Many greatest hits in this reading. Solomon asks for wisdom, rather than long life or riches; so, God gives him all of it. The split the baby story is here. And the general international fame of Solomon’s wisdom is in this story.
Some quick things I noticed
- in granting Solomon wisdom, God appears in a dream
- the women fighting over the baby were prostitutes
- “everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree” appears to be the Hebrew equivalent of a chicken in every pot.
- And, Solomon presided over the Big Promised Land
“And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought tribute and were Solomon’s subjects all his life.” 1 Kings 4:21.