1 Kings 4:29

1 Kings 4:29 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.
• New International Version (NIV)God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore,
• New King James Version (NKJV)And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore.

Context of 1 Kings 4:29

27Those deputies provided food for King Solomon and for all [the staff] who came to King Solomon’s table, each in his month; they let nothing be lacking. 28They also brought the barley and straw for the horses and swift steeds (warhorses, chargers) to the place where it was needed, each man according to his assignment. Now God gave Solomon [exceptional] wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand of the seashore. 30Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31For he was wiser than all [other] men, [wiser] than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. His fame was known in all the surrounding nations.

1 Kings 4:29 word by word

וַיִּתֵּן֩ אֱלֹהִ֨ים חָכְמָ֧ה לִשְׁלֹמֹ֛ה וּתְבוּנָ֖ה הַרְבֵּ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד וְרֹ֣חַב לֵ֔ב כַּח֕וֹל אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־שְׂפַ֥ת הַיָּֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• gaveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• Solomonשְׁלֹמֹהshelômôh · SolomonH8010
• wisdomחׇכְמָהchokmâh · wisdomH2451
• and understandingתְּבוּנָהtâbûn tebûnâh tôbûnâh · understandingH8394
• exceedingמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
• muchרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
• and largenessרֹ֫חַבrôchab · widthH7341
• of heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• even as the sandחוֹלchôl · sandH2344
• on the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
• shoreשָׂפָהώâphâh ώepheth · lip: shoreH8193

Cross-references for 1 Kings 4:29

• 1 Kings 3:12behold, I have done as you asked. I have given you a wise and discerning heart (mind), so that no one before you was your equal, nor shall anyone equal to you arise after you.
• 1 Kings 10:23So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in wealth and in wisdom.
• 2 Chronicles 1:10Give me wisdom and knowledge, so that I may go out and come in [performing my duties] before this people, for [otherwise] who can rule and administer justice to this great people of Yours?”
• Psalms 119:34Give me understanding [a teachable heart and the ability to learn], that I may keep Your law; And observe it with all my heart.
• Proverbs 2:6For the Lord gives [skillful and godly] wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
• Ecclesiastes 1:16I spoke with my heart, saying, “Behold, I have acquired great [human] wisdom and experience, more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of [moral] wisdom and [scientific] knowledge.”
• Ecclesiastes 2:26For to the person who pleases Him God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who pleases God. This too is vanity and chasing after the wind.
• James 1:5If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him.
• James 3:17But the wisdom from above is first pure [morally and spiritually undefiled], then peace-loving [courteous, considerate], gentle, reasonable [and willing to listen], full of compassion and good fruits. It is unwavering, without [self-righteous] hypocrisy [and self-serving guile].
• Isaiah 60:5Then you will see and be radiant, And your heart will tremble [with joy] and rejoice Because the abundant wealth of the seas will be brought to you, The wealth of the nations will come to you.
• 1 Kings 4:20[The people of] Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand that is in abundance by the sea; they were eating and drinking and rejoicing.
• Genesis 41:49Thus Joseph gathered and stored up grain in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting it, for it could not be measured.
• Judges 7:12Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east were lying [camped] in the valley, as countless as locusts; and their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand on the seashore.
• Jeremiah 33:22As the host of [the stars of] heaven cannot be counted and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me.’ ”
• Habakkuk 1:9They all come for violence; Their horde of faces moves [eagerly] forward, They gather prisoners like sand.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 4:29

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 29God gave Solomon wisdom, etc. - He gave him a capacious mind, and furnished him with extraordinary assistance to cultivate it. Even as the sand that is on the sea-shore - Lord Bacon observes on this: "As the sand on the sea-shore encloses a great body of waters, so Solomon's mind contained an ocean of knowledge." This is a happy and correct illustration.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 29Largeness of heart - What we call “great capacity.” The expression which follows is common in reference to numerical multitude 1 Kings 4:20, but its use here to express mere amplitude or greatness is unique.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 29-34Verses 29-34 Solomon's wisdom was more his glory than his wealth. He had what is here called largeness of heart, for the heart is often put for the powers of the mind. He had the gift of utterance, as well as wisdom. It is very desirable, that those who have large gifts of any kind, should have large hearts to use them for the good of others. What treasures of wisdom and knowledge are lost! But every sort of knowledge that is needful for salvation is to…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 29-30men of the East: Babylon was famous for its wise men. However, Solomon's wisdom, given by God (1 Kings 3:9, 12, 28; Proverbs 1:7; Ecclesiastes 12:13), was greater than all of them (1 Kings 4:34).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2929. God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart--that is, high powers of mind, great capacity for receieving, as well as aptitude for communicating knowledge.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 4:29

• Heart
• Liberality
• Solomon
• Wisdom
• Wise Men

In the dictionaries

• God
• Solomon
• the sea, the Great Sea, the western sea
• Region
• Abishag
• Breadth
• Deer
• Genealogy
• Horse
• Kings, Books of

Commentaries on 1 Kings 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings