This verse is a key part of the famous story of King Solomon's judgment. It describes the actions of one of the two women who are arguing over a baby. Here's a breakdown of the verse's meaning:
"She arose at midnight...": The woman secretly gets out of bed in the middle of the night. Midnight is often associated with secrecy and darkness, highlighting the underhanded nature of her actions.
"...and took my son from beside me...": While the other woman (the true mother) is sleeping, she takes her live baby. This shows a deliberate and callous act.
"...while your servant slept...": This emphasizes the other woman's vulnerability. The "your servant" is referring to herself, addressing King Solomon. She was asleep and unaware of the switch, highlighting her innocence and helplessness.
"...and laid it in her bosom...": The woman takes the living baby and puts it next to herself, pretending it's hers.
"...and laid her dead child in my bosom.": The deceitful woman then places her own dead child next to the true mother, completing the switch. This is a particularly cruel act, as the true mother would wake up to find a dead baby next to her, and her own child gone.
In essence, the verse describes a calculated act of deception. The woman whose baby died secretly exchanged it for the living baby, hoping to claim the living child as her own and conceal the truth about her own baby's death. It highlights the extreme lengths to which the woman went to achieve her selfish goal, and sets the stage for Solomon's wise judgment to reveal the truth.
This verse is a key part of the famous story of King Solomon's judgment. It describes the actions of one of the two women who are arguing over a baby. Here's a breakdown of the verse's meaning:
"She arose at midnight...": The woman secretly gets out of bed in the middle of the night. Midnight is often associated with secrecy and darkness, highlighting the underhanded nature of her actions.
"...and took my son from beside me...": While the other woman (the true mother) is sleeping, she takes her live baby. This shows a deliberate and callous act.
"...while your servant slept...": This emphasizes the other woman's vulnerability. The "your servant" is referring to herself, addressing King Solomon. She was asleep and unaware of the switch, highlighting her innocence and helplessness.
"...and laid it in her bosom...": The woman takes the living baby and puts it next to herself, pretending it's hers.
"...and laid her dead child in my bosom.": The deceitful woman then places her own dead child next to the true mother, completing the switch. This is a particularly cruel act, as the true mother would wake up to find a dead baby next to her, and her own child gone.
In essence, the verse describes a calculated act of deception. The woman whose baby died secretly exchanged it for the living baby, hoping to claim the living child as her own and conceal the truth about her own baby's death. It highlights the extreme lengths to which the woman went to achieve her selfish goal, and sets the stage for Solomon's wise judgment to reveal the truth.