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There was no stranger with us in the house, only the two of us in the house.</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/newcom.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-LR4HSKRP2H"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-LR4HSKRP2H'); </script><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../vmenus/1_kings/3-18.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmcom/1_kings/3-18.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="http://biblehub.com/commentaries/">Commentaries</a> > 1 Kings 3:18</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../1_kings/3-17.htm" title="1 Kings 3:17">◄</a> 1 Kings 3:18 <a href="../1_kings/3-19.htm" title="1 Kings 3:19">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse">And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we <i>were</i> together; <i>there was</i> no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.</div><div id="jump">Jump to: <a href="/commentaries/barnes/1_kings/3.htm" title="Barnes' Notes">Barnes</a> • <a href="/commentaries/benson/1_kings/3.htm" title="Benson Commentary">Benson</a> • <a href="/commentaries/illustrator/1_kings/3.htm" title="Biblical Illustrator">BI</a> • <a href="/commentaries/cambridge/1_kings/3.htm" title="Cambridge Bible">Cambridge</a> • <a href="/commentaries/clarke/1_kings/3.htm" title="Clarke's Commentary">Clarke</a> • <a href="/commentaries/darby/1_kings/3.htm" title="Darby's Bible Synopsis">Darby</a> • <a href="/commentaries/ellicott/1_kings/3.htm" title="Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers">Ellicott</a> • <a href="/commentaries/expositors/1_kings/3.htm" title="Expositor's Bible">Expositor's</a> • <a href="/commentaries/edt/1_kings/3.htm" title="Expositor's Dictionary">Exp Dct</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gaebelein/1_kings/3.htm" title="Gaebelein's Annotated Bible">Gaebelein</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gsb/1_kings/3.htm" title="Geneva Study Bible">GSB</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gill/1_kings/3.htm" title="Gill's Bible Exposition">Gill</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gray/1_kings/3.htm" title="Gray's Concise">Gray</a> • <a href="/commentaries/guzik/1_kings/3.htm" title="Guzik Bible Commentary">Guzik</a> • <a href="/commentaries/haydock/1_kings/3.htm" title="Haydock Catholic Bible Commentary">Haydock</a> • <a href="/commentaries/hastings/1_kings/6-7.htm" title="Hastings Great Texts">Hastings</a> • <a href="/commentaries/homiletics/1_kings/3.htm" title="Pulpit Homiletics">Homiletics</a> • <a href="/commentaries/jfb/1_kings/3.htm" title="Jamieson-Fausset-Brown">JFB</a> • <a href="/commentaries/kad/1_kings/3.htm" title="Keil and Delitzsch OT">KD</a> • <a href="/commentaries/king-en/1_kings/3.htm" title="Kingcomments Bible Studies">King</a> • <a href="/commentaries/lange/1_kings/3.htm" title="Lange Commentary">Lange</a> • <a href="/commentaries/maclaren/1_kings/3.htm" title="MacLaren Expositions">MacLaren</a> • <a href="/commentaries/mhc/1_kings/3.htm" title="Matthew Henry Concise">MHC</a> • <a href="/commentaries/mhcw/1_kings/3.htm" title="Matthew Henry Full">MHCW</a> • <a href="/commentaries/parker/1_kings/3.htm" title="The People's Bible by Joseph Parker">Parker</a> • <a href="/commentaries/poole/1_kings/3.htm" title="Matthew Poole">Poole</a> • <a href="/commentaries/pulpit/1_kings/3.htm" title="Pulpit Commentary">Pulpit</a> • <a href="/commentaries/sermon/1_kings/3.htm" title="Sermon Bible">Sermon</a> • <a href="/commentaries/sco/1_kings/3.htm" title="Scofield Reference Notes">SCO</a> • <a href="/commentaries/ttb/1_kings/3.htm" title="Through The Bible">TTB</a> • <a href="/commentaries/wes/1_kings/3.htm" title="Wesley's Notes">WES</a> • <a href="#tsk" title="Treasury of Scripture Knowledge">TSK</a></div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="comtype">EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)</div><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/benson/1_kings/3.htm">Benson Commentary</a></div><span class="bld"><a href="/context/1_kings/3-18.htm" title="And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house....">1 Kings 3:18-22</a></span>. <span class="ital">On the third day — this woman was delivered also — </span>So that the children could not be distinguished by their age. <span class="ital">No stranger was with us in the house — </span>Therefore there was no witness on either side; and although there might be some difference distinguishable by an exact observer between the features of the two children, yet it is not probable that was much attended to by the neighbours who might be present to assist either or both of them in their labour; as they were persons, it seems, of suspected fame. And the testimonies of the women were of equal credit, that is, of no credit at all. <span class="ital">Because she overlaid it </span>— And so smothered it: which she justly conjectures, because there were evidences of that kind of death, but no appearance of any other cause thereof. <span class="ital">Thus they spake before the </span>king — Both peremptorily and vehemently affirmed the same thing; oft repeating the same words.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="mhc" id="mhc"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/mhc/1_kings/3.htm">Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary</a></div>3:16-28 An instance of Solomon's wisdom is given. Notice the difficulty of the case. To find out the true mother, he could not try which the child loved best, and therefore tried which loved the child best: the mother's sincerity will be tried, when the child is in danger. Let parents show their love to their children, especially by taking care of their souls, and snatching them as brands out of the burning. By this and other instances of the wisdom with which God endued him, Solomon had great reputation among his people. This was better to him than weapons of war; for this he was both feared and loved.<a name="bar" id="bar"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/barnes/1_kings/3.htm">Barnes' Notes on the Bible</a></div>Solomon determined to inaugurate his reign by a grand religious ceremonial at each of the two holy places which at this time divided between them the reverence of the Jews. Having completed the religious service at Gibeon, where was the tabernacle of the congregation, he proceeded to Jerusalem, and sacrificed before the ark of the covenant, which was in Mount Zion <a href="/2_samuel/6-12.htm">2 Samuel 6:12</a>. A great feast naturally followed on a large sacrifice of peace-offerings. In these the sacrificer always partook of the flesh of the victim, and he was commanded to call in to the feast the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow <a href="/deuteronomy/14-29.htm">Deuteronomy 14:29</a>. Compare <a href="/2_samuel/6-19.htm">2 Samuel 6:19</a>; <a href="/1_chronicles/16-3.htm">1 Chronicles 16:3</a>. <a name="jfb" id="jfb"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/jfb/1_kings/3.htm">Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary</a></div>1Ki 3:16-28. His Judgment between Two Harlots.<p>16. Then came there two women—Eastern monarchs, who generally administer justice in person, at least in all cases of difficulty, often appeal to the principles of human nature when they are at a loss otherwise to find a clue to the truth or see clearly their way through a mass of conflicting testimony. The modern history of the East abounds with anecdotes of judicial cases, in which the decision given was the result of an experiment similar to this of Solomon upon the natural feelings of the contending parties. <div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/poole/1_kings/3.htm">Matthew Poole's Commentary</a></div> <span class="bld">The third day; </span> so they could not be distinguished by their age. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="bld">There was no stranger with us in the house; </span> therefore no witness on either side; and although there might be some sensible difference to an exact observer between the features of the two children, yet it is not probable that was much minded by the neighbours; for though civil women might assist them both in their child-births, yet it is not likely they would afterwards converse much with them, as being persons of suspected fame, and the features of the children, especially for so few days, might easily be so like, that it was difficult to discern the one from the other. And the testimonies of the women were of equal credit, i.e. of none at all. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="gil" id="gil"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/gill/1_kings/3.htm">Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible</a></div>And it came to pass, the third day after I was delivered,.... Of a child, as before expressed: <p>that this woman was delivered also; of another child; and being both of the same sex, both sons, as afterwards appears; and being so nearly of an age, it was difficult to distinguish them; <p>and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, <p>save we two in the house; so that in this trial no evidences could be produced on either side. <a name="gsb" id="gsb"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/gsb/1_kings/3.htm">Geneva Study Bible</a></div><span class="cverse2">And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.</span></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><div class="comtype">EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)</div><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/cambridge/1_kings/3.htm">Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges</a></div><span class="bld">18</span>. there was <span class="ital">no stranger with us</span>] Thus the mother of the dead child was able to persist in her false story. The word of one was as good as that of the other.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="pul" id="pul"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/1_kings/3.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 18.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.</span> [Emphasis is laid on this fact, as showing the possibility of the fraud and the impossibility of producing proof. Hebrew women have always required but little assistance in childbearing. That which is written in <a href="/exodus/1-19.htm">Exodus 1:19</a> is true to this day. 1 Kings 3:18<a name="kad" id="kad"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/kad/1_kings/3.htm">Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament</a></div>Solomon's Judicial Wisdom. - As a proof that the Lord had bestowed upon Solomon unusual judicial wisdom, there is appended a decision of his in a very difficult case, in which Solomon had shown extraordinary intelligence. Two harlots living together in one house had each given birth to a child, and one of them had "overlaid" her child in the night while asleep (עליו שׁכבה אשׁר, because she had lain upon it), and had then placed her dead child in the other one's bosom and taken her living child away. When the other woman looked the next morning at the child lying in her bosom, she saw that it was not her own but the other woman's child, whereas the latter maintained the opposite. As they eventually referred the matter in dispute to the king, and each one declared that the living child was her own, the king ordered a sword to be brought, and the living child to be cut in two, and a half given to each. Then the mother of the living child, "because her bowels yearned upon her son," i.e., her maternal love was excited, cried out, "Give her (the other) the living child, but do not slay it;" whereas the latter said, "It shall be neither mine nor thine, cut it in pieces." <div class="vheading2">Links</div><a href="/interlinear/1_kings/3-18.htm">1 Kings 3:18 Interlinear</a><br /><a href="/texts/1_kings/3-18.htm">1 Kings 3:18 Parallel Texts</a><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/niv/1_kings/3-18.htm">1 Kings 3:18 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/1_kings/3-18.htm">1 Kings 3:18 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/1_kings/3-18.htm">1 Kings 3:18 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/1_kings/3-18.htm">1 Kings 3:18 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/1_kings/3-18.htm">1 Kings 3:18 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="http://bibleapps.com/1_kings/3-18.htm">1 Kings 3:18 Bible Apps</a><br /><a href="/1_kings/3-18.htm">1 Kings 3:18 Parallel</a><br /><a href="http://bibliaparalela.com/1_kings/3-18.htm">1 Kings 3:18 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="http://holybible.com.cn/1_kings/3-18.htm">1 Kings 3:18 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="http://saintebible.com/1_kings/3-18.htm">1 Kings 3:18 French Bible</a><br /><a href="http://bibeltext.com/1_kings/3-18.htm">1 Kings 3:18 German Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a><br /></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td align="center"><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script><br /><br /> </div> <div id="left"><a href="../1_kings/3-17.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="1 Kings 3:17"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="1 Kings 3:17" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../1_kings/3-19.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="1 Kings 3:19"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="1 Kings 3:19" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div> <div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>