And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.
But the other woman said, 'No! The living child is my son, and the dead one is yours.' The first woman replied, 'No! The dead child is yours, and the living one is mine.' This is how they argued back and forth in front of the king.
The writer is showing us two mothers arguing before King Solomon, each claiming the living baby is hers and the dead baby belongs to the other woman.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative, this verse is part of the story of King Solomon's early reign, where two women who were prostitutes came to him with a dispute over a living baby after one of their infants had died. The women argued fiercely in front of the king, each claiming the surviving child as her own, which reflected the common practice in ancient Israel of bringing personal conflicts to the monarch for resolution. This event highlights Solomon's role as a wise judge in a society where leadership decisions could determine life and death.
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