1 Kings 3:16 - Meaning and Application

Here is an example of Solomon’s wisdom, meant to show that God’s gift to him had truly taken effect. The proof does not come from matters of state or secret council policy, though he surely excelled there too. It comes from hearing and deciding a case between two parties, something kings should not think beneath their notice, even if judges usually handle it.

The case was presented, not by lawyers, but by the women themselves. That made it easier for Solomon, with his sharp judgment, to see the truth from their own words. These two women were prostitutes, and they lived together in the same house. Some think their children were born out of sexual sin, since no husbands are mentioned. It is likely the case had already been heard in lower courts and was found too hard to settle, so Solomon’s wisdom would stand out more clearly when he finally judged it.

Each woman had given birth to a son within three days of the other (1 Kings 3:17, 1 Kings 3:18). They were so poor that no servant or nurse stayed with them. They were also so despised, because they were prostitutes, that no friend or relative came with them. One woman lay on her child in the night and then secretly swapped her dead baby for the other woman’s living child (1 Kings 3:19, 1 Kings 3:20). The other woman soon noticed the deception and brought the matter before the king for justice (1 Kings 3:21).

This shows how much worry little children bring, and how uncertain their lives are. Infancy is like walking through the valley of the shadow of death, and the lamp of life, when it first begins to burn, can be easily blown out. It is a mercy from God that so few children die in the dangers of early care. It also shows that, in those days, children born out of sin were often treated better than they are now. Those women still loved their children, cared for them, and hated to lose them, while today such children are often abandoned, sent away, or killed. This was foretold when Scripture said that in the last days people would lack natural affection (2 Timothy 3:1, 2 Timothy 3:3).

The hard part of the case was this: Which woman was the mother of the living child brought before the court, and which child belonged to whom? Both women claimed it strongly, and both were deeply upset. Each said, in effect, “It is mine,” and the other replied, “No, it is mine.” Neither woman wanted the dead child, even though it would have been cheaper to bury it than to care for a living one. It was the living child they both wanted, because a living child is a parent’s joy and hope. The dead child might still be a sorrow to a grieving parent, as Jeremiah says (Jeremiah 31:17).

The difficulty was that there was no clear evidence on either side. The neighbors, though some may have been present when the children were born and circumcised, had not watched closely enough to tell them apart. Torturing the women to get a confession would have been cruel, and the woman with the strongest nerves, not the woman with the strongest case, might have won. Forced testimony is not trustworthy. Judges and juries need wisdom to find the truth when it is hidden like this.

Solomon listened carefully to both sides and then summed up the matter (1 Kings 3:23). Everyone in the court was waiting to see how his wisdom would uncover the truth. No one knew what he would say next. Someone else might have tried to settle it by casting lots. Instead, Solomon asked for a sword and ordered that the living child be divided between the two women.

At first, this sounded like a foolish answer and a brutal way to cut through a problem he could not solve. The legal experts likely thought, “Is this Solomon’s wisdom?” They did not yet see what he was doing. The hearts of kings, especially such kings, cannot be read easily (Proverbs 25:3). There was a law about dividing an animal in a certain case (Exodus 21:35), but it did not apply here. Still, Solomon’s order proved to be a perfect way to reveal the truth.

Some think Solomon already knew the answer from the women’s faces and the way they spoke. But by this test, he gave everyone clear proof and silenced the false claimant. Since he could not test which woman loved the child best, he tested which one was willing to lose the child rather than see it die. Both women claimed to be the mother, but their true hearts would show once the child was in danger.

The woman who knew the child was not hers, but still kept pressing her claim out of pride, was willing to have it divided. She had already lost her own child and did not care what happened to this one, as long as the true mother did not get it. So she said, “Let it be neither mine nor yours, divide it.” This showed that she knew her claim was false and feared Solomon might expose her, though she did not realize she was exposing herself. If she had been the true mother, she would never have agreed so quickly to such a cruel plan.

But the woman who knew the child was hers would rather lose the child than see it killed. She cried out, “O my lord, give her the living child” (1 Kings 3:26). In other words, “Let me see it belong to her rather than see it die.” Her mercy toward the child proved that she was not the careless mother who had smothered her own baby. She was the true mother of the living child, full of pity for the son of her womb. Solomon then said the matter was clear. No further witnesses were needed. “Give her the living child,” he said, because everyone could see by her true compassion that she was the mother.

Parents should show their love for their children by caring for them, especially by caring for their souls, and by rescuing them with urgency, as brands pulled out of a fire. Those who truly do their duty to their children are most likely to enjoy the comfort of having them. Satan also claims the human heart, but his claim is false. He would be willing to divide it with God, while the true ruler of the heart will have all of it or none.

Solomon’s reputation grew greatly among his people through this and other examples of his wisdom, and that would make his rule much easier. They feared the king (1 Kings 3:28). They highly respected him and did not dare oppose him in anything. They were careful to avoid doing wrong, because they knew that if a matter ever came before him, he would uncover it. They saw that the wisdom of God was in him, meaning the wisdom God had promised to give him. This made his face shine (Ecclesiastes 8:1). It strengthened him (Ecclesiastes 7:19). It was better to him than weapons of war (Ecclesiastes 9:18). Because of it, he was both feared and loved.