Discovery Box1 Kings 4:26-34
Context4:26 Solomon had 4,000 1 stalls for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses. 4:27 The district governors acquired supplies for King Solomon and all who ate in his royal palace. 2 Each was responsible for one month in the year; they made sure nothing was lacking. 4:28 Each one also brought to the assigned location his quota of barley and straw for the various horses. 3
4:29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment; the breadth of his understanding 4 was as infinite as the sand on the seashore. 4:30 Solomon was wiser than all the men of the east and all the sages of Egypt. 5 4:31 He was wiser than any man, including Ethan the Ezrahite or Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. He was famous in all the neighboring nations. 6 4:32 He composed 7 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs. 4:33 He produced manuals on botany, describing every kind of plant, 8 from the cedars of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows on walls. He also produced manuals on biology, describing 9 animals, birds, insects, and fish. 4:34 People from all nations came to hear Solomon’s display of wisdom; 10 they came from all the kings of the earth who heard about his wisdom.
[4:26] 1 tn The Hebrew text has “40,000,” but this is probably an inflated number (nevertheless it is followed by KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV, TEV, CEV). Some Greek
[4:27] 2 tn Heb “everyone who drew near to the table of King Solomon.”
[4:28] 3 tn Heb “barley and straw for the horses and the steeds they brought to the place which was there, each according to his measure.”
[4:29] 4 tn Heb “heart,” i.e., mind. (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
[4:30] 5 tn Heb “the wisdom of Solomon was greater than the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.”
[4:31] 6 tn Heb “his name was in all the surrounding nations.”
[4:33] 8 tn Heb “he spoke about plants.”
