The First Book of the Kings, commonly called the Third Book of the Kings
1 Kings 4
Chapter IV · Vol. II, pp. 724–726
1 Solomon's princes. 7 His twelve officers who provided for his household. 20, 24 The peace and largeness of his kingdom. 22 His daily provision. 26 His stables. 29 His extraordinary wisdom.
2 And these were the bprinces which he had: Azariah the son of Zadok the priest;1
b Ex.18.21. 1 Co.12.28.
1 Or, the chief officer.
3 Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of cShisha, scribes;2 Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder.d
c Sheva, or Shamsha, 2 Sa. 8. 16; 20. 24, 25. 1 Ch.18.16.
2 Or, secretaries.
4 And eBenaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and fZadok and Abiathar were the priests:3
e 2 Sa.8.18. ch.2.35. 1 Ch.18.16.
f 2 Sa.8.17;20.25. ch.2.27,35. 1 Ch.18.16.
3 There can be no doubt that between the accession of Solomon, ch. 1. 39, the complete consolidation of his authority, ch. 2. 12, and the second and covert attempt of Adonijah upon the throne, ver. 22, a considerable period of time must have elapsed. And as Abiathar was not banished to Anathoth, and removed from being high-priest, ver. 27, till after this period, the historian inserts his name, not as being second in dignity in the Aaronic family. but as having been actually in the first rank during a part of the reign of Solomon.—C.
5 And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: and Zabud the son gof Nathan was principal officer, and the king's hfriend:4
h 2 Sa.15.37.
4 The title of 'king's friend' seems not to indicate a special office, nor yet to convey the unpopular idea of 'favourite,' but seems, most probably, to be in Solomon a natural and affectionate imitation of David's special friendship for Jonathan.—C.
6 And Ahishar was over the household: and iAdoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute.5
i ch.5.14.
5 Or, levy.
7 And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision.6
6 See note ver.19.
9 The son of Dekar,8 in Makaz, and in Shaalbim,l and Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan:9
8 Or, Ben-dekar.
l Jos.19.41,42.
9 This district included a large section of the tribe of Dan, along the western slopes of the mountains, with the plain at their base.—P.
10 The son of Hesed,1 in mAruboth; to him pertained Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher:2
1 Or, Ben-hesed.
2 Aruboth was the southern part of the plain of Philistia.—P.
11 The son of Abinadab,3 in all the region of nDor;4 which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife:
12 Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained oTaanach, and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean, which is by pZartanah, beneath Jezreel, from qBeth-shean to Abel-meholah, even unto the place that is beyond Jokneam:5
p Jos.3.16. ch.7.46;18.46.
q 1 Sa.31.10. ch.19.16.
5 The great and rich plain of Esdraelon from the Bay of Acre to the Jordan.—P.
13 The son of Geber,6 in rRamoth-gilead; to him pertained the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; to him also pertained the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brazen bars:7
15 Ahimaaz was in tNaphtali; he ualso took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife:
t Jos.19.32-39.
u ver.11. 1 Sa.18.18.
16 Baanah the son of Hushai was in xAsher and in Aloth:
x Jos.19.24-31.
17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in yIssachar:
A.M. 2990. B.C. 1014.
y Jos.19.17-23.
18 Shimei the son of Elah, in zBenjamin.
z Jos.18.21-28.
19 Geber the son of Uri was in the acountry of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer which was in the 8land.9
a Nu.32.33-38. De.3.12-17. Jos.13.9-12.
8 He seems to have been the father of Geber, ver.13, and to have held a rank superior to his son.—C.
9 In the East, and even in some parts of Europe, rents are paid in the produce of the soil. In some of the newly peopled districts of America, even servants' wages are so discharged. A somewhat similar state of things in the reign of Solomon will account for this monthly arrangement of caterers to the royal household.—C.
20 Judah and Israel bwere many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, ceating and drinking, and making merry.
c 1 Ch.12.39. Job 1.18. Is.22.13. 1 Sa.30.16. Ro.14.17.
21 And dSolomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river1 unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they ebrought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.
22 And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures2 of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,
2 Heb. cors, i.e. near 59,000 pounds weight of meal, which might serve 20,000 men.
23 Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, besides harts, and roe-bucks, and fallow-deer, and fatted fowl.3
3 The extent of Solomon's household establishment will not be surprising to those who are acquainted with the arrangement of eastern courts, or even with the history of the great feudal barons of Europe anterior to the blessed Reformation.—C.
24 For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah4 even fto Azzah,5 over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him.
25 And Judah and Israel dwelt gsafely, every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, hfrom Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon.
26 And iSolomon had forty thousand6 stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.
i 2 Ch.9.25;1.14. ch.10.25,26. De.17.16.
6 On comparing this passage with ch. 10. 26. 2 Ch. 1. 14, the difference suggests to several judicious commentators the necessity of the usual solution—the assumed error of a transcriber. The assumption is unauthorized, gratuitous, and unnecessary. Estimating two horses for each chariot, and one for each dragoon, with a reasonable allowance of supernumeraries, brood-mares, and foals in training, the number in the text will not appear extraordinary.—C.
27 And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon's table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing.
28 Barley also and straw for the horses and kdromedaries brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.
k Or, mules or swift beasts, Es.8.10,14. Mi.1.13.
29 And lGod gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea-shore.
30 And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of mthe east 7country, and all the wisdom nof Egypt.
31 For he was owiser than all men; than Ethanp the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol:8 and his fame was in all nations round about.
A.M. 2990. B.C. 1014.
p Ps.89.title;88.title. 1 Ch.15.17,19;2.6.
8 It appears from 1 Ch. 2. 6 that Ethan, Heman, Chalcol, and Darda were all sons of Ezra or Zerah. The Hebrew words therefore rendered 'sons of Mahol' signify 'sons of music'—men of high musical talent. This is proved from 1 Ch. 15. 16, 17, 19; 25. 4. Ps. lxxxviii. lxxxix.—P.
33 And he spake of trees, from the cedar-tree that is in Lebanon, even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.9
9 There is no need to speculate about the supposed loss of any of Solomon's writings, as it is not said he wrote, but spake on these subjects.—C.
34 And there came rof all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.
r ver.21,31; ch.10.1-8,24. 2 Ch.9.22,23. Is.2.2;55.5.
Notes
[Ver. 11. The daughter of Solomon to wife. Not signifying that he had her to wife when Solomon came to the throne—for Solomon was then too young to have a marriageable daughter—but who had her to wife before the time when the history was written. But if this be not admitted, she may, according to eastern custom, have been betrothed at an early age. C.]
Ver. 19. ['Geber Ben-Uri in the land of Gilead, the land of Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan; and the one officer who was in the land.' This verse is somewhat obscure, especially when connected with ver. 13, 14. The meaning seems to be that Geber was set over the very wide district embracing the allotted territories of Reuben and Gad; part of which had originally been subject to Sihon, and a small part to Og; while to the whole the sacred writer now gives the name Gilead. P.]
Ver. 21. [All these countries acknowledged Solomon's authority, and paid tribute to him; but still this was not a fulfilment of the conditional promise made to Abraham. The countries specified were not then, and never were, possessed by the Israelites as a people. P.]
Ver. 28. ['Barley also and chopped straw for the horses and post-horses they brought unto the place where they (the horses, not the officers) were—each man in his turn.' The word rendered 'dromedaries' means a swift animal, or an animal accustomed to perform journeys. P.]
Reflections.—Great men should appear great, answerably to their stations. And it is often prudent for kings to continue most of their predecessors' officers in their respective places. But it is necessary for all men to provide for their household in the manner that is best for their own and the nation's advantage. God wisely balances men's honour and wealth with proportionate burdens of expense and care. He can give great happiness on earth: but infinitely greater is the happiness of Jesus' kingdom, which fills both heaven and earth; and unbounded are his provisions of new-covenant blessings. How gracious is God in the bestowal of his gifts and grace! But let us never envy such as outshine us. It is the Lord; let him give as seemeth him good! If we lack wisdom, let us ask it of God; and out of Jesus' fulness, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, let us receive, and grace for grace.