1 Kings 4
4
Solomon’s Royal Court and Administrators
1 King Solomon ruled over all Israel. 2 These were his officials:
Azariah son of Zadok was the priest.
3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, wrote down what happened.#tn Heb “were scribes”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “secretaries”; TEV, NLT “court secretaries.”
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was in charge of the records.
4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was commander of#tn Heb “was over.” the army.
Zadok and Abiathar were priests.
5 Azariah son of Nathan was supervisor of#tn Heb “was over.” the district governors.
Zabud son of Nathan was a priest and adviser to#tn Heb “close associate of”; KJV, ASV, NASB “the king’s friend” (a title for an adviser, not just an acquaintance). the king.
6 Ahishar was supervisor of the palace.#tn Heb “over the house.”
Adoniram son of Abda was supervisor of#tn Heb “was over.” the work crews.#sn The work crews. This Hebrew word (מַס, mas) refers to a group of laborers conscripted for royal or public service.
7 Solomon had twelve district governors appointed throughout Israel who acquired supplies for the king and his palace. Each was responsible for one month in the year. 8 These were their names:
Ben-Hur was in charge of the hill country of Ephraim.
9 Ben-Deker was in charge of Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan.
10 Ben-Hesed was in charge of Arubboth; he controlled Socoh and all the territory of Hepher.
11 Ben-Abinadab was in charge of Naphath Dor. (He was married to Solomon’s daughter Taphath.)
12 Baana son of Ahilud was in charge of Taanach and Megiddo,#map For location see Map1-D4; Map2-C1; Map4-C2; Map5-F2; Map7-B1. as well as all of Beth Shan next to Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah and on past Jokmeam.
13 Ben-Geber was in charge of Ramoth Gilead; he controlled the tent villages of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan, including sixty large walled cities with bronze bars locking their gates.
14 Ahinadab son of Iddo was in charge of Mahanaim.
15 Ahimaaz was in charge of Naphtali. (He married Solomon’s daughter Basemath.)
16 Baana son of Hushai was in charge of Asher and Aloth.
17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah was in charge of Issachar.
18 Shimei son of Ela was in charge of Benjamin.
19 Geber son of Uri was in charge of the land of Gilead (the territory which had once belonged to King Sihon of the Amorites and to King Og of Bashan). He was sole governor of the area.
Solomon’s Wealth and Fame
20 The people of Judah and Israel were as innumerable as the sand on the seashore; they had plenty to eat and drink and were happy. 21 (5:1)#sn Beginning with 4:21, the verse numbers through 5:18 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 4:21 ET = 5:1 HT, 4:22 ET = 5:2 HT, etc., through 5:18 ET = 5:32 HT. Beginning with 6:1 the numbering of verses in the English Bible and the Hebrew text is again the same. Solomon ruled all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River#tn Heb “the River” (also in v. 24). This is the standard designation for the Euphrates River in biblical Hebrew. to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These kingdoms paid tribute as Solomon’s subjects throughout his lifetime.#tn Heb “[They] were bringing tribute and were serving Solomon all the days of his life.” 22 Each day Solomon’s royal court consumed#tn Heb “the food of Solomon for each day was.” thirty cors#tn As a unit of dry measure a cor was roughly equivalent to six bushels. of finely milled flour, sixty cors of cereal, 23 ten calves fattened in the stall,#tn The words “in the stall” are added for clarification; note the immediately following reference to cattle from the pasture. twenty calves from the pasture, and a hundred sheep, not to mention rams, gazelles, deer, and well-fed birds. 24 His royal court was so large because#tn Heb “because.” The words “his royal court was so large” are added to facilitate the logical connection with the preceding verse. he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River from Tiphsah#sn Tiphsah. This was located on the Euphrates River. to Gaza; he was at peace with all his neighbors.#tn Heb “for he was ruling over all [the region] beyond the River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kingdoms beyond the River, and he had peace on every side all around.” 25 All the people of Judah and Israel had security; everyone from Dan to Beer Sheba enjoyed the produce of their vines and fig trees throughout Solomon’s lifetime.#tn Heb “Judah and Israel lived securely, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan to Beer Sheba, all the days of Solomon.” 26 Solomon had 4,000#tn The Hebrew text has “40,000,” but this is probably an inflated number (nevertheless it is followed by KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV, TEV, CEV). Some Greek mss of the OT and the parallel in 2 Chr 9:25 read “4,000” (cf. NAB, NIV, NCV, NLT). stalls for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses. 27 The district governors acquired supplies for King Solomon and all who ate in his royal palace.#tn Heb “everyone who drew near to the table of King Solomon.” Each was responsible for one month in the year; they made sure nothing was lacking. 28 Each one also brought to the assigned location his quota of barley and straw for the various horses.#tn Heb “barley and straw for the horses and the steeds they brought to the place which was there, each according to his measure.”
29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment; the breadth of his understanding#tn Heb “heart,” i.e., mind. (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.) was as infinite as the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon was wiser than all the men of the east and all the sages of Egypt.#tn Heb “the wisdom of Solomon was greater than the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.” 31 He was wiser than any man, including Ethan the Ezrahite or Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. He was famous in all the neighboring nations.#tn Heb “his name was in all the surrounding nations.” 32 He composed#tn Heb “spoke.” 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs. 33 He produced manuals on botany, describing every kind of plant,#tn Heb “he spoke about plants.” from the cedars of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows on walls. He also produced manuals on biology, describing#tn Heb “he spoke about.” animals, birds, insects, and fish. 34 People from all nations came to hear Solomon’s display of wisdom;#tn Heb “the wisdom of Solomon.” they came from all the kings of the earth who heard about his wisdom.
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1 Kings 4
4
The Court of Solomon
1So King Solomon was king over all Israel. 2These were the officials in his court:
Azariah the son of Zadok was the priest.
3Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, were secretaries.
Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder; # 2Sa 8:16
4Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the army.
Zadok and Abiathar were priests. # 1Ki 2:35
5Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers,
and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer and the king’s friend. # 2Sa 15:37; 16:16
6Ahishar was over the household,
and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the forced labor. # 2Sa 20:24; 1Ki 9:15
7Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel who made provision for the king and his household. Each man was assigned a month to make provision. 8These are their names:
the son of Hur in Mount Ephraim; # Jos 24:33
9the son of Deker in Makaz and in Shaalbim and Beth-shemesh and Elon-beth-hanan;
10the son of Hesed in Arubboth (to him belonged Sokoh and all the land of Hepher); # Jos 12:17; 15:35
11the son of Abinadab in all the region of Dor # Jos 11:2 (he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as his wife);
12Baana the son of Ahilud in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth-shan that is by Zarethan # Jos 3:16; 17:11 beneath Jezreel, and from Beth-shan to Abel Meholah as far as the other side of Jokmeam;
13the son of Geber in Ramoth Gilead (to him pertained the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh # Nu 32:41 which are in Gilead, and also the region of Argob which is in Bashan, # Dt 3:4 sixty great cities with walls and iron bars);
14Ahinadab the son of Iddo in Mahanaim;
15Ahimaaz in Naphtali (he had taken Basemath the daughter of Solomon as his wife);
16Baana the son of Hushai in Asher and in Aloth;
17Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah in Issachar;
18Shimei # 1Ki 1:8 the son of Ela in Benjamin;
19Geber the son of Uri in the country of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan. He was the only officer who was in that region.
The Wealth of Solomon
20Judah and Israel had a large populace, as numerous as the sand by the sea. # Ge 22:17; 1Ki 3:8 They ate and drank and were happy. 21Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. # Ge 15:18; Jos 1:4 The people brought presents and served Solomon all the days of his life.
22Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty kors # 4:22 Likely about 51/2 tons, or 5 metric tons. of fine flour and sixty kors # 4:22 Likely about 11 tons, or 10 metric tons. of meal, 23ten fat oxen and twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep in addition to deer, roebucks, gazelle, and fatted poultry. 24For he had dominion over all the region on this side of the River # 4:24 Euphrates River. from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings on this side of the River, # Ps 72:11 # 4:24 Euphrates River. and he had peace on all borders of his land. # 1Ch 22:9 25Judah and Israel lived safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, # Mic 4:4; Zec 3:10 from Dan to Beer-sheba # Jdg 20:1; 2Sa 17:11 all the days of Solomon.
26Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots and twelve thousand horsemen. # Dt 17:16; 2Ch 1:14; 9:25
27Those officers made provision for King Solomon and for all who came to King Solomon’s table, every man in his month, and they lacked nothing. 28Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries # Est 8:10, 14 were brought to the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.
29God gave Solomon wisdom and great depth of understanding # 1Ki 3:12 as well as compassion, as vast as the sand on the seashore. # 1Ki 4:20 30Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the people of the East country # Ge 25:6 and all the wisdom of Egypt. # Ac 7:22 31For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, # Ps 89:1 Heman, # Ps 88:1 Kalkol, and Darda, # 1Ch 2:6 the sons of Mahol; his fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations. 32He spoke three thousand proverbs, # Ecc 12:9 and his songs numbered one thousand and five. 33He spoke of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that springs out of the wall. He also spoke of beasts and of fowl and of insects and fish. 34People from all over came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, # 1Ki 10:1; 2Ch 9:23 who had heard of his wisdom.
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