1 Kings 4

Solomon's Officials

1 King Solomon ruled over Israel,

2 and these were his officials: Azariah son of Zadok, priest;

3 Elihoreph and Ahijah the sons of Shisha, secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud, historian;

4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada, in charge of the army; Zadok and Abiathar, priests;

5 Azariah son of Nathan, in charge of the deputies; Zabud son of Nathan, a priest and adviser to the king;^[a]

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

7 Solomon had 12 deputies for all Israel. They provided food for the king and his household; each one made provision for one month out of the year.^[b]

8 These were their names: Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim;

9 Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan;

10 Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (he had Socoh and the whole land of Hepher);

11 Ben-abinadab, in all Naphath-dor (Taphath daughter of Solomon was his wife);

12 Baana son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth-shean which is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, as far as the other side of Jokmeam;

13 Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (he had the villages of Jair son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead, and he had the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, 60 great cities with walls and bronze bars);

14 Ahinadab son of Iddo, [in] Mahanaim;

15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he also had married a daughter of Solomon-Basemath);

16 Baana son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth;

17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah, in Issachar;

18 Shimei son of Ela, in Benjamin;

19 Geber son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan. There was one deputy in the land of Judah.^[c]

Solomon's Provisions

20 Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea; [they were] eating, drinking, and rejoicing.

21 ^[d] Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and as far as the border of Egypt.^[e] They offered tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.

22 Solomon's provisions for one day were 150 bushels^[f] of fine flour and 300 bushels^[g] of meal,

23 10 fattened oxen, 20 range oxen, and 100 sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and pen-fed poultry,^[h]

24 for he had dominion over everything west of the Euphrates from Tiphsah to Gaza and over all the kings west of the Euphrates. He had peace on all his surrounding borders.

25 Throughout Solomon's [reign], Judah and Israel lived in safety from Dan to Beer-sheba, each man under his own vine and his own fig tree.^[i]

26 Solomon had 40,000^[j] stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen.^[k]

27 Each of those deputies for a month in turn provided food for King Solomon and for everyone who came to King Solomon's table.^[l] They neglected nothing.

28 Each man brought the barley and the straw for the chariot teams and the other horses to the required place according to his assignment.^[m]

Solomon's Wisdom and Literary Gifts

29 God gave Solomon wisdom, very great insight, and understanding as [vast] as the sand on the seashore.

30 Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.

31 He was wiser than anyone-wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite,^[n] and Heman, Calcol,^[o] and Darda, sons of Mahol. His reputation extended to all the surrounding nations.

32 Solomon composed 3,000 proverbs, and his songs numbered 1,005.

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

34 People came from everywhere, [sent] by every king on earth who had heard of his wisdom, to listen to Solomon's 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. 2 Sm 15:32-37; 16:16-19
• [b]. 1 Kg 4:27
• [c]. LXX; Hb omits of Judah
• [d]. 1 Kg 5:1 in Hb
• [e]. Gn 15:18; 2 Ch 9:26; Isa 27:12
• [f]. Lit 30 cors
• [g]. Lit 60 cors
• [h]. Hb obscure
• [i]. Mc 4:3-4; Zch 3:10
• [j]. Some LXX mss read 4,000, as does 1 Ch 9:25; 1 Kg 10:26, 2 Ch 1:14 reads 1,400
• [k]. Dt 17:16
• [l]. 1 Kg 4:7
• [m]. Lit judgment
• [n]. Pss 88 and 89 superscriptions
• [o]. 1 Ch 2:6

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.