Why Can Prostitutes Come to Solomon?

Question

According to 1 Kings 3:16-28, two prostitutes came to Solomon for a judgment over their dispute concerning a child.

Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him... Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother.” And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.

If prostitution was illegal (more specifically, if sex outside marriage is condemned by God), why were they willing (perhaps even comfortable) coming to the king and admitting to be prostitutes?

One of our assumptions must be false. Which ones?

So, what's the explanation?

In fact, one of the highly voted answer in this site, claim that sex outside marriage is never prohibited at all.

There is no evidence that pre-marital sex is an instance of porneia, nor is there any prohibition of responsible pre-marital sex stated in Scripture. What's is the case for premarital sex being an instance of πορνεία (porneia)?

I need factual answers. For example, if some says that prostitution is illegal but by God's grace, prostitutes deserve justice and come to Solomon, then I would need to see more evidences. Perhaps, some historians could tell that prostitution is indeed illegal during 2500 ago in Israel with penalty of stoning or what, etc and somehow the Solomon didn't punish the prostitutes that come to him despite knowing full well what their jobs are. I wonder if it's likely?

Answer 1

This question is predicated on completely faulty assumption - namely that criminals do not come to the palace to seek justice. At that time, the King was also the judge, and the judge was specifically ordered to give justice to all.

The prophets are replete with invective against those hypocritical government officials who would only seek justice for those on top of society. As just one example, Amos goes out of his way to say that Israel is under the same condemnation as its neighbors. Leviticus demands one law for you and the alien in your midst - again, fairness for everyone. When the Scripture commands that the judge give justice to the poor as well as to the widow and the orphan, the clear indication is that justice shouldn't depend on your status in society. Indeed, for many at the time, the poor and the criminal would have occupied similar places in the mind.

Thus, when two women of whatever station came to Solomon, asking for justice in regards to the one living child, Solomon, in the wisdom that God gave him, would necessarily give justice to anyone who came to seek it. What these women were outside of this case is 100% irrelevant in the face of a God who sees all in place of judgement, all who are unworthy.

As Isaiah says, "All we like sheep have gone astray, each to our devices" and "all our righteousness is as filthy rags."

As Judah says to Tamar - a woman who has played the prostitute and slept with her own father-in-law (him!) in order to get pregnant, "You are more righteous than I!"

And, as Jesus, who modelled this radical love showed, justice belongs even to the prostitutes and even worse, the tax collectors. After all, those who are healthy do not need the Great Physician. But our God showed his love for us in this - while we were yet sinners he died for us.

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Note: convicted criminals use courts all the time.

• http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2011-09-08/local/35275281_1_strip-club-aids-funds-lawsuit

• http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bronx/drug-dealer-suing-state-keeping-dying-mother-article-1.1444094

and in this instance an Iowa man called the cops when he was stiffed in a drug deal. Google "criminals do stupid things" for more results.

Directly to the question, however:

1. Prostitution was illegal under Jewish law, as per Deuteronomy 23:18
2. Prostitution was rather common however.
3. This toleration of an otherwise illegal activity, merely supports what is written above - namely that prostitutes would have been legally culpable and socially marginalized, but that justice demanded that they be heard in spite of their status.