1 Kings 4:21-28

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.

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.

24 For he [was] ruling over all the west of the River from Tiphsah up to Gaza, over all the kings west of the River; and he had peace from every side all around.

25 Judah and Israel lived in security, each man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan as far as Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.

26 Now Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his war chariots and twelve thousand horsemen.

27 These governors sustained King Solomon and all who came near to the table of King Solomon, each [in] his month; they did not omit anything.

28 The barley and the straw for the horses and for packhorses they brought to the place where they were, each according to his share.

1 Kings 4:21-28 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]. 1 Kings 4:21-5:18 in the English Bible is 5:1-32 in the Hebrew Bible
• [b]. That is, the Euphrates
• [c]. That is, the Euphrates
• [d]. That is, the Euphrates