1 Kings 4
4
Solomon’s Officials
1King Solomon was king over all Israel, 2and these were his high officials: Azariah the son of Zadok was #1 Chr. 6:10the priest; 3Elihoreph and Ahijah the sons of Shisha were secretaries; #2 Sam. 8:16; 20:24Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 4#ch. 2:35 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the army; #2 Sam. 20:25; [ch. 2:27, 35]Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 5Azariah the son of Nathan was over #ver. 7 the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan was priest and #[2 Sam. 15:37; 16:16; 1 Chr. 27:33]king’s friend; 6Ahishar was in charge of the palace; and #ch. 5:14; [ch. 12:18; 2 Sam. 20:24; 2 Chr. 10:18] Adoniram the son of Abda was in charge of #[ch. 9:15]the forced labor.
7Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household. Each man had to make provision for one month in the year. 8These were their names: Ben-hur, in #See Josh. 24:33the hill country of Ephraim; 9Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elonbeth-hanan; 10Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (to him belonged Socoh and all the land of Hepher); 11Ben-abinadab, in all #Josh. 11:2Naphath-dor (he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as his wife); 12Baana the son of Ahilud, in #[Josh. 17:11]Taanach, Megiddo, and all #[Josh. 17:11]Beth-shean that is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, and from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, as far as the other side of Jokmeam; 13Ben-geber, #[ch. 22:3] in Ramoth-gilead (he had #Num. 32:41 the villages of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead, and he had #Deut. 3:4the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze 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 Bealoth; 17Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18#ch. 1:8Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin; 19Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, #Deut. 3:8-10the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan. And there was one governor who was over the land.
Solomon’s Wealth and Wisdom
20Judah and Israel were as many #Gen. 22:17; [ch. 3:8; 2 Chr. 1:9]as the sand by the sea. They ate and drank and were happy. 21#4:21 Ch 5:1 in Hebrew #2 Chr. 9:26 Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the #Gen. 15:18; Ex. 23:31; Josh. 1:4; Ps. 72:8 Euphrates#4:21 Hebrew the River to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. #Ps. 68:29; 72:10, 11They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
22Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty cors#4:22 A cor was about 6 bushels or 220 liters of fine flour and sixty cors of meal, 23ten fat oxen, and twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl. 24For he had dominion over all the region west of the Euphrates#4:24 Hebrew the River; twice in this verse from Tiphsah to #Gen. 10:19 Gaza, over all the kings west of the Euphrates. #1 Chr. 22:9And he had peace on all sides around him. 25And Judah and Israel #Jer. 23:6; 32:37; Ezek. 28:26 lived in safety, #See 2 Sam. 3:10 from Dan even to Beersheba, #Mic. 4:4; Zech. 3:10; [2 Kgs. 18:31; Isa. 36:16]every man under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon. 26#[ch. 10:26; 2 Chr. 1:14; 9:25]Solomon also had 40,000#4:26 Hebrew; one Hebrew manuscript (see 2 Chronicles 9:25 and Septuagint of 1 Kings 10:26) 4,000 stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen. 27And those officers supplied provisions for King Solomon, and for all who came to King Solomon’s table, each one in his month. They let nothing be lacking. 28Barley also and straw for the horses and #Esth. 8:10, 14; Mic. 1:13swift steeds they brought to the place where it was required, each according to his duty.
29 # ch. 3:12 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind #[ver. 20]like the sand on the seashore, 30so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all #Judg. 6:3 the people of the east #Acts 7:22; [Isa. 19:11]and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31For he was #[See ver. 29 above]wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. 32#Prov. 1:1; Eccles. 12:9 He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, #Song 1:1and his songs were 1,005. 33He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish. 34And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from #2 Chr. 9:23; [ch. 10:1]all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.
Currently Selected:
1 Kings 4: ESV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Sign up to receive news and updates about the ESV:
1 Kings 4
4
1 KING SOLOMON was king over all Israel.
2 These were his chief officials: Azariah son of Zadok was the [high] priest;
3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha, were secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder;
4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada commanded the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests;
5 Azariah son of Nathan was over the officers; Zabud son of Nathan was priest and the king's friend and private advisor;
6 Ahishar was in charge of the palace; and Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of the forced labor.
7 Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who secured provisions for the king and his household; each man had to provide for a month in a year.
8 These were their names: Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim;
9 Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan;
10 Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (to him belonged Socoh and all the land of Hepher);
11 Ben-abinadab, in Naphoth-dor (he had Taphath, Solomon's daughter, as wife);
12 Baana son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth-shean which is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah as far as beyond Jokmeam;
13 Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (to him belonged the villages of Jair son of Manasseh which are in Gilead, also the region of Argob which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars);
14 Ahinadab son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;
15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he had taken Basemath, Solomon's daughter, as his wife);
16 Baana son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth;
17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah, in Issachar;
18 Shimei son of Ela, in Benjamin;
19 Geber son of Uri, in Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan; only one officer was over all the country [at one time, each serving for one month].
20 Judah and Israel were many, like the sand which is by the sea in multitude; they ate, drank, and rejoiced.
21 Solomon reigned over all the kingdoms from the [Euphrates] River to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt; they brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
22 Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, sixty measures of meal,
23 Ten fat oxen, twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides harts, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowl of choice kinds.
24 For he had dominion over all the region west of the [Euphrates] River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the River, and he had peace on all sides around him.
25 Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and fig tree, from Dan to Beersheba, all of Solomon's days.
26 Solomon also had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen.
27 And those officers provided food for King Solomon and for all who came to his table, every man in his month; they let nothing be lacking.
28 Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds they brought to the place where it was needed, each according to his assignment.
29 And God gave Solomon exceptionally much wisdom and understanding, and breadth of mind like the sand of the seashore.
30 Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the people of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt.
31 For he was wiser than all other men–than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. His fame was in all the nations round about.
32 He also originated 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005.
33 He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall; he spoke also of beasts, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish.
34 Men came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation