Then the king said: Then reflects the common Hebrew conjunction, but in this context it may be translated in such a way as to show that Solomon had heard enough of the arguments of the two woman and that he was moving toward a decision. Contemporary English Version connects this verse with the previous one and translates “until finally he said.”

The Hebrew text does not refer to the king by name, but since Solomon has not been mentioned for several verses, Good News Translation introduces him by name again.

The Hebrew verb rendered said may also mean “to think” in some contexts (for example, Gen 44.28). Revised English Bible assumes this sense here with “The king thought to himself.” But most versions seem to prefer the more literal interpretation of the verb and retain the idea of speaking out loud.

The one says … and the other says …: In the Hebrew, which is reflected in the Revised Standard Version translation, the two direct quotations of the women’s words are contained within the quotation of what King Solomon says. Good News Translation restructures here by making the words of the two women into indirect speech. This approach may be a helpful model in other languages also.

Contemporary English Version, in a way that is even more brief than that of Good News Translation, summarizes the two conflicting statements as a single assertion: “Both of you say this live baby is yours.” No mention is made of the dead baby since that is really not the crucial issue.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .