The Decameron · Chapter
The Third Story explained
Saladin, in need of money, summons the wealthy Jewish moneylender Melchizedek and asks him which of the three laws—Jewish, Saracen, or Christian—is the true one, hoping to trap him.
What happens
Saladin, in need of money, summons the wealthy Jewish moneylender Melchizedek and asks him which of the three laws—Jewish, Saracen, or Christian—is the true one, hoping to trap him. Melchizedek escapes the snare by telling the parable of the three rings, where a father leaves each of his three sons an identical ring, making it impossible to determine the true heir. Saladin, impressed by the Jew's wisdom, reveals his need, and Melchizedek freely lends him the money. Saladin later repays him in full and honors him.
Themes in this chapter
Wit and Cunning
Melchizedek uses clever storytelling to escape Saladin's trap, demonstrating that wisdom can defuse perilous situations.
Religion and Hypocrisy
The parable of the three rings questions the exclusive claim to truth of any one religion, subtly critiquing religious absolutism.
Characters to notice
- Saladin
The Sultan of Babylon, who sets a verbal trap for Melchizedek to justify forcing a loan, but is won over by the Jew's wisdom.
- Melchizedek
A rich Jewish moneylender in Alexandria, who uses the parable of the three rings to evade Saladin's trap and later lends him the needed money.
Key passages
“like as folly ofttimes draweth folk forth of happy estate and casteth them into the utmost misery, even so doth good sense extricate the wise man from the greatest perils and place him in assurance and tranquillity.”
Just as foolishness often brings people from happiness to misery, wisdom rescues the wise from great dangers and brings them to safety and peace.
Filomena introduces the moral of the story, contrasting folly and good sense.
“The Jew, who was in truth a man of learning and understanding, perceived but too well that Saladin looked to entrap him in words, so he might fasten a quarrel on him, and bethought himself that he could not praise any of the three more than the others without giving him the occasion he sought.”
Melchizedek, being learned and shrewd, saw that Saladin was trying to trap him with words, and realized that praising any one religion would give Saladin the excuse he wanted.
Melchizedek's awareness of the trap shows his wisdom and caution.
“each people deemeth itself to have his inheritance, His true Law and His commandments; but of which in very deed hath them, even as of the rings, the question yet pendeth.”
Each religion believes it possesses God's true law and commandments, but which one actually does remains an open question, just like with the rings.
The core of Melchizedek's parable: the uncertainty of religious truth.