Solomon´s wise judgment

The following word is an amazing story from the
Old Testament (Tanakh). It is a true story. God´s
word though is prophetic, and I believe there are
layers even in this story. 

I can see a story where political blocks struggle
regarding who should rightly be in charge, and the
answer is - the group, or the leader, that has the
true concern for the nation and the people´s
well-being.

Please observe I used an old English bible trans-
lation, "The Kings James version", which I happen
to like.

King Solomon in this story was the son of David,
who is best known to us for the killing of the giant
Goliath while David was still a young teenage
shepherd.

Solomon was considered the wisest man on Earth,
and kings and queens came from far distance to
visit and see if the rumors were true.


1 Book of Kings 3:16-28

Then came there two women, that were harlots,

unto the king, and stood before him.

And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this

woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of

a child with her in the house. And it came to pass

the third day after that I was delivered, that this

woman was delivered also: and we were together;

there was no stranger with us in the house, save

we two in the house.

And this woman's child died in the night; because

she overlaid it. And she arose at midnight, and took

my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept,

and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in

my bosom. And when I rose in the morning to give

my child suck, behold, it was dead:

But when I had considered it in the morning, be-

hold, it was not my son, which I did bear. And the

other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son,

and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the

dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they

spake before the king.

Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son

that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other

saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is

the living. And the king said, Bring me a sword. And

they brought a sword before the king.

And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and

give half to the one, and half to the other. 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.

But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine,

but divide it. Then the king answered and said, Give

her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the

mother thereof.

And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king

had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw

that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.

/Björn Hellman