7but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes saw it. Not even half had been told me; your wisdom and prosperity far surpass the report that I had heard.
Ixcatlán Mazatec: “with your best/biggest thinking” (source: Robert Bascom)
Noongar: dwangka-boola, lit. “ear much” (source: Portions of the Holy Bible in the Nyunga language of Australia, 2018 — see also remember)
Kwere “to know how to live well” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Dobel: “their ear holes are long-lasting” (in Acts 6:3) (source: Jock Hughes)
Gbaya: iŋa-mgbara-mɔ or “knowing-about-things” (note that in comparison to that, “knowledge” is translated as iŋa-mɔ or “knowing things”) (source: Philip Noss in The Bible Translator 2001, p. 114ff. )
Chichewa: nzeru, meaning both “knowledge” and “wisdom” (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Kako: “heart thinking” (source: Reyburn 2002, p. 190)
In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a hand gesture referring to God to indicate a human quality to communicate that wisdom does not originate from man but is linked to and connected with the fear of God (source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group):
In Malay, the pronoun beta for the royal “I” (or “my” or “me”) that is used by royals when speaking to people of lower rank, subordinates or commoners to refer to themselves in these verses. This reflects the “language of the court because the monarchy and sultanate in Malaysia are still alive and well. All oral and printed literature (including newspapers and magazines) preserve and glorify the language of the court. Considering that the language of the court is part of the Malaysian language, court language is used sparingly where appropriate, specifically with texts relating to palace life.” (Source: Daud Soesilo in The Bible Translator 2025, p. 263ff.)
The following is a stained glass window from the Three choir windows in the Marienkirche, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany, of the 14th century, depicting Solomon and the Queen of Sheba:
Source: Der gläserne Schatz: Die Bilderbibel der St. Marienkirche in Frankfurt (Oder), Neuer Berlin Verlag, 2005, copyright for this image: Brandenburgisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologisches Landesmuseum
Stained glass is not just highly decorative, it’s a medium which has been used to express important religious messages for centuries. Literacy was not widespread in the medieval and Renaissance periods and the Church used stained glass and other artworks to teach the central beliefs of Christianity. In Gothic churches, the windows were filled with extensive narrative scenes in stained glass — like huge and colorful picture storybooks — in which worshipers could ‘read’ the stories of Christ and the saints and learn what was required for their religious salvation. (Source: Victoria and Albert Museum )
Stained glass is not just highly decorative, it’s a medium which has been used to express important religious messages for centuries. Literacy was not widespread in the medieval and Renaissance periods and the Church used stained glass and other artworks to teach the central beliefs of Christianity. In Gothic churches, the windows were filled with extensive narrative scenes in stained glass — like huge and colorful picture storybooks — in which worshipers could ‘read’ the stories of Christ and the saints and learn what was required for their religious salvation. (Source: Victoria and Albert Museum )
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Kings 10:7:
Kupsabiny: “But I could not then/at that time believe those things until I came to see with my own eyes. Indeed I had not been told half of all those things. Your wisdom and your wealth are more than what I was told.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “But until I came and saw with my own eyes I did not believe the reports spoken by the people. In fact I had not even heard half of your wisdom. It turns out that you have much more wisdom, wealth and property than the people reported.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “I did- not -believe in these-things until I came here and I saw it myself. The truth-is, what I have-heard about you is not even half-part of what I saw. Your wisdom and wealth is more than of what I have-heard.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “But I did not believe it was true until I came here and saw it myself. But really, what they told me is only half of what they could have told me about you. You are extremely wise and rich, more than what people told me.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
But: The common Hebrew conjunction is translated by Revised Standard Version in such a way as to mark the contrast between the queen’s expectations and what she actually witnessed when she met Solomon. While her expectations were quite positive, she was overwhelmed by what she discovered when she saw Solomon in Jerusalem.
Hebrew uses two distinct nouns for report in this verse. Reports at the beginning of the verse is literally “words,” and report at the end is literally “what is heard.” Since these words function as synonyms here, many English translations use the noun “report[s]” for both Hebrew nouns (for example, Revised Standard Version and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).
My own eyes had seen it: Instead of retaining the noun eyes as the subject of the verb had seen, it will be more natural in many cases to say “[I] saw with my own eyes” (New American Bible) or “[I] saw for myself” (Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible).
Good News Translation does not translate the Hebrew particle rendered behold in the middle of this verse by Revised Standard Version. This particle calls attention to the situation that follows, and if the receptor language has such a particle or construction that serves the same function, it may be used here.
The half was not told me: The passive verb here will have to be made active in some languages. It will be possible in certain cases to use the indefinite third person plural subject as follows: “they did not tell me….” But in other cases a more emphatic negative could be used, such as “no one told me….”
The word prosperity translates a rather general Hebrew term that may be rendered “good,” “goodness,” “beauty,” “gladness,” or “wealth,” depending on the context. In this context the most appropriate meaning is “wealth” (Good News Translation, New International Version).
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 .
10:7a But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes.
But I could not believe what I had heard until I came and saw with my own eyes all these things. -or-
But I only believed it after I came here and saw with my own eyes all these things.
10:7b Indeed, not even half was told to me.
In fact, I did not hear even half ⌊of all your (sing) deeds/accomplishments⌋. -or-
The truth is that the information I got ⌊about you (sing)⌋ was very little.
10:7c Your wisdom and prosperity have far exceeded the report I heard.
Your (sing) wisdom and riches have far exceeded what people told me. -or-
You (sing) are much wiser and richer than I was told.
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