Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.
Then the woman whose child was still alive spoke to the king, because her heart was filled with love and concern for her son. She said, 'Oh my lord, please give her the living child, but don't kill him!' But the other woman said, 'Fine, let neither of us have him—go ahead and cut him in half.'
This verse shows a mother's desperate love as she's willing to give up her child to save his life, while the other woman callously agrees to the baby's death since she can't have him.
📚 Historical Context
This is part of the famous story of King Solomon's wisdom in judging between two women claiming the same baby. In ancient Israel, there were no DNA tests or birth certificates, so Solomon devised this test to reveal the true mother. The phrase 'her bowels yearned' was a Hebrew expression meaning deep maternal love and compassion.
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