After forty years as king of Israel, David died. His son Solomon succeeded him.After forty years as king of Israel, David died. His son Solomon succeeded him.
In the beginning Solomon followed the example of his father, and was a good ruler. One night God appeared to him and said, "Ask whatever you wish me to give you."
"You made me King," replied Solomon. "I am only like a little child in wisdom, for I do not know much. But I must rule this great people, the children of Israel. If You will, therefore, give me an understanding heart, so that I may know the difference between good and evil. With such a gift I shall be able to judge well."
God was pleased with the words of Solomon. He said, "Because you have asked for understanding, and have not asked for long life or riches, I shall give you all these together."
Solomon's wisdom was soon put to a test. Two women came to ask him to decide a quarrel. One of them said, "This woman and I live in one house. This woman's child died. But she took my child while I slept, and put her dead child near me instead. I saw, when I awoke, that it was not my child."
"No," said the other woman, "the living child is mine, not hers."
The two began quarreling once more. There did not seem to be any way of deciding who was the mother of the living child.
King Solomon ordered, "Bring a sword. Divide the living child into two. Then give one-half to each woman."
At this, one woman cried, "O my Lord, give her the child alive, but do not kill it!"
The second woman, however, said, "Let not the child be mine or hers, but divide it."
Solomon. pointing to the first woman, said, "Give her the living child. She is its mother." For Solomon in his wisdom knew that she, being the true mother, could not bear to see her child killed.
- from My Bible History in Pictures, by Bishop Louis LaRavoire Morrow, D.D., 1934; it has the Imprimatur of Archbishop Michael J O'Doherty of Manila, Philippines