3:20 And she arose at midnight, and {l} took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
(l) She stole the living child to avoid both the shame and punishment.
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.
