1 Kings 4:1-19

1 So King Solomon was king over all Israel.

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

3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder;

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

5 Azariah the son of Nathan, over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan, a priest and the king's friend;

6 Ahishar, over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda, over the labor force.

7 And Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household; each one made provision for one month of the year.

8 These are their names: Ben-Hur, ^[a] in the mountains of Ephraim;

9 Ben-Deker, ^[b] in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan;

10 Ben-Hesed, ^[c] in Arubboth; to him belonged Sochoh and all the land of Hepher;

11 Ben-Abinadab, ^[d] in all the regions of Dor; he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as wife;

12 Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth Shean, which is beside Zaretan below Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah, as far as the other side of Jokneam;

13 Ben-Geber, in Ramoth Gilead; to him belonged the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, in Gilead; to him also belonged the region of Argob in Bashan--sixty large cities with walls and bronze gate-bars;

14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;

15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali; he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon as wife;

16 Baanah the son of Hushai, in Asher and Aloth;

17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar;

18 Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin;

19 Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan. He was the only governor who was in the land.

1 Kings 4:1-19 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Footnotes

• [a] Literally Son of Hur
• [b] Literally Son of Deker
• [c] Literally Son of Hesed
• [d] Literally Son of Abinadab
• [e] Literally Son of Geber