wisdom

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is translated as “wisdom” in English is rendered in Amganad Ifugao and Tabasco Chontal as “(big) mind,” in Bulu and Yamba as “heart-thinking,” in Tae’ as “cleverness of heart” (source for this and all above: Reiling / Swellengrebel), in Palauan as “bright spirit (innermost)” (source: Bratcher / Hatton), in Ixcatlán Mazatec as “with your best/biggest thinking” (source: Robert Bascom), in Noongar as dwangka-boola, lit. “ear much” (source: Portions of the Holy Bible in the Nyunga language of Australia, 2018 — see also remember), and in Dobel, it is translated with the idiom “their ear holes are long-lasting” (in Acts 6:3) (source: Jock Hughes).

See also wisdom (Proverbs).

Translation commentary on 1 Kings 10:4

The queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon: Revised Standard Version follows the Hebrew by saying that the queen “saw” Solomon’s wisdom. But a literal rendering of this verb will sound strange in some languages. Good News Translation says that she “heard.” Translators will need to consider the most natural way to express this concept in the receptor language. New Century Version provides a possible model when it says that “The queen of Sheba learned that Solomon was very wise.”

The house that he had built: In this context the Hebrew word for house refers to the royal palace and not to the Temple.

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 .