English Standard Version
1 Kings 4:29
29And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore,
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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore.
- New Living Translation (NLT)God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore.
Context of 1 Kings 4:29
27And those officers supplied provisions for King Solomon, and for all who came to King Solomon's table, each one in his month. They let nothing be lacking. 28Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds they brought to the place where it was required, each according to his duty. And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, 30so that Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people 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, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations.
Read all of 1 Kings 41 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 now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.
- 1 Kings 10:23Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.
- 2 Chronicles 1:10Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?"
- Psalms 119:34Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
- Proverbs 2:6For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
- Ecclesiastes 1:16I said in my heart, "I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge."
- Ecclesiastes 2:26For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
- James 1:5If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
- James 3:17But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
- Isaiah 60:5Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and exult, because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
- 1 Kings 4:20Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea. They ate and drank and were happy.
- Genesis 41:49And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured.
- Judges 7:12And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance.
- Jeremiah 33:22As the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the offspring of David my servant, and the Levitical priests who minister to me."
- Habakkuk 1:9They all come for violence, all their faces forward. They gather captives 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
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries