29 Now (A)God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of [a]mind, (B)like the sand that is on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all (C)the [b]people of the east and (D)all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For (E)he was wiser than all other people, more than (F)Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, (G)Calcol, and [c]Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his [d]fame was known in all the surrounding nations. 32 (H)He also told three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered 1,005. 33 He told of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that grows on the wall; he told also of animals, birds, crawling things, and fish. 34 People (I)came from all the [e]nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 4:29 Lit heart
  2. 1 Kings 4:30 Lit sons
  3. 1 Kings 4:31 In 1 Chr 2:6, Dara
  4. 1 Kings 4:31 Lit name
  5. 1 Kings 4:34 Lit peoples

Fame of Solomon’s Wisdom

29 God gave Solomon very great wisdom, discernment, and breadth of understanding as vast as the sand on the seashore,(A) 30 so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt.(B) 31 He was wiser than anyone else, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, children of Mahol; his fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations.(C) 32 He composed three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered a thousand and five.(D) 33 He would speak of trees, from the cedar that is in the Lebanon to the hyssop that grows in the wall; he would speak of animals, and birds, and reptiles, and fish. 34 People came from all the nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.(E)

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