1 Kings 4:33
in 1 Kings 4He spoke of trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop growing in the wall, and he taught about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he spake of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall; he spake also of beasts, and of birds, and of creeping things, and of fishes.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 1 Kings 4
Commentary
10 notes on this verse[Greek philosophers] took these ideas from Solomon, since it was long before them in age and time that he first gave these teachings through the Spirit of God. The Greeks have brought them forth as their own discoveries, and they have also included them in their books of instructions and left them to be handed down to their successors.
This site's exposition
three thousand proverbs
on 1 Kings 4:32-34
Three thousand proverbs and a thousand and five songs are the historical anchor behind the wisdom books that follow: the book of Proverbs draws on this output without claiming to reprint all of it, and the Song of Solomon is one song kept out of the thousand and five. His subject runs from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop growing out of the wall, trees, beasts, fowl, creeping things and fishes, a catalogue the commentators read as natural history rather than fable. The chapter closes with kings of every nation sending to hear him, the scene the queen of Sheba enacts in person two chapters later.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
But that the object of Christianity is that we should become wise can be proved from the ancient Jewish writings, which we also use, as well as from those that were composed after the time of Jesus and that are believed among the churches to be divine. Now, in the fiftieth psalm, David is described as saying in his prayer to God these words: "The unseen and secret things of your wisdom you have manifested to me." Solomon, too, because he asked for wisdom, received it; and if anyone were to peruse the Psalms, he would find the book filled with many maxims of wisdom; and the evidences of Solomon's wisdom may be seen in his treatises, which contain a great amount of wisdom expressed in few words, and in which you will find many praises of wisdom and encouragements towards obtaining it. So wise, moreover, was Solomon, that the queen of Sheba, having heard his name and the name of the Lord, came to try him with difficult questions and spoke to him all things, whatsoever were in her heart; and Solomon answered her all her questions. There was no question omitted by the king that he did not answer her. And the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the possessions that he had, and there was no more spirit in her. And she said to the king, "The report is true that I heard in my own land regarding you and your wisdom; and I did not believe them who told me, until I had come, and my eyes have seen it. And, lo, they did not tell me the half. You have added wisdom and possessions above all the report that I heard." It is also recorded of him that "God gave Solomon very great wisdom, discernment and breadth of understanding as vast as the sand on the seashore, so that Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. […]
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
BonaventureCollations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 19 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
All men want to be wise and knowing. Yet, soon it happens that the woman deceives the man. But wisdom is the higher, being noble, while knowing is the lower: yet she seems beautiful to man, and he seeks to be joined to her, and …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Trees - That is, of all plants, of their nature and qualities: all which discourses are lost, without any impeachment of the perfection of the holy scriptures; which were not written to teach men philosophy or physick, but only to make them wise unto salvation. From the cedar, &c. - That is, from the greatest to the least.
And he spake of trees,....
Thus great was Solomon, but our Lord Jesus was greater than he ( Matt. xii. 42 ), though he took upon him the form of a servant; for divinity, in its lowest humiliation, infinitely transcends royalty in its highest elevation. 1 So king Solomon was king over all Israel.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Trees ... - A keen appreciation of the beauties of nature, and a habit of minute observation, are apparent in the writings of Solomon that remain to us. The writer here means to say that Solomon composed special works on these subjects. The Lebanon cedars were the most magnificent of all the trees known to the Hebrews, and hence, represent in the Old Testament the grandest of vegetable productions. (Psa 104:16; Son 5:15; Eze 31:3, etc.) For the hyssop, see Exo 12:22 note.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The Spirit of God has seen fit to preserve comparatively few memorials of the fruits of his gigantic mind. The greater part of those here ascribed to him have long since fallen a prey to the ravages of time, or perished in the Babylonish captivity, probably because they were not inspired.
He spake of trees - beasts - fowl - creeping things, and of fishes - This is a complete system of natural history, as far as relates to the animal and vegetable kingdoms, and the first intimation we have of any thing of the kind: Solomon was probably the first natural historian in the world. O, how must the heart of Tournefort, Ray, Linne, Buffon, Cuvier, Swammerdam, Blosch, and other naturalists, be wrung, to know that these works of Solomon are all and for ever lost! What light should we have thrown on the animal and vegetable kingdoms, had these works been preserved! But the providence of God has not thought fit to preserve them, and succeeding naturalists are left to invent the system which he probably left perfect. If there be any remains of his wisdom, they must be sought among the orientals, among whom his character is well known, and rates as high as it does with either Jews or Christians. I shall give some extracts from their works relative to Solomon when I come to consider his character at the end of 1Ki 11:43.
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְדַבֵּר֮ | vaydaber | and he spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָֽעֵצִים֒ | haetzim | the trees | H6086 → | 328 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הָאֶ֙רֶז֙ | haerez | the cedar | H730 → | 73 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בַּלְּבָנ֔וֹן | balevanon | [is] in <the> Lebanon | H3844 → | 71 times |
| וְעַד֙ | vead | and to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הָאֵז֔וֹב | haezov | the hyssop | H231 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יֹצֵ֖א | yotze' | [is] coming out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| בַּקִּ֑יר | bakir | in the wall | H7023 → | 75 times |
| וַיְדַבֵּר֙ | vaydaber | and he spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַבְּהֵמָ֣ה | habehemah | the animal[s] | H929 → | |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָע֔וֹף | haof | the bird[s] | H5775 → | 71 times |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָרֶ֖מֶשׂ | haremes | the creeping thing[s] | H7431 → | |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַדָּגִֽים׃ | hadagim | the fish | H1709 → |
וַיְדַבֵּר֮and he spoke
vaydaberH1696 →1141 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָֽעֵצִים֒the trees
haetzimH6086 →328 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הָאֶ֙רֶז֙the cedar
haerezH730 →73 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בַּלְּבָנ֔וֹן[is] in <the> Lebanon
balevanonH3844 →71 times
וְעַד֙and to
veadH5704 →1261 times
הָאֵז֔וֹבthe hyssop
haezovH231 →
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יֹצֵ֖א[is] coming out
yotze'H3318 →1067 times
בַּקִּ֑ירin the wall
bakirH7023 →75 times
וַיְדַבֵּר֙and he spoke
vaydaberH1696 →1141 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַבְּהֵמָ֣הthe animal[s]
habehemahH929 →
וְעַל־and on
veal-H5921 →5755 times
הָע֔וֹףthe bird[s]
haofH5775 →71 times
וְעַל־and on
veal-H5921 →5755 times
הָרֶ֖מֶשׂthe creeping thing[s]
haremesH7431 →
וְעַל־and on
veal-H5921 →5755 times
הַדָּגִֽים׃the fish
hadagimH1709 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 92:12The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
it leads to
- Psalms 1:3
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 104:16
The trees of the LORD have their fill, the cedars of Lebanon that He planted,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 17:8
He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not…
- Psalms 52:8
But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in the loving devotion of God forever and ever.
- Hosea 14:5–6
I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily and take root like the cedars of Lebanon.
- Psalms 1:3
Through
Psalms 51:7Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
it leads to
- 1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
- Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.
- Hebrews 9:13–14
For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean,
- 1 John 1:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Kings
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bonaventure, Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 19; F. W. Farrar, The First Book of Kings (Expositor's Bible); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE SONG OF SONGS PROLOGUE 3 and Origen of Alexandria, AGAINST CELSUS 3.45.