1 Kings 3:16-28
Two Mothers before the King
16At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
17One woman said, “Please, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth while she was in the house.
18On the third day after I gave birth, this woman also had a baby. We were alone, with no one in the house but the two of us.
19During the night this woman’s son died because she rolled over on him.
20So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I was asleep. She laid him in her bosom and put her dead son at my bosom.
21The next morning, when I got up to nurse my son, I discovered he was dead. But when I examined him, I realized that he was not the son I had borne.”
22“No,” said the other woman, “the living one is my son and the dead one is your son.” But the first woman insisted, “No, the dead one is yours and the living one is mine.” So they argued before the king.
23Then the king replied, “This woman says, ‘My son is alive and yours is dead,’ but that woman says, ‘No, your son is dead and mine is alive.’”
24The king continued, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought him a sword,
25and the king declared, “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”
26Then the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she yearned with compassion for her son. “Please, my lord,” she said, “give her the living baby. Do not kill him!” But the other woman said, “He will be neither mine nor yours. Cut him in two!”
27Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. By no means should you kill him; she is his mother.”
28When all Israel heard of the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.
Berean Standard Bible
Two women come before Solomon, and both live in the same house. Each has given birth to a son, but one child has died during the night. The surviving child is now claimed by both women. There is no witness in the room who can settle the case, and the dispute places a vulnerable child between two competing claims.
Solomon hears the first woman's account and then the second woman's denial. The facts are painful and closely matched. A quick judgment based on confidence, grief, or social standing could easily protect the wrong person.
Solomon calls for a sword and announces that the living child will be divided. The true mother immediately begs the king to give the child to the other woman rather than let him be killed. The other woman agrees to the division. Solomon recognizes that the first woman's willingness to surrender her claim in order to save the child reveals her love.
The people hear the judgment and are in awe because they see that God's wisdom is in Solomon to administer justice. The scene is not teaching families to use threats as a normal way to solve disputes. It shows a ruler exposing the difference between possession and sacrificial concern for a vulnerable life.
How We Know
This passage belongs to the historical and prophetic record of Israel's divided kingdom. Its named rulers, places, and prophetic actions are presented as part of that covenant history; Chronicles does not repeat every episode from Kings.
Questions
1 What dispute do the two women bring to Solomon?
AnswerBoth women claim the same living child after one of their sons died during the night.
2 What does Solomon propose as a test?
AnswerHe calls for a sword and says the living child should be divided between the two claimants.
3 How does the true mother respond?
AnswerShe begs Solomon to give the child to the other woman so that the boy will live.
4 Why do the people stand in awe?
AnswerThey recognize that God's wisdom is in Solomon to administer justice and discern what the conflicting claims concealed.
What This Means for Us
The child's safety matters more than either adult's desire to win. In any conflict involving a vulnerable person, the first question should be what protects life and dignity, not who gets to claim victory.
This dramatic test belongs to a king known for receiving divine wisdom and should not be copied as a threat. Wise households listen carefully, seek trustworthy help, and refuse to make children or weaker members carry the cost of adult conflict.
Prayer
God of wisdom, protect vulnerable people caught in conflict. Give us patient discernment, leaders who listen carefully, and love willing to surrender pride so another person can be safe. Amen.