Later, two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 One woman said: “By your leave, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth in the house while she was present. 18 On the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. We were alone; no one else was in the house with us; only the two of us were in the house. 19 This woman’s son died during the night when she lay on top of him. 20 So in the middle of the night she got up and took my son from my side, as your servant was sleeping. Then she laid him in her bosom and laid her dead son in my bosom. 21 I rose in the morning to nurse my son, and he was dead! But when I examined him in the morning light, I saw it was not the son I had borne.” 22 The other woman answered, “No! The living one is my son, the dead one is yours.” But the first kept saying, “No! the dead one is your son, the living one is mine!” Thus they argued before the king. 23 Then the king said: “One woman claims, ‘This, the living one, is my son, the dead one is yours.’ The other answers, ‘No! The dead one is your son, the living one is mine.’” 24 The king continued, “Get me a sword.” When they brought the sword before the king, 25 he said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one woman and half to the other.” 26 The woman whose son was alive, because she was stirred with compassion for her son, said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby—do not kill it!” But the other said, “It shall be neither mine nor yours. Cut it in two!” 27 The king then answered, “Give her the living baby! Do not kill it! She is the mother.” 28 When all Israel heard the judgment the king had given, they were in awe of him, because they saw that the king had in him the wisdom of God for giving right judgment.
Kings in ancient Israel, including Solomon, were not only political leaders but also served as the highest judicial authorities. They were often seen as appointed by God and endowed with wisdom to rule and judge. People from all strata of society, including those considered marginalized or of low status, could seek justice directly from the king which helped ensure that justice was dispensed fairly and impartially. This passage displays Solomon's legendary wisdom in resolving a difficult case involving maternal love and deception. The narrative highlights Solomon's role as a wise judge empowered by God.
Two women, identified as prostitutes, came before King Solomon with a dispute regarding their children. They shared a residence and the women were alone when each gave birth to a baby three days apart. The first woman who spoke to Solomon explained that the second woman's child died during the night from accidental suffocation, and she deceitfully swapped her dead child with the living child of the first woman while she was asleep. The second woman strongly denied the accusation and claimed that the living child was hers. The two women argued back and forth so Solomon proposed a drastic solution. He asked for a sword and ordered that the living child be cut in two and a half given to one woman and a half to the other. At that, the infant’s true mother made a selfless plea to Solomon to spare the child’s life and give it to the other woman who wanted the child cut in two. The people of Israel recognized Solomon's wisdom as a gift from God, solidifying his reputation as a wise and just ruler.
Heavenly Father, grant us the wisdom to discern truth from deceit, the strength to uphold justice with compassion, and the moral fortitude to cherish the sanctity of life. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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Sources:
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
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