Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And the other woman said,.... The defendant:

nay, but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son; she denied what the other said, but offered nothing in proof of it:

and this said; she who was the plaintiff replied in the same language:

no: but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son; without being able to add anything in confirmation of what she had deposed:

thus they spake before the king; several times, over and over again, what is before expressed, having nothing to produce on either side in proof of their assertions; so that it was very difficult to determine to whom the living child belonged.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

1 Kings 3:22 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.

Ver. 22. And the other woman said, Nay.] This said, Nay, and that said, Yea; vocis et clamoris contentione inter se more suo certabant; and because there were neither proofs nor witnesses, the hearers haeserunt animis penduli, dubiique, earum utri credendum potius esset, an earum neutri, as Cicero (a) saith in another case, hung in suspense, and could not tell which to believe.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Both peremptorily and vehemently affirmed the same thing, oft repeating the same words.

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

spake = talked [very much]. Figure of speech Ellipsis (App-6), to be supplied.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Nay

23,24