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.
17 One of them said, "Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was there with me.
17 The one woman said, "Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house.
17 The one woman said, "My master, this woman and I live in the same house. While we were living together, I had a baby.
17 And one woman said, "O my lord, this woman and I dwell in the same house; and I gave birth while she was in the house.
17 "Please, my lord," one of them began, "this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was with me in the house.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 3:17
Commentary on 1 Kings 3:16-28
(Read 1 Kings 3:16-28)
An instance of Solomon's wisdom is given. Notice the difficulty of the case. To find out the true mother, he could not try which the child loved best, and therefore tried which loved the child best: the mother's sincerity will be tried, when the child is in danger. Let parents show their love to their children, especially by taking care of their souls, and snatching them as brands out of the burning. By this and other instances of the wisdom with which God endued him, Solomon had great reputation among his people. This was better to him than weapons of war; for this he was both feared and loved.