1 Kings 4 · Verse 30

1 Kings 4:30

And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
1 Kings 4:30, King James Version

1 Kings 4:30 in other translations

BSBSolomon’s wisdom was greater than that of all the men of the East, greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.
WEBSolomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.
ASVAnd Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
YLTand the wisdom of Solomon is greater than the wisdom of any of the sons of the east, and than all the wisdom of Egypt;
DARBYAnd Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the sons of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
BBEAnd Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt.
WebsterAnd Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.

What does 1 Kings 4:30 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
30. Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country--that is, the Arabians, Chaldeans, and Persians (Ge 25:6). all the wisdom of Egypt--Egypt was renowned as the seat of learning and sciences, and the existing monuments, which so clearly describe the ancient state of society and the arts, show the high culture of the Egyptian people.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 30 The children of the east country - That is the Chaldeans, Persians, and Arabians, who, with the Egyptians, were famed for wisdom and knowledge through all the world.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Kings 4:29-34

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…

Read the full comment on 1 Kings 4:29-34 →

1 Kings 4:30 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַתֵּ֙רֶב֙va.Te.revand it was greatH7235
חָכְמַ֣תcha.khe.Mat[the] wisdom ofH2451
שְׁלֹמֹ֔הshe.lo.MohSolomonH8010
מֵֽחָכְמַ֖תme.cha.khe.Matmore than [the] wisdom ofH2451
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
בְּנֵי\־be.nei-[the] people ofH1121
קֶ֑דֶםKe.dem[the] eastH6924
וּמִכֹּ֖לu.mi.Koland more than allH3605
חָכְמַ֥תcha.khe.Mat[the] wisdom ofH2451
מִצְרָֽיִם\׃mitz.Ra.yimEgyptH4714

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Kings 4:30

  • Daniel 5:11-12

    There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.

  • Genesis 25:6

    But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.

  • Acts 7:22

    And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

  • Daniel 1:20

    And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.

  • Job 1:3

    His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

  • Isaiah 19:11-12

    Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings? Where are they? where are thy wise men? and let them tell thee now, and let them know what the Lord of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt.

  • Matthew 2:16

    Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.

  • Matthew 2:1

    Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

  • Daniel 4:7

    Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the children.
Ge 25:6; Job 1:3; Da 1:20; 4:7; 5:11,12; Mt 2:1,16
the wisdom of Egypt.
Isa 19:11,12; Ac 7:22

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Kings 4:29

    And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.

  • 1 Kings 4:30

    And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.

  • 1 Kings 4:31

    For 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.

Read all of 1 Kings 4

1 Kings 4:30 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Que fué mayor la sabiduría de Salomón que la de todos los orientales, y que toda la sabiduría de los Egipcios.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und die Weisheit Salomos war größer als die Weisheit aller Söhne des Ostens und als alle Weisheit Ägyptens.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et præcedebat sapientia Salomonis sapientiam omnium Orientalium et Ægyptiorum,