1 Kings Chapter 4: 1-34
1 So King Solomon ruled over all Israel.
2 And these were his chief officials:
Azariah son of Zadok—the priest;
3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha—secretaries;
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud—recorder;
4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada—commander in chief;
Zadok and Abiathar—priests;
5 Azariah son of Nathan—in charge of the district governors;
Zabud son of Nathan—a priest and adviser to the king;
6 Ahishar—palace administrator;
Adoniram son of Abda—in charge of forced labor.
7 Solomon had twelve district governors over all Israel, who supplied provisions for the king and the royal household. Each one had to provide supplies for one month in the year.
8 These are their names:
Ben-Hur—in the hill country of Ephraim;
9 Ben-Deker—in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh and Elon Bethhanan;
10 Ben-Hesed—in Arubboth (Sokoh and all the land of Hepher were his);
11 Ben-Abinadab—in Naphoth Dor (he was married to Taphath daughter of Solomon);
12 Baana son of Ahilud—in Taanach and Megiddo, and in all of Beth Shan next to Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah across to Jokmeam;
13 Ben-Geber—in Ramoth Gilead (the settlements of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead were his, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan and its sixty large walled cities with bronze gate bars);
14 Ahinadab son of Iddo—in Mahanaim;
15 Ahimaaz—in Naphtali (he had married Basemath daughter of Solomon);
16 Baana son of Hushai—in Asher and in Aloth;
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 the country of Og king of Bashan). He was the only governor over the district.
20 The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy.
21 And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought tribute and were Solomon’s subjects all his life.
22 Solomon’s daily provisions were thirty cors[a] of the finest flour and sixty cors[b] of meal,
23 ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed cattle and a hundred sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks and choice fowl.
24 For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and had peace on all sides.
25 During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree.
26 Solomon had four[c] thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand horses.[d]
27 The district governors, each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon and all who came to the king’s table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking.
28 They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses.
29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.
30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.
31 He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations.
32 He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five.
33 He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish.
34 From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.
1 Kings 4: 1-24
🍁 1 Kings 4: 1-19
Solomon’s Administration
King Solomon was king over all Israel
And these were his high officials: Azariah the son of Zadok was the priest
Elihoreph and Ahijah the sons of Shisha were secretaries
Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the army
Zadok and Abiathar were priests
Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers
Zabud the son of Nathan was priest and king’s friend
Ahishar was in charge of the palace And Adoniram the son of Abda was in charge of the forced labor
Solomon 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
These were their names:
Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim
Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elonbeth-hanan
Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (to him belonged Socoh and all the land of Hepher)
Ben-abinadab, in all Naphath-dor (he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as his wife)
Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth-shean that is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, and from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, as far as the other side of Jokmeam
Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (he had the villages of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead, and he had the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars)
Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim
Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he had taken Basemath the daughter of Solomon as his wife)
Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth
Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar
Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin
Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan
And there was one governor who was over the land
🍁 1 Kings 4: 20-34
Prosperity and Wisdom of Solomon’s Reign
Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea
They ate and drank and were happy
Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life
Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty cors of fine flour and sixty cors of meal, ten fat oxen, and twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl
For he had dominion over all the region west of the Euphrates from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the Euphrates
And he had peace on all sides around him
And Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan even to Beersheba, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon
Solomon also had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen
And 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
Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds they brought to the place where it was required, each according to his duty
And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt
For he was 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
He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005
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, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish
And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom