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| 1 And Solomon contracted an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt,–and took the daughter of Pharaoh, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of Yahweh, and the wall of Jerusalem, round about. |
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| 2 Save only, that the people were sacrificing in the high places,–because there had not been built a house unto the Name of Yahweh, until those days, |
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| 3 Solomon loved Yahweh, by walking in the statutes of David his father,–save only, that, in the high places, he himself, was sacrificing and offering incense. |
Sacrificed – Unto the Lord. R2045:6
In high places – This was prohibited by Mosaic Law (Deut. 12:13, 14), but was accepted of R2045:6
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| 4 So then the king went to Gibeon, to sacrifice there, for, that, was the great high place,–a thousand ascending-sacrifices, did Solomon offer up on that altar. |
Sacrifice – Each has a sacrifice to bring: his justified self, his will, his time, his influence, his talents. R4292:1
1000 burnt offerings – Burnt offerings only in the sense that they were offered in connection with a religious ceremony. Certain portions, particularly the fat, were burned and the food portions became the basis of the feast. R3277:3, R5714:2
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| 5 In Gibeon, Yahweh appeared unto Solomon, in a dream by night,–and God said, Ask, what I shall give thee. |
Appeared – While Solomon's mind was active in religious matters. R3277:6
In a dream – All dreams are not of the Lord, but he is able to use dreams when he so chooses to convey lessons and instructions. The only safe way is to interpret dreams in full accord with the Scriptures. R3277:6, R3278:1, R5714:5
Ask what I shall give thee – So God is asking all who would become his children. He desires to do them good, but wishes them to realize their needs and make requests accordingly. R5714:6
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| 6 Then said Solomon–Thou, didst deal, with thy servant David my father, in great lovingkindness, 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 lovingkindness, that thou hast given unto him a son, to sit upon his throne, as it is this day. |
Thou hast shewed – Indicating that he realized that God's favor was merely the continuation of the divine mercies which had blessed David. R4290:6
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| 7 Now, therefore, O Yahweh 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 and come in. |
Thou hast made thy servant – This should give strength to all the Lord's consecrated people who have come into present grace and truth, not by their own wisdom but through the wisdom and grace of God. R3278:2
A little child – Teachable, not boastful or self confident. R5714:6
Go out or come in – How to conduct myself in public or in private before the people. R4291:1
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| 8 And, thy servant, is in the midst of thy people, whom thou hast chosen,–a numerous people, that cannot be numbered or summed up, for multitude. |
Thy servant – Solomon recognized that the people were God's, not his. R4291:1, R3278:2
Midst of thy people – A lesson to those who speak of God's people as "My people," "My flock," "My church." R3278:2
A great people – Estimated 6,000,000. R3278:3
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| 9 Wilt thou, then, give unto thy servant, a heart that hearkeneth, to judge thy people, to discern between good and bad,–for who is able to judge this thine honoured people? |
An understanding heart – The most necessary thing for the welfare of the nation was righteous judgment. R3278:4
Its full realization will be in Solomon's antitype. R2053:5, R1517:2
To judge – To administer justice. Messiah is to accomplish this in the world in the Millennial age. R5715:1, R3278:5
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| 10 And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord,–that Solomon had asked this thing; |
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| 11 And God said unto him–Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself many days, nor asked for thyself riches, nor asked the lives of thine enemies,–but hast asked for thyself discernment, in hearing a cause, |
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| 12 lo! I have done according to thy word,–lo! I have given unto thee a wise and discerning heart, so that, like thee, hath been none, before thee, and, after thee, shall rise up none, like thee. |
According to thy words – Insofar as the dream was fulfilled in Solomon and his reign, it prefigured the glorious and peaceful reign of David's greater son, Jesus. R2046:5
Neither after thee – Since typical of Christ, it is harmonious with Matt. 12:42, "A greater than Solomon i 2
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| 13 Moreover also, what thou hast not asked, have I given unto thee, both riches and honour,–so that there hath been none, like thee, among the kings, all thy days. |
Hast not asked – This was just like our Heavenly Father. R3278:5
Riches and honor – Typifying the spiritual riches and honors given to the true Church. R3278:5
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| 14 And, if thou wilt walk in my ways, by keeping my statutes, and my commandments, as, David thy father, walked, then will I lengthen out thy days. |
As thy father David – Showing that the Lord was not expecting absolute perfection, but heart intentions. R2059:6
I will lengthen thy days – Conditional. Solomon lived to 60 years; he would have lived to 80 years had he been more obedient. R3278:6
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| 15 And Solomon awoke, and lo! it was a dream. So he entered into Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and caused to go up ascending-sacrifices and offered peace-offerings, and made a banquet for all his servants. |
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| 16 Then, came there in two unchaste women, unto the king,–and stood before him. |
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| 17 And the one woman said–Pardon, my lord! I and this woman, dwell in one house,–and I gave birth to a child near her, in the house. |
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| 18 And it came to pass, the third day after I bare, that, this woman also, gave birth to a child,–we two, being together, there was no stranger with us in the house, none but we two in the house. |
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| 19 And this woman's son died in the night,–because she overlaid it. |
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| 20 Then arose she, in the middle of the night, and took my son from beside me, while thy handmaid was sleeping, and laid it in her own besom,–but, her dead son, laid she in, my, bosom. |
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| 21 And, when I arose in the morning, to give suck unto my child, lo! it was dead! but, when I looked at it narrowly in the morning, lo! it was not, my son that I had borne. |
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| 22 Then said the other woman–Nay! but, my son, is the, living, and, thy son, the, dead. But, this, one kept on saying–Nay, verily! but, thy son, is the, dead, and, my son, the, living. Thus spake they before the king. |
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| 23 Then said the king, The one woman, is saying, This, is, my son, the one that liveth, and, thy son, is, the one that is dead,–and, the other, is saying, Nay! but, thy son, is, the dead one, and, my son, the, living. |
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| 24 And the king said–Bring me a sword! So they brought a sword before the king. |
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| 25 Then said the king, Divide the living child, in twain,–and give half to the one, and half to the other. |
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| 26 Then spake the woman, whose was the living child, unto the king–for tender became her compassions over her son–so she said–Pardon, my lord! Give, her, the living child, and do not, kill, it. But the other kept on saying–Neither mine, nor thine, shall it be, divide it. |
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| 27 Then responded the king, and said–Give, her, the living child, ye shall not, kill, it,–she, is its mother. |
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| 28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had delivered, and they stood in awe before the king,–for they saw, that, the wisdom of God, was in him, to execute justice. |
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