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Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 20 / Ordinary 25
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Read the Bible

Douay-Rheims Bible

1 Kings 3:16

Then there came two women that were harlots, to the king, and stood before him.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Arbitration;   Judge;   Rulers;   Solomon;   Wisdom;   Thompson Chain Reference - Harlots;   Solomon;   Women;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Justice;   Magistrates;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Prostitution;   Solomon;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Prostitution;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Judges;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Book(s);   Court Systems;   Harlot;   King, Kingship;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Solomon;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Decision;   Israel;   Priests and Levites;   Wisdom;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Boyhood ;   Numbers;   Trial-At-Law;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Law of Moses;   Sol'omon;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Crime;   Decision;   Judge;   King;   Proverbs, Book of;   Queen of Sheba;   Solomon;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - King;   Solomon;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
Hebrew Names Version
Then there came two women who were prostitutes, to the king, and stood before him.
King James Version
Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
English Standard Version
Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
New Century Version
One day two women who were prostitutes came to Solomon. As they stood before him,
New English Translation
Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
Amplified Bible
Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
New American Standard Bible
Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then came two harlots vnto the King, and stoode before him.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then two women who were harlots came to the king and stood before him.
Contemporary English Version
One day two women came to King Solomon,
Complete Jewish Bible
After this, there came to the king two women who were prostitutes. After presenting themselves to him,
Darby Translation
Then came two women, harlots, to the king, and stood before him.
Easy-to-Read Version
One day two prostitutes came to Solomon and stood before the king.
George Lamsa Translation
Then came there two women who were harlots to plead before King Solomon.
Good News Translation
One day two prostitutes came and presented themselves before King Solomon.
Lexham English Bible
Then two prostitutes came to the king, and they stood before him.
Literal Translation
Then two women, harlots, came in to the king and stood before him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
At the same tyme came there two harlottes vnto ye kynge, and stode before him.
American Standard Version
Then there came two women that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
Bible in Basic English
Then two loose women of the town came and took their places before the king;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then came there two women that were harlottes, vnto the king, & stoode before him.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
King James Version (1611)
Then came there two women that were harlots, vnto the king, and stood before him.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Then there appeared two harlots before the king, and they stood before him.
English Revised Version
Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
Berean Standard Bible
At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thanne twei wymmen hooris camen to the kyng, and stoden bifor hym;
Young's Literal Translation
then come in do two women, harlots, unto the king, and stand before him,
Update Bible Version
Then there came two women that were prostitutes, to the king, and stood before him.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then came there two women, [that were] harlots, to the king, and stood before him.
World English Bible
Then there came two women who were prostitutes, to the king, and stood before him.
New King James Version
Now two women who were harlots came to the king, and stood before him.
New Living Translation
Some time later two prostitutes came to the king to have an argument settled.
New Life Bible
Then two women who sold the use of their bodies came to the king and stood in front of him.
New Revised Standard
Later, two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then, came there in two unchaste women, unto the king, - and stood before him.
Revised Standard Version
Then two harlots came to the king, and stood before him.
THE MESSAGE
The very next thing, two prostitutes showed up before the king. The one woman said, "My master, this woman and I live in the same house. While we were living together, I had a baby. Three days after I gave birth, this woman also had a baby. We were alone—there wasn't anyone else in the house except for the two of us. The infant son of this woman died one night when she rolled over on him in her sleep. She got up in the middle of the night and took my son—I was sound asleep, mind you!—and put him at her breast and put her dead son at my breast. When I got up in the morning to nurse my son, here was this dead baby! But when I looked at him in the morning light, I saw immediately that he wasn't my baby."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then two women who were harlots came to the king and stood before him.

Contextual Overview

16 Then there came two women that were harlots, to the king, and stood before him. 17 And one of them said: I beseech thee, my lord, I and this woman dwelt in one house, and I was delivered of a child with her in the chamber. 18 And the third day after I was delivered, she also was delivered; and we were together, and no other person with us in the house; only we two. 19 And this woman’s child died in the night: for in her sleep she overlaid him. 20 And rising in the dead time of the night, she took my child from my side, while I, thy handmaid, was asleep, and laid it in her bosom: and laid her dead child in my bosom. 21 And when I arose in the morning, to give my child suck, behold it was dead: but considering him more diligently, when it was clear day, I found that it was not mine which I bore. 22 And the other woman answered: It is not so as thou sayst, but thy child is dead, and mine is alive. On the contrary, she said; Thou liest: for my child liveth, and thy child is dead. And in this manner they strove before the king. 23 Then said the king: The one saith, My child is alive, and thy child is dead. And the other answereth: Nay; but thy child is dead, and mine liveth. 24 The king therefore said: Bring me a sword. And when they had brought a sword before the king, 25 Divide, said he, the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

two women: Leviticus 19:29, Deuteronomy 23:17, Joshua 2:1

harlots: The word zanoth, rendered harlots, is here translated by the Targumist, the best judge in this case, pundekon, "tavern-keepers." See note on Joshua 2:1, and see note on Judges 11:1. Had these women been harlots, it is not likely that they would have dared to appear before Solomon; nor is it likely that such persons would have been permitted in the reign of David. Their husbands might at this time have been following their necessary occupations in distant parts.

stood: Exodus 18:13, Exodus 18:16, Numbers 27:2

Reciprocal: Exodus 18:26 - the hard causes Deuteronomy 17:8 - arise 2 Samuel 15:2 - came 2 Chronicles 32:4 - find Job 9:33 - that might Job 29:16 - the cause

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more subtle than any of the beasts of the earth which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman: Why hath God commanded you, that you should not eat of every tree of paradise?
Genesis 3:6
And the woman saw that the tree was good to eat, and fair to the eyes, and delightful to behold: and she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave to her husband, who did eat.
Genesis 3:7
And the eyes of them both were opened: and when they perceived themselves to be naked, they sewed together fig leaves, and made themselves aprons.
Genesis 3:8
And when they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in paradise at the afternoon air, Adam and his wife hid themselves from the face of the Lord God, amidst the trees of paradise.
Genesis 3:9
And the Lord God called Adam, and said to him: Where art thou?
Genesis 3:10
And he said: I heard thy voice in paradise; and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.
Genesis 3:11
And he said to him: And who hath told thee that thou wast naked, but that thou hast eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat?
Genesis 3:12
And Adam said: The woman, whom thou gavest me to be my companion, gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
Genesis 3:16
To the woman also he said: I will multiply thy sorrows, and thy conceptions: in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children, and thou shalt be under thy husband’s power, and he shall have dominion over thee.
Genesis 3:17
And to Adam he said: Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee, that thou shouldst not eat, cursed is the earth in thy work: with labour and toil shalt thou eat thereof all the days of thy life.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then came there two women [that] were harlots unto the king,.... The same day, as Abarbinel thinks, the night before which the Lord had appeared to Solomon; this came to pass through the providence of God, that there should be immediately an instance and proof of the wisdom and understanding the Lord had given to Solomon; these women, according to the Targum, were victuallers or inn keepers; and so Ben Gersom thinks they were sellers of food, as Rahab; though he observes it is possible they might, prostitute themselves: this may be said in their favour, that common prostitutes do not usually bear children, or, when they do, take no care of them, have no affection for them, and much less are fond of them, as these seem to be; but, on the other hand, no mention being made of their husbands, and living together in one house, and alone, and being impudent, brawling, and litigious, give great suspicion of the truth of the character they bear in our version and others:

and stood before him; to lay their case before him, and each plead their own cause; it may be, it had been tried in another court before, and could not be determined, and so was brought to the king; and, if so, the wisdom of Solomon was the more conspicuous, in deciding it in the manner he did.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 3:16. Then came there two women-harlots — The word זנות zonoth, which we here, and in some other places, improperly translate harlots, is by the Chaldee (the best judge in this case) rendered פונדקין pundekayan, tavern-keepers. (See on Joshua 2:1). If these had been harlots, it is not likely they would have dared to appear before Solomon; and if they had been common women, it is not likely they would have had children; nor is it likely that such persons would have been permitted under the reign of David. Though there is no mention of their husbands, it is probable they might have been at this time in other parts, following their necessary occupations; and the settling the present business could not have been delayed till their return; the appeal to justice must be made immediately.


 
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