1 Kings 4:31-1964 bbe — For he was wiser than all men, even than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman and Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and he…

1 Kings 4:31-1964 in the Bible in Basic English reads: “For he was wiser than all men, even than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman and Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and he had a great name among all the nations round about. He was the maker of three thousand wise sayings, and of songs to the number of a thousand and five. He made sayings about all plants, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop hanging on the wall; and about all beasts and birds and fishes and the small things of the earth. People came from every nation to give ear to the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had word of his wisdom.”

1 Kings 4:31-1964 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of 1 Kings, chapter 4, verses 31–1964.

1 Kings is traditionally attributed to Anonymous (traditionally Jeremiah). It was written c. 561–538 BC.

1 Kings tells of Solomon's wisdom and the building of the temple, then the painful division of the kingdom after his death. The northern kingdom plunges into idolatry under a series of wicked kings until the prophet Elijah is raised up to call Israel back to the LORD.

1 Kings explores themes including Wisdom, Temple, Divided Kingdom, Idolatry, Prophecy. These themes shape the meaning and context of 1 Kings 4:31-1964.

1 Kings 4:31-1964 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.

1 Kings 4:31-1964 reads (BBE): “For he was wiser than all men, even than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman and Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and he had a great name among all the nations round about. He was the maker of three thousand wise sayings, and of songs to the number of a thousand and five. He made sayings about all plants, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop hanging on the wall; and about all beasts and birds and fishes and the small things of the earth. People came from every nation to give ear to the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had word of his wisdom.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.