Lexical Summary
Kalkol: Kalkol
Original Word:כַּלְכֹּל
Part of Speech:Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration:Kalkol
Pronunciation:kal-kole'
Phonetic Spelling:(kal-kole')
KJV: Calcol, Chalcol
NASB:Calcol
Word Origin:[fromH3557 (כּוּל - provided)]
1. sustenance
2. Calcol, an Israelite
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Calcol, Chalcol
Fromkuwl; sustenance; Calcol, an Israelite -- Calcol, Chalcol.
see HEBREWkuwl
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
kulDefinitionan Isr. noted for his wisdom
NASB TranslationCalcol (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
1 Kings 5:11;
1 Chronicles 2:6 (on formation see Ba
NB 206).
(√ of following; Arabic
II. isheap up, accumulate;
heap;
herd of camels, hence perhaps as agroup, herd, orflock of stars, but uncertain (see )).
Topical Lexicon
Biblical Occurrences1 Kings 4:31 places Calcol among four celebrated sages of Israel’s early monarchy: “He was wiser than all men—wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread throughout the surrounding nations”.
1 Chronicles 2:6 lists him in the genealogies of Judah: “The sons of Zerah: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara—five in all”.
Historical Context
Calcol belongs to the transitional period from the tribal era to the united monarchy. His family line traces back to Zerah, twin of Perez and son of Judah, linking him to the royal tribe from which both David and, in due course, the Messiah would come (Genesis 38:29–30;Matthew 1:3). The dual notice—first in the genealogies, then in the courtly wisdom setting of Solomon—anchors Calcol in both Israel’s ancestral memory and its intellectual heritage.
Genealogical Importance
Judah’s lineage records five sons of Zerah, all noted for prominence. The chronicler intentionally preserves their names to affirm God’s faithfulness to covenant promises and to display the diverse capacities found within Judah’s descendants. By appearing next to Ethan and Heman—names later associated with Levitical worship leaders (1 Chronicles 6:42–44)—Calcol’s inclusion hints that Judah’s family produced not only kings but also sages and musicians who served the nation’s spiritual life.
Role in Israel’s Wisdom Tradition
1 Kings uses Calcol as a benchmark of human wisdom surpassed only by Solomon. In ancient Near-Eastern courts, sages advised kings, composed proverbs, and instructed royal sons (cf.Proverbs 1:8–9). Calcol therefore represents an early strand of inspired wisdom that would culminate in the canonical wisdom books. His reputation, coupled with Ethan and Heman (superscriptions of Psalms 88 and 89), shows that Israel’s wisdom and worship traditions overlapped: the fear of the LORD informed both song and counsel (Proverbs 9:10).
Association with Worship and Temple Service
Though Scripture does not explicitly link Calcol to temple ministry, his proximity to Ethan and Heman—identified elsewhere as Levitical singers—suggests a family culture steeped in both intellectual and liturgical service. This synthesis anticipates the later temple order under David and points forward to the holistic pattern of ministry in which heart, mind, and skill unite for God’s glory (1 Chronicles 25:1–7).
Foreshadowing of Greater Wisdom
By stating that Solomon’s wisdom exceeded Calcol’s, the text exalts the God-given insight of David’s son while also preparing readers for a still greater Son of David. Jesus Christ, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3), embodies and surpasses every earlier expression of divine wisdom. Calcol’s limited but noteworthy stature therefore participates in a redemptive trajectory culminating in Christ.
Ministry Implications
1. God distributes diverse gifts within covenant families; wisdom is one such gift (James 1:5).
2. Intellectual excellence should serve corporate worship and national righteousness, not private acclaim.
3. Human wisdom, however esteemed, is ultimately evaluated by its alignment with God’s revelation.
4. Believers are called to seek the “mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16), recognizing that all earlier sages, Calcol included, point beyond themselves to Him.
Lessons for Today
• Celebrate and cultivate God-given wisdom in the church, valuing counselors as much as public leaders.
• Integrate scholarship and worship, remembering that truth and praise spring from the same source.
• Trace every honorable example—whether Calcol’s insight or Solomon’s breadth—to the Lord who grants wisdom generously to those who ask in faith (James 1:5).
Forms and Transliterations
וְכַלְכֹּ֛ל וְכַלְכֹּ֥ל וכלכל vechalKol wə·ḵal·kōl wəḵalkōl
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