1 Kings 4

1 When King Solomon was the king of all Israel,

2 these were his officials: Azariah, son of Zadok, was the [chief] priest.

3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, were scribes. Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, was the royal historian.

4 Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was commander of the army. Zadok and Abiathar were priests.

5 Azariah, son of Nathan, was in charge of the district governors. Zabud, son of Nathan, was the king's adviser.

6 Ahishar was in charge of the palace. Adoniram, son of Abda, was in charge of forced labor.

7 Solomon appointed 12 district governors in Israel. They were to provide food for the king and his palace. Each one had to supply food for one month every year.

8 Their names were Benhur, who was in charge of the hills of Ephraim,

9 Bendeker, who was in charge of Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan, and

10 Benhesed, who was in charge of Arubboth, Socoh, and the entire region of Hepher.

11 Benabinadab had the entire region of Dor. (Solomon's daughter Taphath was his wife.)

12 Baana, son of Ahilud, had Taanach, Megiddo, and all of Beth Shean. (This was near Zarethan, below Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah and over to Jokmeam.)

13 Bengeber was in charge of Ramoth Gilead; he had the settlements of Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, in Gilead. He [also] had the territory of Argob in Bashan, 60 large cities with walls and bronze bars across their gates.

14 Ahinadab, son of Iddo, was in charge of Mahanaim.

15 Ahimaaz was in charge of Naphtali. (He also married Solomon's daughter Basemath.)

16 Baana, son of Hushai, was in charge of Asher and Aloth.

17 Jehoshaphat, son of Paruah, was in charge of Issachar.

18 Shimei, son of Ela, was in charge of Benjamin.

19 Geber, son of Uri, was in charge of Gilead, the territory of King Sihon the Amorite and King Og of Bashan. (There was only one governor in that territory.)

20 The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They ate and drank and lived happily.

21 Solomon ruled all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the country of the Philistines and as far as the Egyptian border. These kingdoms paid taxes and were subject to Solomon as long as he lived.

22 Solomon's food supply for one day was 180 bushels of flour, 360 bushels of coarse flour,

23 10 fattened cows, 20 cows from the pasture, and 100 sheep in addition to deer, gazelles, fallow deer, and fattened birds.

24 He controlled all the territory west of the Euphrates River from Tiphsah to Gaza and all of its kings. So he lived in peace with all the neighboring countries.

25 As long as Solomon lived, Judah and Israel (from Dan to Beersheba) lived securely, everyone under his own vine and fig tree.

26 Solomon had stalls for 40,000 chariot horses. He also had 12,000 chariot soldiers.

27 Each of the governors provided food for one month every year for King Solomon and all who ate at his table. The governors saw to it that nothing was in short supply.

28 They brought their quota of barley and straw for the chariot horses to the proper places.

29 God gave Solomon wisdom--keen insight and a mind as limitless as the sand on the seashore.

30 Solomon's wisdom was greater than that of all the eastern people and all the wisdom of the Egyptians.

31 He was wiser than anyone, than Ethan the Ezrahite, or Heman, Calcol, or Darda, Mahol's sons. His fame spread to all the nations around him.

32 Solomon spoke 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs.

33 He described and classified trees--from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop growing out of the wall. He described and classified animals, birds, reptiles, and fish.

34 People came from every nation to hear his wisdom; they came from all the kings of the earth who had heard about his wisdom.

1 Kings 4 Commentary

Chapter 4

Solomon's court. (1-19) Solomon's dominions, His daily provision. (20-28) The wisdom of Solomon. (29-34)

Verses 1-19 In the choice of the great officers of Solomon's court, no doubt, his wisdom appeared. Several are the same that were in his father's time. A plan was settled by which no part of the country was exhausted to supply his court, though each sent its portion.

Verses 20-28 Never did the crown of Israel shine so bright, as when Solomon wore it. He had peace on all sides. Herein, his kingdom was a type of the Messiah's; for to Him it is promised that he shall have the heathen for his inheritance, and that princes shall worship him. The spiritual peace, and joy, and holy security, of all the faithful subjects of the Lord Jesus, were typified by that of Israel. The kingdom of God is not, as Solomon's was, meat and drink, but, what is infinitely better, righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. The vast number of his attendants, and the great resort to him, are shown by the provision daily made. Herein Christ far outdoes Solomon, that he feeds all his subjects, not with the bread that perishes, but with that which endures to eternal life.

Verses 29-34 Solomon's wisdom was more his glory than his wealth. He had what is here called largeness of heart, for the heart is often put for the powers of the mind. He had the gift of utterance, as well as wisdom. It is very desirable, that those who have large gifts of any kind, should have large hearts to use them for the good of others. What treasures of wisdom and knowledge are lost! But every sort of knowledge that is needful for salvation is to be found in the holy Scriptures. There came persons from all parts, who were more eager after knowledge than their neighbours, to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Solomon was herein a type of Christ, in whom are hid all treasures of wisdom and knowledge; and hid for us, for he is made of God to us, wisdom. Christ's fame shall spread through all the earth, and men of all nations shall come to him, learn of him, and take upon them his easy yoke, and find rest for their souls.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST KINGS 4

As in the preceding chapter we have a proof of the wisdom and understanding which the Lord gave to Solomon, as promised, so in this an account is given of the riches and honour he was possessed of; of him, as king over all Israel, and of his princes, 1Ki 4:1-6; of the providers of food for his household in the several parts of the land, 1Ki 4:7-19; of the largeness and extent of his dominions, and of the peace and prosperity thereof, 1Ki 4:20,21,24,25; of his daily provisions for his household and for his cattle, 1Ki 4:22,23,26-28; and of his superior wisdom and knowledge to all others in all nations, which brought some out of all to hear it, 1Ki 4:29-34.