The Deeper Wisdom of King Solomon: Justice, Jealousy, and the Human Soul

The well-known story of King Solomon’s judgment appears in the Book of Kings. It begins with two women who come before the young King Solomon, each claiming to be the mother of a living child.

One woman tells the story that she and the other woman both gave birth in the same house. One night, the other woman’s baby died. “She got up in the middle of the night,” says the first woman, “and took my son from my side while I was asleep, and laid her dead son next to me.” In the morning, she realized the baby beside her wasn’t hers, and that the other woman had switched the infants.

The other woman interrupts: “No! My son is the living one- yours is the dead one!” To which the first woman insists: “No! Your son is the dead one- mine is the living!”

It seems like a case with no solution. No witnesses. No evidence. Just two women making opposing claims. Some commentators even say the women had already gone through every other court, and none could resolve it. And now, Solomon- just twelve years old and newly crowned- was under immense pressure to decide a case no one else could.

Then he gives a shocking order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”

At first glance, it seems to be a disturbing and absurd judgment.

But the women's responses reveal everything: The real mother pleads, “Please, my lord, give her the baby, just don’t kill him!”
The other says, “He won’t be hers or mine- cut him in half!”

Immediately, Solomon declares: “Give her the living baby- do not kill him. She is his mother.”

The text then concludes: “All Israel heard of the judgment the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, for they saw that the wisdom of G-d was in him to execute justice.” (1 Kings 3:28)

Upon first reading, this conclusion is puzzling. What was so brilliant about Solomon’s decision? His plan seems obvious. Any reasonable person might have come up with the same test. Why then did the entire nation stand in awe of his divine wisdom?

Furthermore, how did Solomon know that the false mother wouldn’t pretend to care and say, “Don’t cut the child”? She was clever enough to fabricate a baby swap- surely she could catch on to Solomon’s trap.

The Hidden Genius Behind Solomon’s Judgment

Solomon had already sensed who the real mother was before he gave the dramatic order to divide the child. A close reading of the text reveals something subtle but profound.

When the two women argue, each makes her claim. But their words differ in order:

• The truthful woman says: “My son is the living one, and your son is the dead one.”

• The false woman says: “Your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.”

This reversal is not accidental. There is a principle that people instinctively mention what is most important to them first. The real mother focuses on life- “my son is alive.” The false one focuses first on death- “your son is dead.” Her priority is that her rival not have a child, more than that she herself does. This subtle cue already hinted to Solomon who was lying.

However, that alone wasn’t enough for a public verdict and therefore Solomon devised a test- not just of logic, but of character. He knew that a mother’s compassion would overpower any selfish motive, and that unchecked envy can drive a person beyond reason.

The Deeper Psychology of Envy

This idea connects to a teaching from Pirkei Avot: ​“Jealousy, desire, and the pursuit of honor remove a person from the world.”

At first glance, it sounds dramatic. But the sages were speaking about a real psychological danger: envy doesn’t only harm others, but it distorts perception, poisons the heart, and can destroy a person’s own life.

In the Talmud, there’s an unusual statement: “A man should not marry two wives- but if he already has two, he should marry a third.”Why add a third wife if two is already too many? 

When there are two, each one compares herself to the other. She has more love. She gets more attention. Envy flourishes. But when there are three, the dynamic shifts. Each one thinks, Well, maybe I don’t have everything, but neither do the others. The envy becomes less personal and less intense.

The core of envy isn’t “why don’t I have?”, but “why does she have?” Solomon understood this. The false mother’s priority wasn’t to gain a child- it was to make sure the other woman lost hers.

He knew the bitter root of jealousy could override logic, compassion, even the instinct to self-protect. For this reason he wasn’t afraid that the false mother would fake concern, because he knew that her envy would betray her.

The Lesson: Watch Your Jealousy

This story isn’t just about King Solomon. It’s about us. If we ever find ourselves thinking not just “Why don’t I have?” but “Why does she have?”, that’s a warning sign of jealousy in its most dangerous form. Left unchecked, it can lead to self-destruction, just as it did with Korach, Jeroboam, and others who fell from greatness due to envy.

There’s an ancient Jewish practice for fighting jealousy: When you feel envy toward someone- bless them. Wish for them to have even more. Turn your inner resistance into generosity. This shift can dissolve envy and open the heart.

May we merit to serve G-d with a full heart, refine our character, and live with the wisdom and clarity of soul that leads to true peace.