1 Kings 4:30 kjv
And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
1 Kings 4:30 nkjv
Thus Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt.
1 Kings 4:30 niv
Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.
1 Kings 4:30 esv
so that Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.
1 Kings 4:30 nlt
In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Egypt.
1 Kings 4 30 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Ki 3:12 | "Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart..." | God grants Solomon wisdom as requested. |
| 2 Chr 1:12 | "Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour..." | Divine source of Solomon's exceptional gifts. |
| 1 Ki 4:31 | "For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol..." | Lists specific wise men Solomon surpassed. |
| 1 Ki 4:34 | "And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth..." | Solomon's international renown spreads. |
| 1 Ki 10:1 | "And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord..." | Queen of Sheba confirms his wisdom's fame. |
| 1 Ki 10:24 | "And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart." | Earthly kings recognized God-given wisdom. |
| Acts 7:22 | "And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds." | Moses' high-level Egyptian education is noted. |
| Gen 41:38-39 | "And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?... there is none so discreet and wise as thou." | Joseph's God-given wisdom in Egypt highlighted. |
| Exod 7:11-12 | "Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt..." | Egyptian wise men and their limitations shown. |
| Prov 2:6 | "For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." | True wisdom originates from God alone. |
| Jas 1:5 | "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally..." | God's generosity in giving wisdom is affirmed. |
| Job 28:28 | "And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." | Fear of the Lord as the essence of wisdom. |
| Prov 1:7 | "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." | Foundation of knowledge and wisdom is divine fear. |
| Ps 111:10 | "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments..." | Piety leads to true understanding. |
| 1 Cor 1:20 | "Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?" | Contrasts worldly wisdom with God's divine wisdom. |
| 1 Cor 2:6 | "Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world..." | Divine wisdom distinct from human systems. |
| Matt 12:42 | "The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came... to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here." | Jesus declares His wisdom superior to Solomon's. |
| Luke 11:31 | (Similar to Matt 12:42) "The queen of the south shall rise up..." | Reiteration of Jesus' supreme wisdom. |
| Col 2:3 | "In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." | All ultimate wisdom resides in Christ. |
| Is 11:2 | "And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding..." | Messiah possesses the fullness of wisdom. |
| Dan 1:20 | "And in all matters of wisdom and understanding... he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers..." | Daniel and friends excel Babylonian wise men through God's gift. |
| Deut 4:6 | "Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations..." | Israel's adherence to God's law brings national wisdom. |
1 Kings 4 verses
1 Kings 4 30 Meaning
First Kings 4:30 proclaims the unparalleled nature of King Solomon's wisdom, stating it surpassed that of all the "children of the east country" and all the wisdom of Egypt. This verse highlights the divine source and extraordinary abundance of Solomon's understanding, setting him above the most renowned centers of ancient knowledge and culture known to the Israelites. It underscores a key aspect of God's blessing upon his reign, fulfilling the divine promise.
1 Kings 4 30 Context
First Kings 4:30 forms part of a larger passage (1 Ki 4:20-34) detailing the prosperity, extensive dominion, administrative organization, and especially the remarkable wisdom of King Solomon. This chapter immediately follows God's pivotal appearance to Solomon at Gibeon where the young king requested "an understanding heart to judge Your people" instead of long life or riches (1 Ki 3:5-14). God then promised not only to grant this unprecedented request for wisdom but also to add wealth and honor beyond any king before or after. Verse 4:30 initiates the specific demonstrations of how that divine promise of unmatched wisdom was fulfilled, establishing a global standard for Solomon's intellectual prowess even before detailing his specific accomplishments in proverbs, songs, and knowledge of nature (1 Ki 4:32-33) and his worldwide fame (1 Ki 4:34). It contrasts Israel's divinely anointed king with the most esteemed human-centered intellectual traditions of the ancient Near East.
1 Kings 4 30 Word analysis
- And Solomon's wisdom:
חָכְמַת שְׁלֹמֹה(khokhmat Shlomo). This phrase identifies the core subject: the sagacity and profound discernment belonging to the King.חָכְמָה(khokhmah), "wisdom," denotes not just intellectual acuity, but practical insight, skill, and comprehensive understanding applicable to governance, moral discernment, and the natural world, all derived from divine enablement. - excelled:
וַתֵּרֶב(vattereB). Derived from the verbרָבָה(rabah), meaning "to be great, many, increase, exceed." It conveys not merely a qualitative superiority but also an extraordinary abundance and comprehensive dominance. It suggests a vastness and depth of knowledge that qualitatively and quantitatively surpassed all human benchmarks. - the wisdom of all the children of the east country:
מֵחָכְמַת כָּל־בְּנֵי קֶדֶם(mechakmat kol-bney kedem).- children of the east country:
בְּנֵי קֶדֶם(bney kedem), literally "sons of the East" or "sons of antiquity." This likely refers to peoples east of Israel, specifically those from Mesopotamia (e.g., Chaldeans, Babylonians) and possibly Edomites, regions renowned for ancient astronomical, philosophical, magical, and scribal traditions. They represented sophisticated wisdom accumulated over millennia.
- children of the east country:
- and all the wisdom of Egypt:
וּמִכֹּל חָכְמַת מִצְרָיִם(u'mikol chakmat Mitzrayim).- Egypt:
מִצְרָיִם(Mitzrayim). Ancient Egypt was a titan of civilization, admired for its monumental architecture, advanced medicine, sophisticated mathematics, intricate religious beliefs, scribal practices, and bureaucratic administration. Its "wisdom" was widely respected, as seen in the education of Moses in Egyptian lore (Acts 7:22).
- Egypt:
- words-group: excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt: This collective declaration serves as a global comparison, demonstrating the universal scope and profound supremacy of Solomon's wisdom. By contrasting him with these two preeminent ancient intellectual powerhouses—one known for deep philosophical and astrological insight (the East) and the other for practical, scientific, and administrative mastery (Egypt)—the text establishes that Solomon's understanding was divinely imparted and qualitatively superior to any human-derived knowledge system. This highlights that genuine and unsurpassed wisdom comes from God, serving as a subtle polemic against any notion that human cleverness or foreign divinities were the ultimate source of knowledge.
1 Kings 4 30 Bonus section
The profound impact of Solomon's wisdom, as stated in 1 Kings 4:30, was crucial for Israel's international standing. This declaration, reinforced by subsequent accounts of foreign dignitaries like the Queen of Sheba seeking his counsel, validated Israel's divine connection and elevated the stature of God's covenant king in the eyes of other nations. The superlative nature of his wisdom, surpassing the East and Egypt, subtly indicated that even the greatest worldly achievements could not compare to what God bestows. This narrative laid groundwork for later prophetic references to the ultimate, perfect wisdom found in the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who himself declared He was "greater than Solomon."
1 Kings 4 30 Commentary
First Kings 4:30 is a pivotal statement, articulating the exceptional nature of King Solomon's God-given wisdom. Far from being merely learned or insightful, his wisdom is declared to surpass that of two major wellsprings of ancient knowledge: the mysterious "children of the east country," often associated with sophisticated mystical or philosophical traditions, and the scientifically and administratively advanced civilization of Egypt. This hyperbole underscores that Solomon's wisdom was not merely quantitatively greater, but qualitatively different and of divine origin, fulfilling God's promise. It positions Israel, through its divinely favored king, as the epicenter of true knowledge in the ancient world, elevating God's direct gift above all human intellectual achievement and serving as an implicit theological declaration about the supreme source of wisdom.