1 Kings 3:19 (DRB)

Passage

And this woman's child died in the night: for in her sleep she overlaid him.

Nearby Context

1 Kings 3:17 And one of them said: I beseech thee, my lord, I and this woman dwelt in one house, and I was delivered of a child with her in the chamber.

1 Kings 3:18 And the third day after I was delivered, she also was delivered; and we were together, and no other person with us in the house; only we two.

1 Kings 3:19 And this woman's child died in the night: for in her sleep she overlaid him.

1 Kings 3:20 And rising in the dead time of the night, she took my child from my side, while I, thy handmaid, was asleep, and laid it in her bosom: and laid her dead child in my bosom.

1 Kings 3:21 And when I arose in the morning, to give my child suck, behold it was dead: but considering him more diligently, when it was clear day, I found that it was not mine which I bore.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "woman's", "child", "died", "night", "sleep", and "overlaid". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "woman's" and "child", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "And the third day after I was..." into verse 20's "And rising in the dead time of...", so "woman's" and "child" belong inside that flow. In 1 Kings context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "woman's" and "child" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.