Sunbonnet Soliloquy

By Jewell Ellen Smith

A Baby, and the Wisdom of Solomon

Which would you rather read -- some cleverly phrased proverbs from all over the world, or, the story of how the king who knew THREE THOUSAND proverbs settled a dispute between two women who were fighting over a little baby boy?

You prefer the fight over the baby?

Good! I’d rather tell you that, anyway.

The king who knew three thousand wise sayings -- and who could sing one thousand and five songs, besides -- was Solomon, of Biblical times. Solomon was the son of King David and the beautiful Bathsheba, and third king of the Israelites. It is said he was the wisest man who ever lived.

In Solomon’s time, when there was any kind of a dispute or disturbance or crime among the people, the king served as judge and jury. He had the power of life and death. His word was final. And, as was expected of him, Solomon held court whenever it was necessary.

One afternoon just after Solomon had returned to his palace in Jerusalem from a holiday trip up to a city called Gibeon -- about six miles northeast of Jerusalem -- the king’s chief attendant said, “King Solomon, I think you’re going to have to hold court this afternoon!”

King Solomon was in no mood to hold court. He was still thinking of a wonderful dream he had had while be was vacationing up at Gibeon. Solomon had dreamed that God came down to earth and talked to him.

God said, “Solomon, what would you like for me to give you? I’ll give you anything you want!”

Solomon thought of the huge kingdom he had to govern and decided to ask for wisdom. This pleased God very much.

He said, “Solomon, you didn’t ask for riches, or long life, or the death of all your enemies. And I’m glad. I will give you a wise and understanding heart!”

But King Solomon didn’t tell his attendant all this. He just asked, “What’s the trouble here in Jerusalem?”

“King, there are two women out here in the courtyard, fighting over a baby. They’ve been at it all day. One grabs the baby and screams, ‘He’s mine!’ Then the other one snatches it out of the first one’s arms and shrieks, ‘No, he’s not! He’s my baby!”

“Ah, me,” said the king, “bring the women and the baby in here.” And he sat down on the judgment seat.

The women were ushered in. One was carrying the newborn baby. The other was holding on to his blanket with both hands. Each woman bowed low and both murmured, “O, King Solomon, live forever!”

“Now,” said the king, “what’s all the trouble about? My attendant here tells me that you both claim to be the mother of the child. That’s impossible. So, let me hear your story. First, you!” And he pointed to the woman holding the baby.

“Well, King Solomon, I’m going to tell you the truth. You’d find it out anyway. This woman and I both live in-- a--, well, a brothel. We’re harlots. We don’t deny it, but that’s not the problem.

“Last week I gave birth to a baby boy -- the one I’m holding.

“Three days later, this woman here also gave birth to a male child. But he died. So, what did she do? Way in the middle of the night, while I was asleep, she sneaked into my room and swapped her dead child for my living child. And next morning when I woke up and started to nurse my baby, the child in my arms was dead!

“The minute I saw him I knew he wasn’t mine! I knew what she had done!”

“King Solomon, don’t believe a word she says!” shrieked the other woman. “She’s lying in her teeth! This baby here is mine! Make her give it to me!”

King Solomon turned around to his attendant. “Bring in a sword.”

The attendant rushed out to get a sword, and the king told the woman holding the baby to lay him down on the floor in front of him. And she did.

“Hm-mm,” said the king as he rubbed his hand across his beard and looked down at the baby, “a beautiful child.”

By this time the attendant was back with a sword.

The king yawned, stretched his arms, and leaned back in his chair.

“This case is easily settled,” he declared nonchalantly. “We’ll simply cut the baby half in two. Give half to one woman, half to the other. Case closed.”

“No! No! O, King, have mercy!” cried the woman who had been holding the baby. “Don’t do that! Don’t kill the baby! Give him to that woman! Just don’t kill him! She can have him! Please don’t kill him, King Solomon!” And she fell down on the floor before the king and began to weep.

King Solomon looked at the other woman. “What do you say?”

A smile that was not a smile came on her face. “I say use the sword! If I can’t have the baby, that wretched woman there on the floor is not going to have him either. Cut him in half!”

King Solomon turned to his attendant. “Put away the sword. Give the baby to the woman kneeling on the floor. She is the mother!”

After this, King Solomon’s fame spread. Kings and queens came from many lands just to see and hear this fabulous ruler of the Israelites. “Surely,” they said, “his God has given him a wise and understanding heart.”

Some other time, I’ll bring out those cleverly phrased proverbs from all over the world. Meanwhile, you could read some King Solomon himself wrote. They are right in the middle of the Holy Bible, in the section titled “The Proverbs.”

Published June 1980. Click your browser’s ‘back’ button to return.