The beginning of Solomon's famous wisdom was the story of the two harlots and their sons in 1 Kings 3: 16-28. Jesus said: Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33). Give her the living child, and by no means kill him! But the other woman was saying, He shall be neither mine nor yours; cut him! 27Then the king replied, Give [g]the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. Calling for a sword, Solomon declared his judgment: the baby would be cut in two, each woman to receive half. [17] And nets of checker work, and wreaths of chain work, for the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; seven for the one capital, and seven for the other capital. Begg, Christopher T., "The Judgment of Solomon according to Josephus". One night one infant dies and the mother of the dead son switches the baby with the live one. American King James Version). [32] And under the borders were four wheels; and the axletrees of the wheels were joined to the base: and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit. [26] And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was worked like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths. In the biblical version, the two women are identified as prostitutes, but in some Indian versions they are widows of one husband. [31] And he said to Jeroboam, Take you ten pieces: for thus said the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to you: But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. King Solomon was a very wise and just king. Bible How did Solomon give a fair judgement in the case of the two mothers? Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other" (1 Kings 3:24-25 1 Kings 3:24-25 [24] And the king said, Bring me a sword. [13] And I have also given you that which you have not asked, both riches, and honor: so that there shall not be any among the kings like to you all your days. Each of them was claiming herself as the baby's mother. Connect the dots, draw what goes in the basket, and color the picture. The two mothers lived in the same house, where each mother cared for an infant son. [25] It stood on twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above on them, and all their hinder parts were inward. [2] That the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. 26 Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. [18] And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did hew them, and the stone squarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house. "In the Bible's story about the Judgment of Solomon, King Solomon ruled between two women both claiming to be the mother of a baby. [60][61], The expression "Solomonic Judgment" exists in many cultures with a Judeo-Christian background, and is often used as a comment on remarkable verdicts. The two women aren't named in the Bible, but we will call them Mona and Lena. It is important to remember that Solomon sought wisdom from the Lord and prayed God would grant him understanding to be a righteous ruler. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon. - Proverbs 31:9; And they brought a sword before the king. Had he mediated the result would have been that the true mother relinquished her son. Among many aspects that Solomon was well-known for, he was especially admired for his wisdom that God blessed him with. (1 Kings 3:7-9 1 Kings 3:7-9 [7] And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. This is the great law that is the basis of the divine government. According to this analysis, the story in its current context gives equal weight to the compassion of the true mother and to the godly wisdom that guided Solomon in the trial. [58], The expressions "splitting the baby" or "cutting the baby in half" can be used to describe a split award (usually accompanied by a split costs award) in the most for a heavy-handed, costs-insensitive suit (such as entailing multiple hearings and disproportionate spending on both sides) for a relatively simple compromise. The two mothers lived in the same house, where each mother cared for an infant son. This inevitably raises the moral question: Other than the founder, can anyone, whether it be an investor or some other stakeholder, claim a startup? 5 Things You Should Know about the ESV Bible Translation. of 21When I got up in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead! According to Sternberg, the basic convention shared by the Judgment of Solomon and the detective story genre is the "fair-play rule", which states that both the reader and the detective figure are exposed to the same relevant data. Both Solomon and his nation eventually suffered for his backsliding attitude. Mona woke that night to discover she . 20So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while your servant was asleep, and she laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast. Considered out of context, the story leaves the king anonymous just like the other characters. So, he prayed to the Lord and asked for wisdom to be able to guide Gods nation in the right path (1 Kings 3:5). Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. . Then neither of us will have the baby., 27Solomon said, Don't kill the baby. Then he pointed to the first woman, She is his real mother. In this article: He ordered the boy to be cut in half with each woman getting half of the baby. [42] The women's designation as prostitutes links the story to the common biblical theme of God as the protector of the weak, "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows" (Psalms 68:5). [8] And his house where he dwelled had another court within the porch, which was of the like work. . The other lady said, "Oh King! [21] Their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel also were not able utterly to destroy, on those did Solomon levy a tribute of slavery to this day. Solomon and the two Mothers Solomon's Famous Judgement Watch on 1 Kings 3:16- 28 16 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him. Giacomo Carissimi: Judicium Salomonis, Oratorio for 3 chorus, 2 violins and organ. All rights reserved. "So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen [prolong] your days" (1 Kings 3:14 1 Kings 3:14And if you will walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as your father David did walk, then I will lengthen your days.American King James Version). He was your son. [25][26] The ending of the story, noting the wisdom of Solomon, is considered to be a Deuteronomistic addition to the text. [47] And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were exceeding many: neither was the weight of the brass found out. [30] And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces: In its immediate context, the story follows the account of Solomon's dream at Gibeon, in which he was promised by God he would be given unprecedented wisdom. None could find a solution to the problem. [9] Give therefore your servant an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this your so great a people? Solomon made an alliance with the king of Egypt by marrying his daughter. King Solomon was the son of David and the third king of Israel. During the night this womans son died because she lay on him. At that moment, Solomon knew who was the true mother, and so did everyone in attendance in Solomon's court. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Solomon had the priests bring up the ark of God, and "the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD" (1 Kings 8:1-11 1 Kings 8:1-11 [1] Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, to king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion. The phrase "split the baby" has its roots in Hebrew lore, in the story recorded at 1 Kings 3:16-18 of two mothers claiming before King Solomon that each was the real mother of an infant son. MoneyWise - Rob West & Steve Moore, King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba Even the queen of Sheba investigated Solomon's wisdom. A fun picture of Solomon listening two the two women claim to be the mothers of the same baby boy. American King James Version). . And God said to him, "Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Prostitutes in biblical society are considered functional widows, for they have no male patron to represent them in court and their sons are considered fatherless. Narrator: King Solomon is the 4th son of King David, son of Bathsheba. The butler remembers how Joseph correctly interpreted both his and the baker's dreams while in prison. Narrative Subtlety in 1 Kings 111". 16 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him. [24] And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast. Solomon issued his verdict: "Bring me a sword. Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden - Bible Story, The Ten Commandments - Bible Verses and Importance Today, Parable of the Prodigal Son - Bible Story, The Resurrection of Jesus - Bible Story and Prophecy, 4 Ways the Parable of the Sower Encourages Spiritual Growth. Solomon became king and sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established. And they brought a sword before the king.American King James Version). [8] Happy are your men, happy are these your servants, which stand continually before you, and that hear your wisdom. [19] And all the cities of store that Solomon had, and cities for his chariots, and cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. 27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. These gifts from God required something: Solomon's resolute obedience to Him. Born around 1010 BCE, Solomon was the tenth son of King David (the second king of ancient united Israel) and the second son of Bathsheba. 1 Kings 3:1628 recounts that two mothers living in the same house, each the mother of an infant son, came to Solomon. [23] These were the chief of the officers that were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, which bore rule over the people that worked in the work. [43] Solomon is depicted as a king accessible to all of his subjects, even those in the margins of society. King Solomon and the False Mother. Pharaoh has two dreams whose meaning he cannot decipher. The common motif in those parallel versions is that the wise judge announces an absurd procedure, which is reasonable in some perverse way: splitting the baby, according to the principle of compromise; or a tug of war, in which one can possibly presume that the true mother will be motivated to pull harder. The writer ascribes the story to Phliliskos of Miletos, living in the fourth century BC. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. The vision? Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. [3] And the LORD said to him, I have heard your prayer and your supplication, that you have made before me: I have hallowed this house, which you have built, to put my name there for ever; and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually. [35] But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it to you, even ten tribes. And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods" (1 Kings 11:4-8 1 Kings 11:4-8 [4] For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. It is that of the first judgment of King Solomon and the display of his wisdom: the story of the two mothers and their babies. Solomon tried to solve this conflict by suggesting they cut the baby in two, with each woman in the proposed arrangement receiving half. [6] Another version appears in the Chinese drama The Chalk Circle (in which version the judge draws a circle on the ground),[7] which has spread worldwide, many versions and reworkings being made, among them The Caucasian Chalk Circle, a play by Bertolt Brecht. 16 Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. He was renowned for his wisdom, his prolific writings, and his building accomplishments. 1 Kings 2:1-4 David charges Solomon to keep the commandments. [7] Then he made a porch for the throne where he might judge, even the porch of judgment: and it was covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other. [28] And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price. Their reactions told the king all he needed to know. She is his mother.". [7] Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people: Other leaders discovered what the queen of Sheba witnessed firsthand: "And all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart" (1 Kings 3:24 1 Kings 3:24And the king said, Bring me a sword. Jerold Aust has served in the ministry for 52 years, as a public speaker for 58years, a published writer for 38years, and is employed by UCGs Media and Communications Services. [3] And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. [18] And he made the pillars, and two rows round about on the one network, to cover the capitals that were on the top, with pomegranates: and so did he for the other capital. The women seem to be poor. Willem Beuken thinks that the original tale was not about the king's wisdom the concluding note about Solomon's wisdom is considered secondary but about a woman who, by listening to her motherly instinct, helped the king to break through the legal impasse. Jacob Liver notes the absence of any "local coloring" in the story, and concludes that the story is "not an actual folk tale but a scholarly reworking of a folk tale (apparently from a non-Israelite source) which in some way reached the court circles of Jerusalem in the times of Solomon". [18] Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold. For example, in a dispute between two neighbors, a British judge gave one of them, pop-star Robbie Williams, permission to have a luxurious swimming pool and gym dug out, but machine-powered digging or excavation work was forbidden and his neighbor, rock-star Jimmy Page, had to be given real-time, complete electronic monitoring of the vibrations throughout the entire construction process. Sadly, Solomon knew better. [3] And it was covered with cedar above on the beams, that lay on forty five pillars, fifteen in a row. [20] Some scholars are of the opinion that the source of the story is untraceable.[21][22]. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. King Solomon Craft. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. 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