1 Kings 10:23

THE MESSAGE

King Solomon was wiser and richer than all the kings of the earth—he surpassed them all. People came from all over the world to be with Solomon and drink in the wisdom God had given him. And everyone who came brought gifts—artifacts of gold and silver, fashionable robes and gowns, the latest in weapons, exotic spices, and horses and mules—parades of visitors, year after year.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the world in riches and in wisdom.

Hebrew Names Version
So king Shlomo exceeded all the kings of the eretz in riches and in wisdom.

King James Version
So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.

English Standard Version
Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

New Century Version
So Solomon had more riches and wisdom than all the other kings on earth.

New English Translation
King Solomon was wealthier and wiser than any of the kings of the earth.

Amplified Bible
So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in wealth and in wisdom.

New American Standard Bible
So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in wealth and wisdom.

Geneva Bible (1587)
So King Salomon exceeded all the kings of the earth both in riches and in wisedome.

Legacy Standard Bible
So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

Contemporary English Version
He was the richest and wisest king in the world.

Complete Jewish Bible
So King Shlomo surpassed all the kings on earth in both wealth and wisdom.

Darby Translation
And king Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

Easy-to-Read Version
King Solomon became greater in riches and wisdom than any other king on earth.

George Lamsa Translation
So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

Good News Translation
King Solomon was richer and wiser than any other king,

Lexham English Bible
King Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth with respect to wealth and wisdom.

Literal Translation
And King Solomon was greater than any of the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thus was kynge Salomon greater in riches and wy?dome, then all the kynges vpo earth:

American Standard Version
So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

Bible in Basic English
And King Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth in wealth and in wisdom.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And so king Solomon exceeded al the kinges of the earth both in ryches and wysdome.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

King James Version (1611)
So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth, for riches and for wisedome.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Solomon increased beyond all the kings of the earth in wealth and wisdom.

English Revised Version
So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

Berean Standard Bible
So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor kyng Salomon was magnified aboue alle kyngis of erthe in richessis and wisdom.

Young's Literal Translation
And king Solomon is greater than any of the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom,

Update Bible Version
So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

Webster's Bible Translation
So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.

World English Bible
So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

New King James Version
So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

New Living Translation
So King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on earth.

New Life Bible
So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

New Revised Standard
Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So King Solomon became greater than any of the kings of the earth, - for riches and for wisdom.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

Revised Standard Version
Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

Contextual Overview

¹⁴Solomon received twenty-five tons of gold in tribute annually. This was above and beyond the taxes and profit on trade with merchants and assorted kings and governors. ¹⁶King Solomon crafted two hundred body-length shields of hammered gold—seven and a half pounds of gold to each shield—and three hundred smaller shields about half that size. He stored the shields in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. ¹⁸The king built a massive throne of ivory accented with a veneer of gold. The throne had six steps leading up to it, its back shaped like an arch. The armrests on each side were flanked by lions. Lions, twelve of them, were placed at either end of the six steps. There was no throne like it in any of the surrounding kingdoms. ²¹ King Solomon's chalices and tankards were made of gold and all the dinnerware and serving utensils in the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold—nothing was made of silver; silver was considered common and cheap. ²² The king had a fleet of ocean-going ships at sea with Hiram's ships. Every three years the fleet would bring in a cargo of gold, silver, and ivory, and apes and peacocks. ²³King Solomon was wiser and richer than all the kings of the earth—he surpassed them all. People came from all over the world to be with Solomon and drink in the wisdom God had given him. And everyone who came brought gifts—artifacts of gold and silver, fashionable robes and gowns, the latest in weapons, exotic spices, and horses and mules—parades of visitors, year after year. ²⁶Solomon collected chariots and horses: fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses! He stabled them in the special chariot cities as well as in Jerusalem. The king made silver as common as rocks and cedar as common as the fig trees in the lowland hills. His horses were brought in from Egypt and Cilicia, specially acquired by the king's agents. Chariots from Egypt went for fifteen pounds of silver and a horse for about three and three-quarter pounds of silver. Solomon carried on a brisk horse-trading business with the Hittite and Aramean royal houses.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

exceeded: Mr. Reynolds, stating Solomon's income at about four times as much as his father left him, reckons that he had each year 142,242,034. 9s. 7d., each week 2,735,423 14s. 9d., and each day, 390,770 16s. 4d. 1 Kings 3:12, 1 Kings 3:13, 1 Kings 4:29-34, 2 Chronicles 9:22, 2 Chronicles 9:23, Psalms 89:27, Ephesians 3:8, Colossians 1:18, Colossians 1:19, Colossians 2:2, Colossians 2:3

Reciprocal: Proverbs 3:13 - is the Ecclesiastes 1:16 - Lo Ecclesiastes 2:9 - General Daniel 1:20 - in all

Cross-References

Job 1:1
Job was a man who lived in Uz. He was honest inside and out, a man of his word, who was totally devoted to God and hated evil with a passion. He had seven sons and three daughters. He was also very wealthy—seven thousand head of sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred teams of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and a huge staff of servants—the most influential man in all the East!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. In which he was an eminent type of Christ; see Ephesians 3:8.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the marginal references. By “all the earth” we are, of course, only to understand the kings or people of neighboring nations.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 23. Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches — Mr. Reynolds, stating the yearly tribute of Solomon, 666 talents of gold, at about four times as much as his father left him, hence reckons that he had £4,909,371 8s. 8d. each year, £94,410 19s. 9 1/4d. per week, £13,487 5s. 8d. per day, taking each day, week, and year, one with another.