Judgment of Solomon
Encyclopedia
The Judgment of Solomon refers to a story from the Hebrew Bible
in which King Solomon of Israel
ruled between two women both claiming to be the mother of a child. It has become a metaphor
referring to a wise judge who uses a stratagem to determine the truth, tricking the parties into revealing their true feelings. Specifically, the judge pretends that he will destroy the subject matter of a dispute, rather than allowing either disputing party to win at the expense of the other.
After some deliberation, King Solomon called for a sword to be brought before him. He declared that there is only one fair solution: the live son must be split in two, each woman receiving half of the child. Upon hearing this terrible verdict, the boy's true mother cried out, "Please, My Lord, give her the live child—do not kill him!" However, the liar, in her bitter jealousy, exclaimed, "It shall be neither mine nor yours—divide it!" Solomon instantly gave the live baby to the real mother, realizing that the true mother's instincts were to protect her child, while the liar revealed that she did not truly love the child. The reputation of the king greatly increased when all the people of Israel
heard of this wise judgment.
, the two women were sisters-in-law, both of whom had borne sons, and whose husbands had died. The baby was actually the lying woman's nephew. Therefore, when Solomon suggested that the infant be split in half, the lying woman, jealous of her nephew and sister-in-law, agreed. Thus was Solomon able to know who the real mother was.
or other remedies
(e.g. a judge
dividing fault between the two parties
in a comparative negligence
case). The term is often used informally or humorously, rather than in a literal sense.
However, this is a disfavored idiomatic usage, because it means exactly the opposite of the etymology. As the above narrative suggests, "splitting the baby" properly refers to a split that cannot be made because it is difficult, impractical, or futile. ("The proposed compromise served no one's needs and was thus akin to splitting the baby.")
US Legal Exception: some custodial parents have tried using the same argument for splitting child custody order which fails because laws exist both at the Federal and State levels that puts a mandatory minimum (for each child) and not a 50-50 rule because doing so may bankrupt the noncustodial parent.
, Seinfeld
, The Seven
, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
. It has influenced other artistic disciplines, e.g. see Bertolt Brecht
's play The Caucasian Chalk Circle
and Ronnie snatching Kat's baby in EastEnders.
The HIM (Finnish band) song "Shatter Me With Hope", includes "We'll tear this baby apart, wise like Solomon".
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
in which King Solomon of Israel
Solomon
Solomon , according to the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles, a King of Israel and according to the Talmud one of the 48 prophets, is identified as the son of David, also called Jedidiah in 2 Samuel 12:25, and is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, and the final king before...
ruled between two women both claiming to be the mother of a child. It has become a metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
referring to a wise judge who uses a stratagem to determine the truth, tricking the parties into revealing their true feelings. Specifically, the judge pretends that he will destroy the subject matter of a dispute, rather than allowing either disputing party to win at the expense of the other.
Biblical narrative
The story is recounted in . Two young women who lived in the same house and who both had an infant son came to Solomon for a judgement. One of the women claimed that the other, after accidentally smothering her own son while sleeping, had exchanged the two children to make it appear that the living child was hers. The other woman denied this and so both women claimed to be the mother of the living son and said that the dead boy belonged to the other.After some deliberation, King Solomon called for a sword to be brought before him. He declared that there is only one fair solution: the live son must be split in two, each woman receiving half of the child. Upon hearing this terrible verdict, the boy's true mother cried out, "Please, My Lord, give her the live child—do not kill him!" However, the liar, in her bitter jealousy, exclaimed, "It shall be neither mine nor yours—divide it!" Solomon instantly gave the live baby to the real mother, realizing that the true mother's instincts were to protect her child, while the liar revealed that she did not truly love the child. The reputation of the king greatly increased when all the people of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
heard of this wise judgment.
Jewish interpretation
According to the MidrashMidrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
, the two women were sisters-in-law, both of whom had borne sons, and whose husbands had died. The baby was actually the lying woman's nephew. Therefore, when Solomon suggested that the infant be split in half, the lying woman, jealous of her nephew and sister-in-law, agreed. Thus was Solomon able to know who the real mother was.
"Splitting the baby"
The expressions "splitting the baby" or "cutting the baby in half" are sometimes used in the legal profession for a form of simple compromise solutions which "split the difference" in terms of damage awardsDamages
In law, damages is an award, typically of money, to be paid to a person as compensation for loss or injury; grammatically, it is a singular noun, not plural.- Compensatory damages :...
or other remedies
Legal remedy
A legal remedy is the means with which a court of law, usually in the exercise of civil law jurisdiction, enforces a right, imposes a penalty, or makes some other court order to impose its will....
(e.g. a judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
dividing fault between the two parties
Party (law)
A party is a person or group of persons that compose a single entity which can be identified as one for the purposes of the law. Parties include: plaintiff , defendant , petitioner , respondent , cross-complainant A party is a person or group of persons that compose a single entity which can be...
in a comparative negligence
Comparative negligence
Comparative negligence, or non-absolute contributory negligence outside of the United States, is a partial legal defense that reduces the amount of damages that a plaintiff can recover in a negligence-based claim based upon the degree to which the plaintiff's own negligence contributed to cause...
case). The term is often used informally or humorously, rather than in a literal sense.
However, this is a disfavored idiomatic usage, because it means exactly the opposite of the etymology. As the above narrative suggests, "splitting the baby" properly refers to a split that cannot be made because it is difficult, impractical, or futile. ("The proposed compromise served no one's needs and was thus akin to splitting the baby.")
US Legal Exception: some custodial parents have tried using the same argument for splitting child custody order which fails because laws exist both at the Federal and State levels that puts a mandatory minimum (for each child) and not a 50-50 rule because doing so may bankrupt the noncustodial parent.
Representations in art
The Judgment of Solomon has long been a popular subject for graphic artists. Considered an example of wisdom in judgment, the scene is often chosen for decoration in courthouses. In the Netherlands, many 17th century courthouses (Vierschaar rooms) contain a painting or relief of this scene. Elsewhere in Europe, celebrated examples include:- Fresco by RaphaelRaphaelRaffaello Sanzio da Urbino , better known simply as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form and ease of composition and for its visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur...
- The Judgement of Solomon by William BlakeWilliam BlakeWilliam Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
- Etching by Gustave DoréGustave DoréPaul Gustave Doré was a French artist, engraver, illustrator and sculptor. Doré worked primarily with wood engraving and steel engraving.-Biography:...
- Woodcut by the school of Michael WolgemutMichael WolgemutMichael Wolgemut was a German painter and printmaker, born in Nuremberg.-Biography:Little is known of Wolgemut's private life...
in the Nuremberg ChronicleNuremberg Chronicleright|thumbnail|240px|Fifth dayThe Nuremberg Chronicle is an illustrated Biblical paraphrase and world history that follows the story of human history related in the Bible; it includes the histories of a number of important Western cities. Written in Latin by Hartmann Schedel, with a version in... - Paintings by Andrea MantegnaAndrea MantegnaAndrea Mantegna was an Italian painter, a student of Roman archeology, and son in law of Jacopo Bellini. Like other artists of the time, Mantegna experimented with perspective, e.g., by lowering the horizon in order to create a sense of greater monumentality...
and PoussinPoussinPoussin refers to:*Charles Jean de la Vallée-Poussin Belgian mathematician*Charles-Louis-Joseph-Xavier de la Vallée-Poussin Belgian geologist and mineralogist, father of Charles Jean*Nicolas Poussin , French painter...
Other media
The scene has been the subject of television episodes of DinosaurDinosaurs (TV series)
Dinosaurs is an American family sitcom that was originally broadcast on ABC from April 26, 1991 to July 20, 1994. The show, about a family of anthropomorphic dinosaurs, was produced by Michael Jacobs Productions and Jim Henson Television in association with Walt Disney Television and Buena Vista...
, Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
, The Seven
The Seven
"The Seven" is the 123rd episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 13th episode for the 7th season. It aired on February 1, 1996.-Plot:...
, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
. It has influenced other artistic disciplines, e.g. see Bertolt Brecht
Bertolt Brecht
Bertolt Brecht was a German poet, playwright, and theatre director.An influential theatre practitioner of the 20th century, Brecht made equally significant contributions to dramaturgy and theatrical production, the latter particularly through the seismic impact of the tours undertaken by the...
's play The Caucasian Chalk Circle
The Caucasian Chalk Circle
The Caucasian Chalk Circle is a play by the German modernist playwright Bertolt Brecht. An example of Brecht's epic theatre, the play is a parable about a peasant girl who rescues a baby and becomes a better mother than its natural parents....
and Ronnie snatching Kat's baby in EastEnders.
The HIM (Finnish band) song "Shatter Me With Hope", includes "We'll tear this baby apart, wise like Solomon".
External links
- D. L. AshlimanD. L. AshlimanD. L. Ashliman is an American folklorist and writer. He maintains a website on folk and fairy tales through the University of Pittsburgh.-Works:*Fairy Lore: A Handbook. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2005....
, Child Custody: folktales of Aarne-Thompson type 926, variants on the tale