Old Testament Commentary - 1 Kings 4

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 4 Officers in Solomon's court are listed—Solomon reigns in peace and prosperity over a large kingdom—His wisdom and understanding exceed those of all all men.
1 SO king Solomon was king over all Israel. 2 And these were the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest, 3 Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, ^ascribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the ^brecorder.
4 And ^aBenaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and ^bAbiathar were the priests: 5 And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the ^aofficers: and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer, and the king's friend: 6 And Ahishar was over the household: and ^aAdoniram the son of Abda was over the ^btribute.
The Twelve 'Officers' 1 ~ Ben-Hur, mount Ephraim 2 ~ Ben-Dekar, Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, Elon-beth-hanan 3 ~ Ben-Hesed, Sochoh: land of Hepher 4 ~ Ben-Abinadab, Dor (married Taphath daugher of Solomon) 5 ~ Baana ben Ahilud, Taanach, Megiddo, Beth-shean 6 ~ Ben-Geber, Ramoth-gilead, Jair/Manasseh, Argob, etc. 7 ~ Abinadab ben Iddo, Mahanaim 8 ~ Ahimaaz, Naphtali 9 ~ Baanah ben Hushai, Asher/Aloth 10 ~ Jehoshaphat ben Paruah, Issachar 11 ~ Shimei ben Elah, Benjamin 12 ~ Geber ben Uri, Gilead of the Amorites/Bashan
7 ¶ And Solomon had twelve ^aofficers over all Israel^a, which ^bprovided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision. 8 And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim: 9 The son of Dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan: 10 The son of Hesed, in Aruboth; to him pertained Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher: 11 The son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife: 12 Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, even unto the place that is beyond Jokneam: 13 The son of Geber, in Ramoth-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 brasen bars: 14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo had Mahanaim: 15 Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife: 16 Baanah the son of Hushai was in Asher and in Aloth: 17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar: 18 Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin: 19 Geber the son of Uri was in the country 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 land.	7^a twelve officers over all Israel We may presume that this was of the chief princes or princely families of the twelve tribes of Israel, though it may not be readily determined which was of which tribe. And thus was the 'delegation of responsibility' so divided among Israe, each tribe also providing one months 'tribute' of sustence to the king and his household.
20 ¶ Judah and Israel were many, as the ^asand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry. 21 And Solomon ^areigned over all kingdoms from ^bthe river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.
22 ¶ And Solomon's ^aprovision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal, 23 Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl. 24 For he had ^adominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to ^bAzzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him. 25 And Judah and ^aIsrael dwelt safely, every man under his ^bvine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon.
26 ¶ And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of ^ahorses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. 27 And those ^aofficers 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 ^adromedaries brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.
29 ¶ And God ^agave Solomon ^bwisdom and ^cunderstanding 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 the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.
32 And he spake three thousand ^aproverbs: and his ^bsongs were a thousand and five. 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. 34 And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from ^aall kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.