Solomon's Judicial Wisdom. - As a proof that the Lord had bestowed upon Solomon unusual judicial wisdom, there is appended a decision of his in a very difficult case, in which Solomon had shown extraordinary intelligence. Two harlots living together in one house had each given birth to a child, and one of them had "overlaid" her child in the night while asleep (עליו שׁכבה אשׁר, because she had lain upon it), and had then placed her dead child in the other one's bosom and taken her living child away. When the other woman looked the next morning at the child lying in her bosom, she saw that it was not her own but the other woman's child, whereas the latter maintained the opposite. As they eventually referred the matter in dispute to the king, and each one declared that the living child was her own, the king ordered a sword to be brought, and the living child to be cut in two, and a half given to each. Then the mother of the living child, "because her bowels yearned upon her son," i.e., her maternal love was excited, cried out, "Give her (the other) the living child, but do not slay it;" whereas the latter said, "It shall be neither mine nor thine, cut it in pieces."

1 Kings 4:2 Parallel Commentaries

the princes That is, great, chief, or principal men; for none of them were princes, in the common acceptation of the word.

Exodus 18:21 Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness...

2 Samuel 8:15-18 And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice to all his people...

2 Samuel 20:23-26 Now Joab was over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites...

1 Corinthians 12:28 And God has set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings...

Azariah

1 Chronicles 6:8-10 And Ahitub begat Zadok, and Zadok begat Ahimaaz...

1 Chronicles 27:17 Of the Levites, Hashabiah the son of Kemuel: of the Aaronites, Zadok:

priest. or, chief officer