1 Kings 4:22

22 Solomon’s provisions for a single day were thirty cors of fine flour, ^[a] sixty cors of meal, ^[b]

1 Kings 4:22 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 4:22

And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of
fine flour
The measure here used was the "corus", or "cor", the same with the homer, which was equal to ten ephahs, and, according to Bishop Cumberland ^F23, held seventy five wine gallons and five pints, and somewhat more; by which may be known how many gallons of fine flour these thirty measures held, which were all consumed in one day:

and threescore measures of meal:
sixty measures of a coarser sort, for the servants, not so finely dressed; the same measure is here used as before; and it is observed by some, that one cor is equivalent to six hundred forty eight Roman pounds, and allowing to one man two pounds a day for his food, there would be food enough for 29,160 men out of 90 times 648, or 58,320 pounds ^F24. Others exaggerate the account; Vilalpandus says it would have sufficed 48,600 persons; Seth Calvisius 54,000, and Salianus 70,000 ^F25; the Jews say ^F26 that he had 60,000 that ate at his table; that is, who were maintained at his court.

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 Scripture Weights and Measures, ch. 3. p. 86.
F24 Vid. Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. p. 516.
F25 Vid. Witsii Miscellan. tom. 2. exercit. 10. sect. 26.
F26 Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 8. 2.

1 Kings 4:22 In-Context

20 The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore, and they were eating and drinking and rejoicing.

21 And Solomon reigned over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These kingdoms offered tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.

22 Solomon’s provisions for a single day were thirty cors of fine flour, sixty cors of meal,

23 ten fat oxen, twenty range oxen, and a hundred sheep, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened poultry.

24 For Solomon had dominion over everything west of the Euphrates —over all the kingdoms from Tiphsah to Gaza—and he had peace on all sides.

Footnotes

• [a]. 30 cors is approximately 187 bushels or 6,600 liters (probably about 5.5 tons or 5 metric tons of flour).
• [b]. 60 cors is approximately 375 bushels or 13,200 liters (probably about 11 tons or 10 metric tons of meal).