{"id":61479,"date":"2019-08-20T10:35:41","date_gmt":"2019-08-20T07:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=61479"},"modified":"2023-03-14T14:26:17","modified_gmt":"2023-03-14T12:26:17","slug":"a-judge-with-no-evidence-uses-a-sword","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/a-judge-with-no-evidence-uses-a-sword\/","title":{"rendered":"A Judge With No Evidence\u00a0 – Uses A Sword"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[646,391,838,372],"acf":{"old_id":"61479","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":33692,"related_cahpter":"290","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"And cuts through to the heart(s) of the matter, and the mothers","content":"

We will make two brief comments about this highly unusual court hearing in our chapter, concerning the two women arguing over the identity of a newborn baby.<\/span><\/p>\n

First, it is notable that this story is about two women from the lowest stratum of society. Two prostitutes present a case, and they receive an audience with the king! This should not be taken for granted; it is apparent that there is a policy of open access to the king in adjudicating civilian disputes (seen also in II Kings 6:26, II Sam. 14:4-5).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A second point of significance is that this dispute is held without a shred of corroborating evidence. While scholars have attempted to decode the deliberately opaque and confusing language, the text is delicately crafted to reflect the case itself \u2014 indecipherable and impossible to resolve. At first, the reader senses, along with Solomon, that the case is at an impasse; there is no conclusive evidence that might expose the identity of the true mother. Upon hearing Solomon’s shocking decision, “Fetch me a sword” (3:24), the reader becomes confused and alarmed. But as the order is pronounced, “Cut the live child in two,” the reader identifies with the terror felt by the mother of the baby:<\/span><\/p>\n

“<\/span>Give her the live child, and by no means kill him<\/b>!” <\/span>
\n<\/span>The other insisted: “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him!” <\/span>
\n<\/span>The king answered and said: “<\/span>Give her the live child, and by no means kill him!<\/b> She is his mother.” (3:26-27)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The fact that Solomon pronounces the identity of the true mother using her own words, a verbatim repetition of her outcry, leaves us with no doubt that his design all along has been to tease this emotional outburst from the women. However, in a marvelous literary stroke, the account of the trial concludes without any verifiable means of deciphering which of the women is the true mother! The reader is deliberately left in the dark as Solomon solves the case, assured that he has discovered the truth and executed justice, even though the resolution is concealed and elusive! This literary device echoes the sense of wonder experienced by the nation as it marveled at the wisdom of the king.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Alex Israel, 1 Kings: Torn in Two<\/em>, Maggid Books, 2013, The Gift of Wisdom\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":61437,"id":61437,"title":"alex israel - kings 1","filename":"alex-israel-kings-1.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/adonijahs-scheme-to-ascend-the-throne\/alex-israel-kings-1\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"alex-israel-kings-1","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":61414,"date":"2019-08-19 12:13:44","modified":"2019-08-19 12:13:53","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1020,"height":1304,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-235x300.jpg","medium-width":235,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-768x982.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":982,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-801x1024.jpg","large-width":801,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1.jpg","1536x1536-width":1020,"1536x1536-height":1304,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1.jpg","2048x2048-width":1020,"2048x2048-height":1304,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-939x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":939,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/alex-israel-kings-1-329x420.jpg","home_baner-width":329,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"excerpts from: 1 Kings - 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