4, unto the king r, and ſtood there before him q Or, Vifuallers : for the Hebrew word ſignifies both. See on Jeſþ. 2. i. And poſlibly they might be both, this by their open profeſſion, and the other by their ſecret praftice: not that they were common Harlots ; for neither would Solomon have tolerated ſuch ; nor durſt ſuch have preſented themſelves. before ſo wiſe and juſt a Ruler 3 nor do ſuch uſe either to bring forth Children, or ta have ſuch ,a tender care of, and affection to them as theſe expreſs. Yet that they were unmarried perſons,and ſo guilty of Fornication, ſeems moſt probable, both becauſe there is no mention of any Huſ- bands, whote office it was, if there were any ſuch, ro conteſt fot their Wives ; and becauſe they lived a ſolitary Life in one Houſe. r Haply they had preſented their Cauſe to the Inferior Courts who could not determine ; and therefore now they bring it to the King, as the Supreme Magiſtrate, and famous for his Wiſdom. { Deſiring and expecting his Sentence in the Caſe. 17 And theone woman ſaid, O my lord, I and this woman dwell im one houſe, and I was delivered of 4 child wich her in the houſe. | 18 And it came to paſs the third day * after that F 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. pet | t So they could not be diſtinguiſhed by their Age, « Therefore no Witneis on either ſide: and although there might be ſome ſenſt- ble difference to an exact Obſerver berween the Features of the twa Children ; yer it is not probable that was much minded by the Neighbours: for though civil Women might affiſt them both in their Chi)d-births yet it is not likely they would afterwards converſe much with them, as being Perſons of ſuſpected Fame, and the Features of the children, eipecially for ſo few days, might eaſily be ſo like, that it was difficult to ditcern the one from the other. An the Teſtimonies of the Women were of equalcredit, z. e. of none at all.
19 And this womans child died in the night, becauſe ſhe overlaid it x. So |
x And ſo ſmothered it : which ſhe juſtly conjectures, becauſe there were evidences of thar kind of death, but no appearance of
any other cauſe thereof. | ” 3 F4 70 Ad
PEE _—
* Matth. |
6.-33- [I || Or, hath! net been; |
Chap. 11
tutes, and my commandments, * as thy father * Chap.
gu
# f g þ }
hap. IV. I.
209 And ſhe aroſe at midnight 5, and took my ſon from, beſide me z, while thine handmaid ſlept 4, and laid it in her boſome, and laid her dead child in my boſome.
' 3 When I was aleep, as ſhe reaſonably and truly concluded- % Either, becauſe ſhe really deſired the comfort of a Child, ro be educated by her, and owned as hers: or, becauſe ſhe would not be.thought guilty of the Child's death, for whichſhe knew not how r ſeverely S%omon would puniſh her- + As ſhe might well know, becauſe had ſhe been awake, ſhe had diſcovered and prevented her d: deſign. : Oo * . of
21 And whenlT roſe inthe morning to give my child
" ſuck, behold it was dead : but when I had conſidered it in the morning, behold, it was not my ſon, which 1 did bear. ; L;
22 And the other woman ſaid, Nay, butthe living is myſon, and the dead 3s thy ſon : and this ſaid, No ;
"they ſpake before the king 5. | v b Goth peremptorily and vehemently affirmed the ſame thing, oft
ing the ſame words. O02 Than faidthe king, The one ſaith, This ;s my ſon that liveth, and thy ſon ;s the dead : and the other faith, Nay ; but thy ſons the dead, and my ſonisthe living. 24 Andithe king ſaid, Bring me a ſword : and they brought a ſword before the-king. 'H * 25 And the king ſaid c, Divide the living child in two, and give half tothe one, and half to the other. c With ſeeming ſincerity and earneſtly, though with a deſign far above the reach of the rwo Women,oc of the People preſent, who probably with admiration and horror expeCed the execution of
* Hoſ. ns. 8. +f Heb.
were hot,
as, 'unto the king, ( for * her bowels + yerned upon ber ſon ) and ſhe Pad, 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 3.
27 Then the king anſwered and ſaid, Give her the living child, and in no wiſe lay it : ſhe js the mother thereof 4. |
d As is evident from her Natural and Motherly Affe&tion to the Child, which ſhe had rather have alienated and given away from her, than deſtroyed.
-
28 And 1 Hae! beard of the judgment which the
+ Heb. ſaw thatthe wiſdom of God e was | in him to do judg- inthemidſt ment f. | |
of him, e Lither, great and eminent Wiſdom, as the Cedars or mountains of | ' _ Godare the higheſt and moſt eminent of the kind: or, Divine Wit dom, with which God had inſpired him for the bettesgovernment
Determining the Cauſes and Controverſies of his People. CHA FT. IV.
Solomons chief Princes, 1, 6. And Officers for proviſion, 7,— 19. The peace and largeneſs of his Kingdom, 20, 21. Hu daily proviſion for his Court, 22, 25. The ſtables for his Horſes, 26, 28. His wiſdom, 29, 34.
CG O King Solomon was king over all Iſrael a.
a This is ſpoken with reſpe& to his Succeſſors, who were Kingsonly overa part, and thatthe ſmalleſt part of it. Or, in refer- ence to the times of Diviſion and Rebellion under David ; when part went after David, and part after Iſbboſbeth ; or part after Abſalom or
' Sheba, or Adonijah : but now all 1rael were united under Solomon, and adhered ro him. not only.a part ofthem ; eſpecially ſince the death of Adonijab and Joab ( who may be ſuſpeted to have watched an opportunity, of revolting, ) and the continement of Ab:athar, and of Shimei ( ifnot his deathalſo ) who could now have Jittle orno Intereſt or opportuniry ofſetting up a party againſt Solomon (their Principals being taken away, .to whom they were but Accellaries ; ) nor, in probability, , any Deſign to attempt it. -
2 And theſe were the princes which he had b, Aza-