For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations.
The verse measures Solomon against four named wise men — Ethan, Heman, Calcol and Darda — and finds him greater than all of them. Two questions follow: where did such wisdom come from, and why did his fame travel so far past his own borders?
Wisdom received, not earned
One writer traces that wisdom back to its source. He also notes that two of these men left psalms we still read.
Leslie M. GrantSolomon's wisdom was a gift directly from God. It surpassed all the wisdom of the men of the east and of Egypt, for there were men of outstanding wisdom in those places (v.30). The verse names four men whose wisdom must have been great, but all of it was inferior to Solomon's. Ethan the Ezrahite wrote Psalm 89, and Heman the Ezrahite wrote Psalm 88. Psalm 88 shows the agonizing grief of one who feels the shame and sorrow of Israel's guilt before God and cries out for mercy.
The men behind the names
The other two left nothing we can read. What survives of Solomon is only a fraction of what he wrote.
Leslie M. GrantAs to the other two men, Chalcol and Darda, we find no record of anything they did or wrote. They were clearly well known in the time of Solomon, whose wisdom surpassed all of these. The Book of Proverbs, inspired by God, is a wonderful witness to his wisdom. He wrote many more proverbs than these — 3000 in all (v.32).
The verse calls the four men the sons of Mahol. The same names appear elsewhere with a different parent:
Morrish Bible DictionaryA man whose sons were renowned for their wisdom, but whose wisdom was surpassed by that of Solomon. 1 Kings 4:31. Four men with similar names are in 1 Chronicles 2:6, said to be sons of Zerah. These four are possibly the same persons, the word 'son' meaning grandson in one of the passages.
What their wisdom taught
So what kind of wisdom did these men have? Another writer turns to Ethan's psalm and finds grace at its centre.
H. L. RossierIn Psalm 89 the wisdom of Ethan instructs us. What does this other wise man speak of? Of grace! This Psalm is about the unchangeable promises of God and the sure mercies of David. On the footing of the law, the people's relationship to God can only lead to the darkness of judgment and death. On the basis of the covenant of grace made with David, their relationship leads to this: "Mercy will be built up forever; you will establish your faithfulness in the very heavens" (v. 2) — in the heavens, where nothing can ever touch it.
Fame that outran the borders
Solomon's rule had fixed borders. His fame had none.
H. L. RossierSolomon's dominion was but a weak type of Christ's, who will have "the uttermost parts of the earth" (Ps. 2:8) for His possession. The king of Israel ruled "over all the region on this side of the river" — the limits the Lord had assigned to Israel in Joshua 1:4. But the wisdom of Solomon went far beyond those limits. All people came to hear him, and all the kings of the earth came to inquire of him (v. 34). In this we see a picture of what Scripture says of Christ: "I will … give you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."
What his fame was tied to
So why did his fame spread, and what happened to it later?
An Outline of Sound WordsThe queen of Sheba came "to test him with hard questions" because she heard of "the fame of Solomon concerning the Name of Jehovah." At the beginning of his long reign Solomon cared about the honour of Jehovah's Name, and that is why his fame spread far and wide. Sadly, "when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods … and Jehovah was angry with Solomon." As long as he cared for the interests of Jehovah, his fame and glory stayed untarnished. But when he forgot the honour of Jehovah's Name and let the brightness of his glory be stained, Jehovah stirred up adversaries for him.
The limit of the greatest wise man
Even the wisest man met questions he could not answer.
An Outline of Sound WordsSolomon's wisdom was greater than that of all men. But its brightness fades before the excellence of the divine wisdom shown in the Son of God. Solomon answered all the hard questions the queen of Sheba asked. Yet both the Old and New Testaments record questions Solomon could not have answered — questions the Lord Jesus Christ answered. Agur son of Jakeh asks in Proverbs 30:4, "What is His name, and what is His Son's name?" The Person of Jesus answers it, for He revealed the Father's Name.
Summary
- Given — Solomon's wisdom was a gift directly from God. It surpassed the famous wisdom of the east and of Egypt.
- Measured — He is ranked against real men. Ethan wrote Psalm 89 and Heman Psalm 88; Calcol and Darda left no record we can read.
- Weighed — Their psalms carry real wisdom. Psalm 88 cries out under Israel's guilt; Psalm 89 rests on grace and the sure promises made to David.
- Spread — His kingdom had set borders; his fame had none. All the kings of the earth came to hear him — a picture of Christ, given as a light for the nations.
- Exceeded — His fame grew while he honoured the Lord's Name, and faded when he forgot it. The deepest questions waited for the Lord Jesus Christ to answer.