1 Kings 3:21 Meaning and Explanation
“And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →In the morning the first woman finds a dead child at her breast and, on closer look, sees it is not her son.
What Does 1 Kings 3:21 Mean?
Morning brings the discovery. Rising to nurse her child, the woman finds him dead — then, looking closely, realizes the dead child is not hers at all. The horror of the first moment gives way to a dawning, more bitter clarity. The repeated word "morning" marks the light by which she finally sees what the night had hidden. Her grief turns to a fierce certainty.
Truth often comes with the morning light. What darkness concealed, day reveals; what the heart first feared, closer looking corrects. So the people of God wait for the light, trusting that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5). The woman's careful looking — "when I had considered it" — models the patient attention that lets truth be seen for what it is.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Kings 3:21
What does 1 Kings 3:21 mean?
In the morning the first woman finds a dead child at her breast and, on closer look, sees it is not her son.