Apart from this clear twofold division, suggestions have been raised as to the plot structure and the literary structure of the story and its internal relations.[33]. In such problems, any unnecessary detail is usually omitted and this is why the characters in the story have no distinctive characteristics. [12] Lest when you have eaten and are full, and have built goodly houses, and dwelled therein; For your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one. 24And the king said, Get me a sword. So they brought a sword before the king. The king, shocked from the description of the case, tore up his royal cloth and revealed that he was wearing sackcloth beneath it. God was pleased with Solomon's responsethat he had asked for the ability to govern wisely and so to properly serve His people. [24] And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. [2] That the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. With this strategy, he was able to discern the fraudulent mother as the woman who entirely approved of this proposal . It was a heartrending scene: Two women stood before King Solomon, each claiming to be the mother of the same baby boy. . 19952023 All correspondence and questions should be sent to info@ucg.org. 23Then the king said, [d]The one says, This is my son who is living, and your son is the dead one; and [e]the other says, No! In the first part (verses 1622) the case is described: The two women introduce their arguments and, at this point, no response from the king is recorded. [1][27], Some scholars consider the story an originally independent unit, integrated into its present context by an editor. [14] Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred three score and six talents of gold, And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days." 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. Bible How did Solomon give a fair judgement in the case of the two mothers? And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. In this type of scenario, the startup was not performing good enough or fast enough (or both) in the eyes of the investors, and before they knew it, the board was nominating a new CEO usually a corporate person with whom investors were familiar to take over. Those who would rule and walk in authority . For the plot structure see the commentaries, and also Bezalel Porten, "The Structure and Theme of the Solomon Narrative (I Kings 3-11)". He walked in God's ways, and God blessed him greatly. [8] And your servant is in the middle of your people which you have chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Solomon made also an house for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had taken to wife, like to this porch. [26] The women's contradictory testimonies create the initial conflict necessary to build up the dramatic tension. ". And Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon. Solomon had many soldiers, ships, horses, elephants, etc. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. The true mother is revealed when her motherly essence which is also stereotypical surpasses her selfish essence. We also do well to remember that God is the ultimate Judge of Solomon, not we human beings. As Jesus Christ said, "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41 Matthew 26:41Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.American King James Version). One of the babies had died, and each claimed the remaining boy as her own. Solomon was named as successor of the throne of Israel after his father, King David. Not long after, Apple would go from a tech companyto one of the most valuable businesses in the world. [27] And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father. Considered out of context, the story leaves the king anonymous just like the other characters. Deurloo, Karel Adriaan, "The Kings Wisdom in Judgement: Narration as Example (I Kings iii)", in A. S. van der Woude (ed.). [3] And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. Some commentators believe that Solomon knew the true mother of the child even before he rendered his decision. Their reactions told the king all he needed to know. And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. By the end of the story, Solomon reveals the identity of the true mother. [27] And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance. [53], Lasine, dealing with the story from a sociological perspective, points out that, like the detective story, the Judgment of Solomon story deals with human "epistemological anxiety" deriving from the fact that man, as opposed to God, is generally unable to know what is in the mind of other men. 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. [2] And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bore spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. Meir Sternberg notes that two genres merge in the story: A riddle and a test; the juridical dilemma, which is the riddle, also constitutes a test for the young king: if he can solve it, he will be acknowledged as possessing divine wisdom. And they brought a sword before the king. Solomon marries Pharaoh's daughter 2. There was no stranger with us in the house, only the two of us in the house. Founder and CSO of Bioz, the world's most comprehensive AI search engine for life science experimentation. The beginning of Solomon's famous wisdom was the story of the two harlots and their sons in 1 Kings 3: 16-28. 16 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him. In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give you. Jack Zavada. Solomon's sins would lead to his kingdom being divided into the two separate kingdoms of Israel and Judah (1 Kings 11:26-40 1 Kings 11:26-40 [26] And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king. True to His word, God had blessed Solomon with great abundance because he had honored Him. 17 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. In the Netherlands, many 17th century courthouses (Vierschaar rooms) contain a painting or relief of this scene. [25] And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armor, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year. During Solomon's prosperous days of wisdom and wealth, he determined to build the temple for God which his father David had hoped to build earlier. He told the two women to come the next day and assured them that he would give his judgment the next day. Kingston K-14 News; Advertisement for Bid We are not given their names, as though their names are mere surplusage. He let them know that he had heard and understood what they were saying. He asked God for wisdom to rule Israel. A major theme of the portion of Mikeitz is dreams. [40], Like many other women in the Hebrew Bible, the two women in this story are anonymous. And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the LORD, two and twenty thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep. Solomon's wealth was greatly increased (1 Kings 10:1-29 1 Kings 10:1-29 [1] And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions. Solomon ascended the throne while still a youth, as he attests of himself (v. 7): "but I am a young lad, with no experience in leadership." The judgment of the prostitutes demonstrated to all that, despite his tender age, he was capable of judging the people wisely. [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. [49] And the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the oracle, with the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs of gold, "Divide the baby with a sword, and let the matter be settled." Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Her son was born first. Then he ordered, "Bring me a sword . [38] And it shall be, if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with you, and build you a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. And he came to king Solomon, and worked all his work. 18 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. One of my favorite childhood stories was that of King Solomon and the two mothers: "There were two women in Jerusalem who went to see the King with a big problem. Two women who share a house come to Solomon with a problem. For less than $5/mo. Of the nations concerning which the LORD said to the children of Israel, You shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in to you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon joined to these in love. And they brought a sword before the king.American King James Version). People went to see King Solomon because he had the wisdom of God within. He wrote wisdom literature. [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. [39] And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever. One of the first cases that came before. 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