He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish.
This verse closes the record of Solomon's God-given wisdom by showing how far it reached. Where did that wisdom come from, what do the two named plants stand for, and did it do Solomon any lasting good?
Wisdom given, not earned
Solomon did not build this knowledge up by study. It came to him as a gift, and writers are careful about what kind of wisdom it was.
An Outline of Sound WordsSolomon's wisdom was given by God, but it was natural wisdom. It was the wisdom he needed to rule his kingdom well and to look into the realm of nature. It showed before men in all that he accomplished and discovered. We see his wisdom shown in his discovery of the true mother of the living child in 1 Kings 3:16-27, and in the "hard questions" that he answered for the queen of Sheba.
From the cedar to the hyssop
The two plants mark opposite ends of a scale.
Robert F. KingscoteSolomon "spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall." I take that to mean: from the greatest thing in the plant kingdom to the smallest, with everything else included between the two.
Hyssop is the small end of that scale.
Morrish Bible DictionaryHyssop is a plant used in Israel's ceremonies. It is often linked with cedar wood and scarlet, and it was used in sprinkling those who were unclean. It springs out of the wall, which shows how small it is. Yet some of its stems may have been long enough to serve as the reed for the sponge that gave the Lord vinegar on the cross… The hyssop stands in contrast to the tall cedar. It is a symbol of man's littleness.
Knowledge that went to the root of things
What Solomon knew was not a list of names.
H. L. RossierHis wisdom held sway over all these things, from the cedar to the hyssop, from the beasts to the fishes. He understood their life and the reason for their being. He knew how they relate to each other and to the whole of creation. He saw the examples God was giving through them for the moral life of mankind, and he spoke of all these things. Modern science, with all its high claims, is nothing but darkness compared with these certainties. But Solomon did not have universal dominion over all this. That is kept for a Greater than Solomon, for the Second Adam.
The same pair in the fire
Cedar and hyssop meet again in Scripture, at a sacrifice. Read alongside this verse, the pairing carries a verdict on man.
H. L. RossierThree things were thrown into the fire and burned with the sacrifice: cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet. In Scripture cedar wood stands for the greatness of man and hyssop for his littleness. They are the two extremes that make up the natural man, and the two extremes of his wisdom and knowledge too (1 Kings 4:33). All of it is only fit for the fire. Man, however you look at him, finds his end and his judgment in the cross of Christ.
Wide knowledge, still incomplete
However far Solomon's grasp of creation went, commentators do not treat it as final.
Arno Clemens GaebeleinThe great King knew creation itself… But this knowledge of creation was not perfect. It still reminds us of a glorious time to come. The secrets of nature, lost through the fall of man, will be restored through Him who will set groaning creation free (Rom. 8:21).
What all this learning did for his soul
Solomon later weighed all this learning himself.
Arno Clemens GaebeleinHe was a great botanist, an ornithologist and zoologist. He traced God's wonders in nature, which the natural man can so easily do. But what about all this wisdom? Did it satisfy his soul? We listen to his answer: "I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit." The more knowledge, the more sorrow.
(Where the older translation reads "vexation of spirit," the ESV has "a striving after wind.")
Summary
- Given — Solomon's grasp of trees, beasts, birds and fish came from God, not from his own study. It was real wisdom, but wisdom for life in this world.
- Wide — naming the cedar and the hyssop is a way of naming everything. It takes in the largest tree, the smallest wall-plant, and all the rest between.
- Deep — he knew what creatures are, why they exist, and what God teaches us through them.
- Judged — the same two plants went into the fire at a sacrifice. Man's greatness and his smallness both meet their end at the cross.
- Unfinished — his knowledge was not perfect, and it never satisfied him. The secrets of creation wait for a Greater than Solomon, who will set groaning creation free.