1 Kings 4

1 Kings · Chapter 4

1 Kings 4:31

1So king Solomon was king over all Israel.2And these were the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest,3Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder.4And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:5And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer, and the king’s friend:6And Ahishar was over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute.7And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision.8And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim:9The son of Dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Bethshemesh, and Elonbethhanan:10The son of Hesed, in Aruboth; to him pertained Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher:11The son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife:12Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and all Bethshean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Bethshean to Abelmeholah, even unto the place that is beyond Jokneam:13The son of Geber, in Ramothgilead; to him pertained the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; to him also pertained the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brasen bars:14Ahinadab the son of Iddo had Mahanaim:15Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife:16Baanah the son of Hushai was in Asher and in Aloth:17Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar:18Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin:19Geber the son of Uri was in the country of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer which was in the land.20Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.21And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.22And Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,23Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl.24For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him.25And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.26And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.27And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon’s table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing.28Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.29And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.30And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.31For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.32And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.33And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.34And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
31For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.He was wiser than all men—wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and wiser than Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread throughout the surrounding nations.For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all the nations round about.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and he was wiseוַיֶּחְכַּם֮vai-yech-KAMH2449
be wise

חָכַם (cha.kham) 1) to be wise 1a) (Qal) to be or become wise, act wisely 1b) (Piel) to make wise, teach wisdom, instruct 1c) (Pual) to be made wise 1d) (Hiphil) to make wise 1e) (Hithpael) to show oneself wise, deceive, show one's wisdom

more than anyמִכָּל־mi-kolH3605
all

כֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

the humanהָֽאָדָם֒ha-'a-DAMH0120G
man

אָדָם (a.dam) 1) man, mankind 1a) man, human being 1b) man, mankind (much more frequently intended sense in OT) 1c) Adam, first man 1d) city in Jordan valley

more than Ethanמֵאֵיתָ֣ןme-'ei-TANH0387G
Ethan

אֵיתָן (e.tan) A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.4.31; son of: Mahol (H4235); brother of: Heman (H1968), Calcol (H3633) and Darda (H1862) § Ethan = "enduring" 1) an Ezrahite known for his wisdom 2) a grandson of Judah, father of Azariah 3) a Kohathite descendant of Levi 4) a Merarite son of Kushaiah, descendant of Levi

the Ezrachiteהָאֶזְרָחִ֗יha-'ez-ra-CHIH0250
Ezrahite

אֶזְרָחִי (ez.ra.chi) Someone descended from Ezrah(?), first mentioned at 1Ki.4.31 § Ezraite = "a native (as arising out of the soil)" Ezrahite, of the family of Zerach

and Hemanוְהֵימָ֧ןve-hei-MANH1968G
Heman

הֵימָן (he.man) A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.4.31; son of: Mahol (H4235); brother of: Ethan (H0387), Calcol (H3633) and Darda (H1862) § Heman = "faithful" 1) a wise man to whom Solomon was compared 2) son of Joel, grandson of Samuel, and a Levitical singer and author of PS 88 3) a seer

and Kalkolוְכַלְכֹּ֛לve-khal-KOLH3633G
Calcol

כַּלְכֹּל (kal.kol) A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ki.4.31; son of: Mahol (H4235); brother of: Ethan (H0387), Heman (H1968) and Darda (H1862) § Calcol or Chalcol = "sustaining" son or descendant of Zerah of Judah and one of the wise men with whom Solomon was compared

and Dardaוְדַרְדַּ֖עve-dar-DA'H1862
Darda

דַּרְדַּע (dar.da) A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ki.4.31; son of: Mahol (H4235); brother of: Ethan (H0387), Heman (H1968) and Calcol (H3633) § Darda = "pearl of knowledge" a son of Mahol, one of four men of great fame for their wisdom, but surpassed by Solomon

[the] sons ofבְּנֵ֣יbe-NEIH1121A
son: child

בֵּן (ben) : child/son

Maholמָח֑וֹלma-CHOLH4235
Mahol

מָחוֹל (ma.chol) A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ki.4.31; father of: Ethan (H0387), Heman (H1968), Calcol (H3633), Darda (H1862) § Mahol = "dancing" father of Heman

and it wasוַיְהִֽי־vay-hi-H1961
to be

הָיָה (ha.yah) 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) …

name hisשְׁמ֥וֹshe-MOH8034
name

שֵׁם (shem) 1) name 1a) name 1b) reputation, fame, glory 1c) the Name (as designation of God) 1d) memorial, monument Aramaic equivalent: shum (שֻׁם "name" H8036)

among allבְכָֽל־ve-khal-H3605
all

כֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

the nationsהַגּוֹיִ֖םha-go-YIMH1471A
nation

גּוֹי (goy) 1) nation, people 1a) nation, people 1a1) usually of non-Hebrew people 1a2) of descendants of Abraham 1a3) of Israel 1b) of swarm of locusts, other animals (fig.)

aroundסָבִֽיב׃sa-VIVH5439G
around

סָבִיב (sa.viv) : around/border subst 1) places round about, circuit, round about adv 2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about prep 3) in the circuit, from every side

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.