1 Kings 3:27

27 Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. By no means should you kill him; she is his mother.”

1 Kings 3:27 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 3:27

Then the king answered and said, give her the living child,
and in no wise slay it
That is, to her who desired it might not be slain, but rather be given to her who had no right to it:

she [is] the mother thereof;
which might be strongly concluded from her compassion for it, her eagerness and earnestness to have its life spared, and from the indifference of the other, yea, from her cruelty and barbarity in moving to have it divided.

1 Kings 3:27 In-Context

25 and the king declared, “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”

26 Then the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she yearned with compassion for her son. “Please, my lord,” she said, “give her the living baby. Do not kill him!” But the other woman said, “He will be neither mine nor yours. Cut him in two!”

27 Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. By no means should you kill him; she is his mother.”

28 When all Israel heard of the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.