1 Kings 3:18
Ver. 18. And it came to pass, the third day after I was delivered,.... Of a child, as before expressed:
that this woman was delivered also; of another child; and being both of the same sex, both sons, as afterwards appears; and being so nearly of an age, it was difficult to distinguish them;
and we [were] together; [there was] no stranger with us in the house,save we two in the house; so that in this trial no evidences could be produced on either side. 1 Kings 3:19Ver. 19. And this woman's child died in the night,.... Whether the same night following the day it was born is not certain;because she overlaid it; or laid upon it, being heavy through sleep, and not knowing what she did, turned herself upon it, and smothered it; because it had no previous illness, or any marks of any disease it could be thought to die of, and perhaps there might be some of its being overlaid. 1 Kings 3:20Ver. 20. And she arose at midnight,.... Perceiving what she had done, that she had overlaid her child, and it was dead; either through fear of punishment inflicted on persons thus negligent, or because of the disgrace of it, taking no more care of her child, she made use of the following stratagem:and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept; this served to puzzle the cause, for how could she know what she did when she was asleep? this she could not prove, it was only conjecture:and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom; where she found it in the morning; but still what proof was there that it was the other woman's, and not her own, that lay dead in her bosom? 1 Kings 3:21Ver. 21. And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck,.... As she used to do:behold, it was dead; her own child, as she thought at first:but when I had considered it in the morning; it was towards morning, or just at break of day, when she arose to suckle it, and found it dead: but when it was broad day, and the light of the morning was increased, she more narrowly viewed it, and by its features, or some marks she had observed;behold, it was not my son which I did bear: she was fully satisfied it was not her own child, but another. 1 Kings 3:22Ver. 22. And the other woman said,.... The defendant:nay, but the living [is] my son, and the dead [is] thy son; she denied what the other said, but offered nothing in proof of it:and this said; she who was the plaintiff replied in the same language:no: but the dead [is] thy son, and the living [is] my son; without being able to add anything in confirmation of what she had deposed:thus they spake before the king; several times, over and over again, what is before expressed, having nothing to produce on either side in proof of their assertions; so that it was very difficult to determine to whom the living child belonged. 1 Kings 3:23Ver. 23. Then said the king,.... As judge, summing up what had been said on both sides, which were only bare assertions without proof; the one affirming what the other denied, and the other denying what the other affirmed: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; this he repeated to show to all present that no determination could be made by what had been said on each side, and that some other method must be taken. 1 Kings 3:24Ver. 24. And the king said, bring me a sword,.... The design of which might not at first appear to the court, and it might be thought strange, and greatly wondered at: what should be the meaning of it:and they brought a sword before the king; his commands were obeyed. 1 Kings 3:25Ver. 25. And the king said,.... To one of his officers:divide the living child in two; not that he meant it should be actually done, though it might at first be thought he really intended it, and so strike the minds of some with horror, as it did, however, the mother; but he ordered this, to try the affections of the women, and thereby come to the true knowledge of the affair; though, some think he knew it before by their countenances and manner of speech, but that he was desirous all present might see it, and be satisfied of it:and give half to the one, and half to the other; since both claimed it. 1 Kings 3:26Ver. 26. Then spake the woman, whose the living child [was], unto the king,.... In haste, and with great vehemency, lest the executioner should at once dispatch it:(for her bowels yearned upon her son); not being able to bear to see his life taken away:and she said, O my lord: or, "on me {q}, my lord"; let the sin, the lie that I have told, be on me, and the punishment of it; she rather chose to be reckoned a liar, and to endure any punishment such an offence deserved, than that her child should be cut asunder:give her the living child, and in no wise slay it; being willing to part with her interest in it, rather than it should be put to death:but the other said, let it be neither mine nor thine, [but] divide [it]; for as she knew it was not her own, she had no affection for it, nor desire to have it; chose rather to be clear of the expense of keeping and nursing it, and would, by its being put to death, be avenged of her adversary, who had brought this cause before the king.{q} yb "in me", Montanus; so Abarbinel. 1 Kings 3:27Ver. 27. Then the king answered and said, give her the living child,and in no wise slay it,.... That is, to her who desired it might not be slain, but rather be given to her who had no right to it:she [is] the mother thereof; which might be strongly concluded from her compassion for it, her eagerness and earnestness to have its life spared, and from the indifference of the other, yea, from her cruelty and barbarity in moving to have it divided. 1 Kings 3:28Ver. 28. And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged,.... In the above case; the decision of it was divulged throughout the land, and the fame of it was spread everywhere:and they feared the king; reverenced him as a wise, judicious, and faithful king, and feared to do anything of a criminal nature, as perceiving that he was so sagacious and penetrating, that he would discover it quickly, and bring them to shame and punishment:for they saw that the wisdom of God [was] in him to do judgment; that God had put more than ordinary wisdom into him, to make a right judgment in causes that came before him, and finish them in the most just and equitable manner.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.