27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
27 Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother."
27 Then the king answered and said, "Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother."
27 The king gave his decision: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Nobody is going to kill this baby. She is the real mother."
27 So the king answered and said, "Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him; she is his mother."
27 Then the king said, "Do not kill the child, but give him to the woman who wants him to live, for she is his mother!"
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 3:27
Commentary on 1 Kings 3:16-28
(Read 1 Kings 3:16-28)
An instance of Solomon's wisdom is given. Notice the difficulty of the case. To find out the true mother, he could not try which the child loved best, and therefore tried which loved the child best: the mother's sincerity will be tried, when the child is in danger. Let parents show their love to their children, especially by taking care of their souls, and snatching them as brands out of the burning. By this and other instances of the wisdom with which God endued him, Solomon had great reputation among his people. This was better to him than weapons of war; for this he was both feared and loved.