1 Kings 4:21

Solomon’s Wisdom: Prosperity

21 Now Solomon was ruling over all the kingdoms from the River [to] the land of [the] Philistines, and up to the border of Egypt, who [were] bringing tribute and [were] serving Solomon all the days of his life.

1 Kings 4:21 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 4:21

And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms
Not only over Judah and Israel, but all people round about him, they standing in fear of him; or who brought him presents, or paid tribute to him, which was an acknowledgment of superiority over them, and doing homage to him: from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border
of Egypt;
that is, from the river Euphrates, as the Targum, which was the border of his proper domains to the east, to Palestine, inhabited by the Philistines, which lay to the west, and as far as the border of Egypt, which was the southern boundary; a like and larger extent of Christ's kingdom is given, ( Psalms 72:8 ) ( Zechariah 9:10 ) ; and they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his
life;
this explains in what sense other kingdoms besides were ruled by Solomon, and subject to him; of Christ his antitype, see ( Psalms 72:10 Psalms 72:11 ) .

1 Kings 4:21 In-Context

19 Geber the son of Uri [was] in the land of Gilead, the land of Sihon, the king of the Amorites, and of Og, the king of Bashan; one governor which [was] over the land.

20 Judah and Israel [were] as many as the sand which is on the seashore in abundance, eating and drinking and rejoicing!

21 Now Solomon was ruling over all the kingdoms from the River [to] the land of [the] Philistines, and up to the border of Egypt, who [were] bringing tribute and [were] serving Solomon all the days of his life.

22 The food of Solomon for one day was thirty dry measures of choice meal and sixty dry measures of flour;

23 ten stall-fed oxen and twenty pasture-fed oxen and a hundred sheep, besides deer and buck gazelles and roebucks and well-fed fowls.

Footnotes

• [a]. 1 Kings 4:21-5:18 in the English Bible is 5:1-32 in the Hebrew Bible
• [b]. That is, the Euphrates