bible Gateway]

{{First Book of Kings}}

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[[Category:First Book of Kings chapters|03]]