Ecclesiastes 2:7 I got [me] servants and maidens
Menservants, and maidservants; the Targum adds,
``of the children of Ham, and of the rest of the strange people;''
these were such as he hired, or bought with his money;
and had servants born in my house;
and these were all employed by him; either as his retinue and equipage, his attendants and bodyguards; or to take care of his household, his gardens, and pools; or for his horses and chariots, and for various offices; see (
1 Kings 4:26 1 Kings 4:27 ) (
Ezra 2:58 ) . Villalpandus computes the number of his servants to be forty eight thousand; if there were any pleasure and happiness in such a numerous attendance, Solomon had it;
also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me;
oxen, cows, horses, asses, camels, mules, &c. also sheep and goats; which, as they were profitable, so it was pleasant to see them grazing on the hills and valleys, in the fields, mountains, and meadows.