1 Kings 3:20

1Ki 3:20 And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.

Ver. 20. While thine handmaid slept.] But how could she certainly tell what was done when she was asleep? The proofs in this cause alleged were so weak and unsatisfactory, that it was thought the wit of man could not determine it. But "a divine sentence was in the mouth of the king: his lips transgressed not in judgment." {Pro 16:10}

And laid her dead child in my bosom.] This was Qυχρον παραγκαλισμα, a cold bosomful, as one calleth a bad wife. And another complaineth of some in these days, that, harlot-like, they take their dead and putrid fancies, and lay them in the bosom of the Scripture, as of a mother, while they go about to give unto it, and not to receive from it the sense; wresting it to their own destruction.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

She stole the quick child away, because she might both avoid the shame and punishment.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

20. and laid it in her bosom] It is not easy to account for the action of this woman. We need not however suppose her to have been possessed of very fine feelings, as indeed her after-behaviour shews. But it is somewhat more than unnatural to adopt such a scheme as this described here at a moment’s notice. It may be that she was chiefly moved by anxiety to preserve her own health, which would be imperilled through the sudden loss of the babe which she was meant to nurse.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck,.... As she used to do:

behold, it was dead; her own child, as she thought at first:

but when I had considered it in the morning; it was towards morning, or just at break of day, when she arose to suckle it, and found it dead: but when it was broad day, and the light of the morning was increased, she more narrowly viewed it, and by its features, or some marks she had observed;

behold, it was not my son which I did bear: she was fully satisfied it was not her own child, but another.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

She arose at midnight, when I was asleep, as she reasonably and truly concluded.

Took my son from beside me; either because she really desired the comfort of a child, to be educated by her, and owned as hers; or because she would not be thought guilty of the child’s death, for which she knew not how severely Solomon would punish her.

While thine handmaid slept; as she might well know, because had she been awake, she had discovered and prevented her design.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

And she arose at midnight (rather, in the middle, i.e. , dead of the night. The sleeper could not know it was midnight), and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my besom.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.