מלכים א, פרק ג׳, פסוק כ״ד

At the climax of a tense trial, the king makes a startling request to bring a weapon into the courtroom. He orders a sword to be brought [ביאור שטיינזלץ], declaring his intention to cut the living child in two and divide him between the disputing women [צאינה וראינה]. The primary approach among commentators is that this unusual demand was a calculated psychological and emotional test. The king sought to reveal which woman would show genuine mercy. He knew the true mother, driven by a natural and deep love for her child, would rather give him away than see him harmed, while the other woman would cruelly accept the fatal decree [אברבנאל בשם מפרשים].

Another perspective connects the introduction of the sword directly to the dark character of the imposter. Because one of the women had killed her own son by lying on him, Solomon suspected that her nature was fundamentally prone to destruction, bloodshed, and loss. Asking for the sword was a way to test her reaction. If she agreed to the child's execution, it would expose her cruel and lethal disposition, proving that she was the one responsible for her own baby's death in the first place [אברבנאל בשם אחרים].

However, a different view argues that the sword was never meant to help the king figure out the truth. According to this approach, a basic test of a mother's compassion would not be enough to demonstrate the kind of extraordinary wisdom that inspires awe in an entire nation. In truth, Solomon already knew the identity of the real mother long before he asked for the weapon. He had discerned the reality through a deep observation of the women's faces, the way they spoke, and their physical movements. The request for the sword, and the dramatic test that followed, was entirely a public demonstration. It was designed to prove the absolute justice of his decision to his ministers and the watching crowd, ensuring they would fully recognize his wisdom and the righteousness of his judgment [אברבנאל].