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.
1 Kings 3:1. And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh— There are many who blame this action of Solomon's; observing, that whatever augmentation of power he might promise himself from this alliance, he certainly ran the hazard of having his religion corrupted. Others, however, have observed, that as the sacred Scriptures commend the beginning of Solomon's reign, in all other respects except the people's sacrificing in high places, which might be the rather tolerated because there was no house built unto the name of the Lord in those days, 1Ki 3:2 and as they gave him this character, that he loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, 1Ki 3:2 he would never have done an act so directly contrary to the laws of God as marrying an idolatrous princess, had she not been first proselyted to the Jewish faith. The Scriptures, indeed, take notice of the gods of the Moabites, Ammonites, and Sidonians, for whom Solomon, in compliance with his strange wives, built places of worship. See chap. 11: But as there is no mention made of any Gods of the Egyptians, it seems very likely that this princess, when she was espoused to Solomon, quitted the religion of her ancestors, to which Psa 45:10-11 is thought to allude in its primary sense. However this be, it is certain that no where in Scripture do we find Solomon reproved for this match; nor can we think that his book of Canticles, which is supposed to be in its primary sense his Epithalamium, would have found a place in the sacred canon, had the spouse, whom it all along celebrates, been at that time an idolatress. It may seem somewhat strange, that in all the history of the Jews, from the time of Moses to that of Solomon, no mention should be made of the kings of Egypt, as if they had no concern in the affairs of Canaan, but were wholly diverted some other way: but for this their own historians account, when they tell us, that during this space of time the "Egyptian kings did nothing worthy recording." Diodor. Biblioth. lib. 1: p. 29. Clemens Alexandrinus, in a passage taken from Alexander Polyhistor, tells us, that the proper name of this Egyptian king, whose daughter Solomon married, was Vaphres. See Calmet.
2.
Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days.
3.
And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.
4.
And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.
1 Kings 3:4. To Gibeon—for that was the great high place— Of all the high places where the people sacrificed, Gibeon was the great and celebrated one, because the tabernacle and brazen altar were there. See 2 Chronicles 1:3. There is no reason to suppose, that the thousand sacrifices which Solomon is said to have made here, were offered in one day. The king, we may imagine, upon one of the great festivals, went in procession with his nobles to pay his devotion in Gibeon. Each of the great festivals lasted for seven days: but Solomon might stay much longer at Gibeon, until, by the daily oblations, a thousand burnt-offerings were consumed; and at the conclusion of this course of devotion, he might offer up his ardent prayer to God for wisdom, as recorded in the next verses. See 2 Chronicles 1:7.
5.
In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
1 Kings 3:5. The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream— Sleep is like a state of death to the soul; wherein the senses are locked up, and the understanding and will deprived of the free exercise of their functions. And yet this is no impediment to God in communicating his will to mankind: for, no doubt, he has power not only to awaken our intellectual faculties, but to advance them above their ordinary measure of perception, even while the body is asleep. See Job 33:14. In a word, we cannot but allow, that God can approach the soul in many different ways, when the body is in a state of rest and inactivity; can move and actuate it just as he pleases; and when he is inclined to make a discovery of any thing, can set such a lively representation of it before the understanding, as shall prevent a man's doubting the reality of the vision. See Calmet.
6.
And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7.
And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
8.
And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
9.
Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
10.
And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
11.
And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;
12.
Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
13.
And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.
14.
And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.
15.
And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.
16.
Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
17.
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.
18.
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.
19.
And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
20.
And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
21.
And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.
22.
And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.
23.
Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.
24.
And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
25.
And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.
26.
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.
27.
Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
28.
And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.