1 Kings 4:29

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

²⁹And God gave Solomon wisdom, exceedingly deep insight, and understanding beyond measure, like the sand on the seashore.³⁰Solomon's wisdom was greater than that of all the men of the East, greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. ³¹He was wiser than all men-wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and wiser than Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread throughout the surrounding nations. ³²Solomon composed three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered a thousand and five. ³³He spoke of trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop growing in the wall, and he taught about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish. ³⁴So men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the earth when they heard of his wisdom.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

God: 1 Kings 3:12, 1 Kings 3:28, 1 Kings 10:23, 1 Kings 10:24, 2 Chronicles 1:10-12, Psalms 119:34, Proverbs 2:6, Ecclesiastes 1:16, Ecclesiastes 2:26, James 1:5, James 1:17, James 3:17

largeness: Isaiah 60:5

as the sand: 1 Kings 4:20, Genesis 41:49, Judges 7:12, Jeremiah 33:22, Habakkuk 1:9

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 5:12 - as he promised him 1 Kings 10:4 - Solomon's 2 Chronicles 9:2 - there Job 32:8 - the inspiration Psalms 119:32 - enlarge Proverbs 25:2 - the honour Proverbs 25:3 - is unsearchable Ezekiel 28:3 - no secret Daniel 1:17 - God Daniel 1:20 - in all Daniel 2:21 - he giveth Matthew 12:42 - hear Acts 7:22 - was learned 2 Peter 3:15 - according

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much,.... In things natural, moral, divine, and spiritual, and that not slight and superficial, but exceeding deep, and large beyond expression; and this he had not from the acuteness of his genius merely, nor from his industry and diligence; but by the gift of God, as whatsoever solid wisdom and understanding is in any man, it is from the liberal hand of God, the fountain of wisdom, James 1:5;

and largeness of heart, even as sand that [is] on the seashore; he had a genius and capacity to receive anything; his knowledge was vast and comprehensive; it reached to and included things innumerable, as the sand of the sea; there was scarce anything under the heavens, or on the earth, and in the sea, but came within the compass of it, as what are later mentioned show.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Largeness 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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 4:29. God gave Solomon wisdom, &c. — 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.