1 Kings 4:22

22 Forsooth the meat of Solomon was by each day, thirty cors of clean flour of wheat, and sixty cors of meal, (And each day the food for Solomon and his household, was thirty cors of fine wheat flour, and sixty cors of meal,)

1 Kings 4:22 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 4:22

And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of
fine flour
The measure here used was the "corus", or "cor", the same with the homer, which was equal to ten ephahs, and, according to Bishop Cumberland ^F23, held seventy five wine gallons and five pints, and somewhat more; by which may be known how many gallons of fine flour these thirty measures held, which were all consumed in one day:

and threescore measures of meal:
sixty measures of a coarser sort, for the servants, not so finely dressed; the same measure is here used as before; and it is observed by some, that one cor is equivalent to six hundred forty eight Roman pounds, and allowing to one man two pounds a day for his food, there would be food enough for 29,160 men out of 90 times 648, or 58,320 pounds ^F24. Others exaggerate the account; Vilalpandus says it would have sufficed 48,600 persons; Seth Calvisius 54,000, and Salianus 70,000 ^F25; the Jews say ^F26 that he had 60,000 that ate at his table; that is, who were maintained at his court.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F23 Scripture Weights and Measures, ch. 3. p. 86.
F24 Vid. Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. p. 516.
F25 Vid. Witsii Miscellan. tom. 2. exercit. 10. sect. 26.
F26 Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 8. 2.

1 Kings 4:22 In-Context

20 (The people of) Judah and Israel were unnumberable, as the sand of the sea in multitude, eating, and drinking, and being glad.

21 Forsooth Solomon was in his lordship, and had all the realms, as from the flood of the land of Philistines, unto the last part of Egypt, of men offering gifts, that is, tributes, to him, and serving to him, in all the days of his life. (For Solomon was in his lordship, and had all the kingdoms, from the Euphrates River unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the last part of Egypt; and the men of these places offered tribute, or taxes, to him, and served him, all the days of his life.)

22 Forsooth the meat of Solomon was by each day, thirty cors of clean flour of wheat, and sixty cors of meal, (And each day the food for Solomon and his household, was thirty cors of fine wheat flour, and sixty cors of meal,)

23 ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen of the pasture(s), and an hundred wethers, besides (the) hunting of harts, of goats, and of bugles (and of buffalo, or wild oxen), and of birds made fat.

24 For he held all the country that was beyond the flood, as from Tiphsah unto Azzah (from Tiphsah to Azzah), and all the kings of those countries; and he had peace by each part in compass.