1 Kings 4:31

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.

1 Kings 4:31 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 4:31

For he was wiser than all men
Not only that lived in his time, but in ages past since the fall of Adam, and in times to come, especially in natural wisdom and knowledge, in all the branches of it; for though some men excel in some part of knowledge, yet not in all, as Solomon did:

than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of
Mahol;
men of the same names are said to be sons of Zerah, grandson of Judah, ( 1 Chronicles 2:6 ) ; wherefore these are either other men, or their father had two names; or Mahol here may be an appellative, and describe the character of these then, and point at what they were famous for, as that they were sons of music, piping, and dancing, as Mahol may signify; the Jews have a tradition ^F15, that Ethan is Abraham, and Heman Moses, and Chalcol Joseph:

and his fame was in all nations round about;
not for his riches and grandeur only, but chiefly for his wisdom.

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 Hieron. Trad. Heb. in 2 Reg. fol. 80. 1.

1 Kings 4:31 In-Context

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

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

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.

32 And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.

33 And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.