God’s Word Translation
1 Kings 4:29
29God gave Solomon wisdom—keen insight and a mind as limitless as 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.
- 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
27Each of the governors provided food for one month every year for King Solomon and all who ate at his table. The governors saw to it that nothing was in short supply. 28They brought their quota of barley and straw for the chariot horses to the proper places. God gave Solomon wisdom—keen insight and a mind as limitless as the sand on the seashore. 30Solomon’s wisdom was greater than that of all the eastern people and all the wisdom of the Egyptians. 31He was wiser than anyone, than Ethan the Ezrahite, or Heman, Calcol, or Darda, Mahol’s sons. His fame spread to all the nations around him.
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 3:12So I’m going to do what you’ve asked. I’m giving you a wise and understanding heart so that there will never be anyone like you.
- 1 Kings 10:23In wealth and wisdom King Solomon was greater than all the ⌞other⌟ kings of the world.
- 2 Chronicles 1:10Give me wisdom and knowledge so that I may lead these people. After all, who can judge this great people of yours?”
- Psalms 119:34Help me understand so that I can follow your teachings. I will guard them with all my heart.
- Proverbs 2:6The Lord gives wisdom. From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
- Ecclesiastes 1:16I thought to myself, “I have grown wiser than anyone who ⌞has ruled⌟ Jerusalem before me. I’ve had a lot of experience with wisdom and knowledge.”
- Ecclesiastes 2:26God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to anyone who pleases him. But to the person who continues to sin, he gives the job of gathering and collecting ⌞wealth⌟. The sinner must turn his wealth over to the person who pleases God. Even this is pointless. ⌞It’s like⌟ trying to catch the wind.
- James 1:5If any of you needs wisdom to know what you should do, you should ask God, and he will give it to you. God is generous to everyone and doesn’t find fault with them.
- James 3:17However, the wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure. Then it is peaceful, gentle, obedient, filled with mercy and good deeds, impartial, and sincere.
- Isaiah 60:5Then you will see this and rejoice, and your heart will be thrilled with joy, because the riches of the sea will be brought to you. The wealth of the nations will come to you.
- 1 Kings 4:20The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They ate and drank and lived happily.
- Genesis 41:49Joseph stored up grain in huge quantities like the sand on the seashore. He had so much that he finally gave up keeping any records because he couldn’t measure it all.
- Judges 7:12Midian, Amalek, and all of Kedem were spread out in the valley like a swarm of locusts. There were so many camels that they could not be counted. They were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore.
- Jeremiah 33:22I will multiply the descendants of my servant David and the Levites who serve me like the stars of heaven that cannot be counted and the sand on the seashore that cannot be measured.”
- Habakkuk 1:9They will all come for violence. Every face will be directed forward. They will 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
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
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