1 Kings 4:4-14

4 B'nayah the son of Y'hoyada, commander of the army; Tzadok and Evyatar, cohanim;

5 'Azaryah the son of Natan, chief administrator; Zavud the son of Natan, the king's trusted counselor;

6 Achishar, in charge of the palace; Adoniram the son of 'Avda, in charge of forced labor.

7 Shlomo had twelve officers over all Isra'el who were in charge of providing food and supplies for the king and his household; each one was in charge of provisions for one month out of the year.

8 They were: the son of Hur, in the hills of Efrayim;

9 the son of Deker, in Makatz, Sha'albim, Beit-Shemesh and Eilon-Beit-Hanan;

10 the son of Hesed, in Arubot; he also had charge of Sokhoh and all the territory of Hefer;

11 the son of Avinadav, in all the area of Dor; he had Tafat the daughter of Shlomo as his wife;

12 Ba'ana the son of Achilud, in Ta'anakh, Megiddo, and all Beit-Sh'an by Tzartan below Yizre'el, from Beit-Sh'an to Avel-M'cholah, as far as beyond Yokme'am;

13 the son of Gever, in Ramot-Gil'ad; he was in charge of the villages of Ya'ir the son of M'nasheh in Gil'ad and in charge of the region of Argov in Bashan, sixty large cities with walls and bronze bars;

14 Achinadav the son of 'Iddo, in Machanayim;

1 Kings 4:4-14 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.