Bible Strands

1 Kings 3:26

Then 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!”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The mother of the living infant addresses King Solomon directly after he decrees the child be divided between the two disputing women. Her plea interrupts the execution of the king's judgment to prevent the baby's death.

The words — The Hebrew term הַ/חַ֜י (ha./Chai) identifies the child as "the living one," emphasizing his current state of life against the threat of execution. The verb וַ/תֹּ֣אמֶר (va./To.mer) marks her direct speech, shifting the narrative focus to her urgent intervention.

The thread — This maternal intervention parallels passages that contrast human capacity for compassion with divine steadfastness, such as Isaiah 49:15, Jeremiah 31:20, and 1 John 3:17. These texts use the same conceptual framework of a mother's instinct to preserve life as a measure of deeper loyalty.

Why it lands — The text demands recognition that true parenthood is demonstrated by prioritizing a child's survival over personal claim. Readers must evaluate their own responses to conflict by asking whether they protect life or cling to possession.

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

וַתֹּ֣אמֶרva./To.merand/ she saidהָאִשָּׁה֩ha./'i.Shahthe/ womanאֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-whomבְּנָ֨הּbe.Na/h[was] son/ herהַחַ֜יha./Chaithe/ living oneאֶל־'el-toהַמֶּ֗לֶךְha./Me.lekhthe/ kingכִּֽי־ki-forנִכְמְר֣וּnikh.me.Ruthey had grown warmרַחֲמֶיהָ֮ra.cha.mei./Hacompassion<s>/ herעַל־'al-onבְּנָהּ֒be.Na/hson/ herוַתֹּ֣אמֶר׀va./To.merand/ she saidבִּ֣יbipardon meאֲדֹנִ֗י'a.do.N/iO lord/ myתְּנוּ־te.nu-giveלָהּ֙la/hto/ herאֶת־'et-<obj.>הַיָּל֣וּדhai./ya.Ludthe/ childהַחַ֔יha./Chai<the>/ livingוְהָמֵ֖תve./ha.Metand/ certainly <to kill>אַל־'al-may notתְּמִיתֻ֑הוּte.mi.Tu./huyou kill/ himוְזֹ֣אתve./Zotand/ this [one]אֹמֶ֗רֶת'o.Me.ret[was] sayingגַּם־gam-neitherלִ֥יl/ito/ meגַם־gam-norלָ֛ךְla/khto/ youלֹ֥אlo'notיִהְיֶ֖הyih.Yehhe will belongגְּזֹֽרוּ׃ge.Zo.rucut

King James Version

Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.

Cross-references