And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
Parallel translations
- WEB Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.
- BSB Solomon’s wisdom was greater than that of all the men of the East, greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.
- NKJV Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt.
- NASB Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.
- NLT In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Egypt.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Solomon's wisdom surpassed that of the eastern sages and of Egypt. He exceeded the most renowned wisdom traditions of the age.
Overview
The 'children of the east' and Egypt were famed centers of ancient learning. By exceeding them, Solomon's God-given wisdom stood unrivaled in the world. His superiority testifies that true wisdom comes from the Lord, and foreshadows One greater than Solomon whose wisdom is divine (Matthew 12:42).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Dan 5:11–12There 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;
- Gen 25:6But 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.
- Dan 1:20And 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.
- Acts 7:22And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
- Job 1:3His 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.
- Isa 19:11–12Surely 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?
- Matt 2:1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
- Matt 2:16Then 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.
- Dan 4:7Then 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.
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Christ at the center
Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.
How 1 Kings 4:30 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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