The Meaning of 1 Kings 3:26 Explained

1 Kings 3:26

KJV: 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.

YLT: And the woman whose son is the living one saith unto the king (for her bowels yearned over her son), yea, she saith, 'O, my lord, give to her the living child, and put it not at all to death;' and this one saith, 'Let it be neither mine or thine -- cut it.'

Darby: Then spoke the woman whose was the living child to the king, for her bowels yearned over her son, and she said, Ah, my lord! give her the living child, and in no wise put it to death. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine; divide it.

ASV: Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her heart yearned over her son, and she said, Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, It shall be neither mine nor thine; divide it.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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]. 

What does 1 Kings 3:26 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 3:16-28 - A Discerning Judgment
The incident gave convincing proof of the gift of wisdom. This is the most esteemed endowment of an Eastern potentate, who is called upon to arbitrate in cases that defy the labored processes of law and precedent. How could so difficult a case be decided? There were no witnesses on either side. But Solomon appealed to the instincts of a mother's love. The proposal to divide the child at once revealed the mother, who would rather expose herself to a life of anguish than see her child suffer or its life extinguished.
Bishop Hall, commenting on this incident, says, "Truth demands entireness; falsehood is satisfied with less. Satan, who has no right to the heart, is content with a piece of it; God, who made the heart, will have either all or none."
But surely there is a still deeper lesson. When we truly belong to Christ, sharing His nature and having fellowship in His Kingdom, we shall live in quick sympathy with everything that touches His honor. The child of God instinctively winces whenever his Father's character is challenged, or a foul suggestion is made to his own soul. This is evidence of sonship.
1 Kings 3:1-28 - Breaking Three Commandments
From a worldly point of view Naboth might have done a good stroke of business by selling his estate to. Ahab. A royal price and assured favor might have been his-but he had a conscience! Above the persuasive tones of the monarch's offer sounded the voice of God: "The land shall not be sold for ever, for the land is mine." See Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7; Ezekiel 46:18.
Ahab knew perfectly well that Jezebel could not give him the property of another except by foul means, but he took pains not to inquire. Though the direct orders for Naboth's death did not come from him, yet, by his silence, he was an accomplice and an accessory; and divine justice penetrates all such specious excuses. God holds us responsible for wrongs which we do not arrest, though we have the power. The crime was blacker because of the pretext of religion, as suggested by a fast. See also 2 Kings 9:26. The blood of murdered innocence cries to God, and his requital, though delayed, is inevitable. See Revelation 6:9-10. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 3

1  Solomon marries Pharaoh's daughter
2  High places being in use, Solomon sacrifices at Gibeon
5  Solomon at Gibeon, in the choice which God gave him,
10  preferring wisdom, obtains wisdom, riches, and honor
16  Solomon's judgment makes him renowned

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 3:26 mean?

And spoke the woman whose son [was] living to the king for she yearned with compassion for her son and she said O my lord give her - the child living and by no means kill him but this [one] said neither mine nor yours neither let him be [but] divide [him]
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר הָאִשָּׁה֩ אֲשֶׁר־ בְּנָ֨הּ הַחַ֜י אֶל־ הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ כִּֽי־ נִכְמְר֣וּ רַחֲמֶיהָ֮ עַל־ בְּנָהּ֒ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר ׀ בִּ֣י אֲדֹנִ֗י תְּנוּ־ לָהּ֙ אֶת־ הַיָּל֣וּד הַחַ֔י וְהָמֵ֖ת אַל־ תְּמִיתֻ֑הוּ וְזֹ֣את אֹמֶ֗רֶת גַּם־ לִ֥י גַם־ לָ֛ךְ לֹ֥א יִהְיֶ֖ה גְּזֹֽרוּ

וַתֹּ֣אמֶר  And  spoke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הָאִשָּׁה֩  the  woman 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
אֲשֶׁר־  whose 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בְּנָ֨הּ  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
הַחַ֜י  [was]  living 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
נִכְמְר֣וּ  she  yearned 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: כָּמַר  
Sense: to yearn, be kindled, be black (hot), grow warm and tender, be or grow hot, become hot, become emotionally agitated.
רַחֲמֶיהָ֮  with  compassion 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: רַחַם 
Sense: womb.
בְּנָהּ֒  her  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר ׀  and  she  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
בִּ֣י  O 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: בִּי  
Sense: if it please, pray excuse me, excuse me please.
אֲדֹנִ֗י  my  lord 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
תְּנוּ־  give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לָהּ֙  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַיָּל֣וּד  the  child 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
הַחַ֔י  living 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
אַל־  by  no  means 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
תְּמִיתֻ֑הוּ  kill  him 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine plural, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
וְזֹ֣את  but  this  [one] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
אֹמֶ֗רֶת  said 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
גַּם־  neither 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
לִ֥י  mine 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
גַם־  nor 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
לָ֛ךְ  yours 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
לֹ֥א  neither 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִהְיֶ֖ה  let  him  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
גְּזֹֽרוּ  [but]  divide  [him] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: גָּזַר 
Sense: to cut, divide, cut down, cut off, cut in two, snatch, decree.