The Judgment of Solomon
King Solomon’s famous wisdom was put to the test not long after he became ruler. One day, two women came to him with a heartbreaking and confusing situation. Both of them lived in the same house and had recently given birth to baby boys around the same time. But something tragic had happened—one of the babies had died during the night.
Now, both women were standing in front of the king, each claiming that the living baby belonged to her. One woman said the other had accidentally rolled over her baby in her sleep and smothered him. Then, while she was still sleeping, that woman had supposedly switched the babies—placing the dead child next to her and taking the living baby as her own.
There were no other people in the house to witness what had happened. So, there was no clear way to prove who was telling the truth. It was a complicated and emotional situation, and everyone waited to see how Solomon would solve it.
Solomon then made a shocking proposal. He ordered that the living baby be cut in two so that each woman could have half of the child. The court was likely stunned at the suggestion, but Solomon was watching carefully for their reactions.
The first woman immediately cried out in horror. She begged the king not to harm the baby and said that the other woman could have him—just as long as the child stayed alive. The second woman, however, calmly agreed with Solomon’s idea and said splitting the baby was fair.
Solomon saw clearly who the real mother was. Only the true mother would care more about the baby’s life than about winning the argument. So he declared that the baby should be given to the woman who wanted to save his life.
This wise and unexpected decision showed everyone how deeply Solomon could understand people’s hearts and motives. News of his judgment spread quickly, and people were amazed at the wisdom God had given him to lead the nation.
(This story is found in the Bible in 1 Kings 3:16–28.)