Bible Strands
1 Kings 3:17
One woman said, “Please, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth while she was in the house.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — A woman addresses King Solomon as "my lord," presenting her case immediately after both she and another woman gave birth while sharing the same dwelling. She speaks this account directly to the king after the two prostitutes had stood before him.
The words — The Hebrew בִּי (bi) carries the literal sense of "pardon me" or "please," functioning as a formal request for attention. אֲדֹנִי ('adoni) translates as "my lord," a standard honorific used here to acknowledge the king's judicial authority.
The thread — The appeal aligns with the respectful petition in Genesis 43:20 and the submission to governing authority described in Romans 13:7. These passages collectively demonstrate how biblical figures properly approach established authority to present their circumstances.
Why it lands — The text requires a reader to acknowledge that personal disputes must be brought before recognized authority for resolution rather than settled privately. It demands that grievances be stated with factual clarity and formal respect to enable impartial judgment.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Genesis 43:20 “Please, sir,” they said, “we really did come down here the first time to buy food.
- Romans 13:7 Pay everyone what you owe him: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.