complete verse (1 Kings 4:31)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Kings 4:31:

  • Kupsabiny: “He was also wiser than Ethan who belonged to the house of Ezra, and three sons of Mahol and these are: Heman, Calcol, and Darda. The name of Solomon became famous in all the nations which were neighboring Israel.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “He was wiser than all the other people. Wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite and Heman, Calcol and Darda, sons of Mahol, and also many other wise men. His fame spread to all the neighboring nations.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “He was the wisest of all. He was wiser than Etan the Ezrite, and the children of Mahol who were Heman, Calcol, and Darda. And he became famous in the surrounding nations.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Ethan from Ezrah and Heman and Calcol and Darda and the sons of Mahol were considered to be very wise, but Solomon was wiser than all of them. People in all the nearby countries heard about Solomon.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Kings 4:31

Following the general statement in verse 30, the writer now names individuals known for their great wisdom and says that Solomon was wiser than any of them.

Revised Standard Version explicitly translates the common Hebrew conjunction at the beginning of this verse as For, but this is not really necessary. A wide variety of English translations, including Good News Translation and New Revised Standard Version, leave it untranslated.

He was wiser than all other men: The reference to all other men may be intended to exclude females since only the names of men are mentioned. If the reference includes women also, it will be more accurate in most languages to say “all other people,” “any other person,” or “anyone else” (New Revised Standard Version).

Ethan the Ezrahite: In 1 Chr 2.6, Ethan, along with Heman, Calcol, and Darda (called “Dara” in 1 Chronicles), is said to be the son of Zerah (and grandson of Judah and Tamar). It is not certain whether Ezrahite is the clan name or whether it is another form for “son of Zerah.” Ezrahite has also been explained as meaning “a native,” that is, a native Canaanite. New Jerusalem Bible has a note on the name Ezrahite, stating that it means “the native-born.” Ezrahite does mean “from a place called Ezrah.”

The sons of Mahol: This is difficult to understand, since the four men named are said in 1 Chronicles to be sons of Zerah. Contemporary English Version takes this as a reference only to the last three named and translates the first part of the verse as follows: “He was even wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Mahol’s three sons, Heman, Calcol, and Darda.” This is a possible interpretation of the Hebrew.

Some interpreters suggest that the Hebrew word rendered Mahol is not a proper name, but it is from a root meaning “to dance.” It has been suggested that sons of Mahol means “sons of the choir,” by connecting singing and dancing together, and that these men were Temple musicians. Following this interpretation, New American Bible says “the musicians” instead of the sons of Mahol. Not many interpreters agree with this suggestion, however.

His fame was in all the nations round about: This is referred to again in 1 Kgs 10.1 and 10.23-25. Fame is literally “name” (compare 1 Kgs 1.47). But in many languages it will be translated by a word like “reputation” or “honor.” And in some cases this part of the verse will be restructured to say something like “All the surrounding nations heard about his great honor.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .