And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.
The command belongs to Solomon's early reign while he was loyal to God, and it displays his wisdom and kindly sympathy. The order to divide the living child was given in order to reveal who the true mother was. By this judgment the helpless babe was restored to its unfortunate mother. The act proves his self-mastery, moral efficiency, fine sensibilities, and clear conscience at that time.
This early act stands in sharp contrast to his later ruin and participation in idolatrous worship in which living children were offered as sacrifices. That later fall came after separation from God through communication with idolaters, when he lost mastery of himself and fell so low as to consent to the erection of such an idol.
The command belongs to Solomon's early reign while he was loyal to God, and it displays his wisdom and kindly sympathy. The order to divide the living child was given in order to reveal who the true mother was. By this judgment the helpless babe was restored to its unfortunate mother. The act proves his self-mastery, moral efficiency, fine sensibilities, and clear conscience at that time.
This early act stands in sharp contrast to his later ruin and participation in idolatrous worship in which living children were offered as sacrifices. That later fall came after separation from God through communication with idolaters, when he lost mastery of himself and fell so low as to consent to the erection of such an idol.