1 Kings 4 | English Standard Version

English Standard Version

Solomon’s Officials

1 King Solomon was king over all Israel, 2 and these were his high officials: Azariah the son of Zadok was the priest; (1Ch 6:10) 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah the sons of Shisha were secretaries; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; (2Sa 8:16; 2Sa 20:24) 4 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; (2Sa 20:25; 1Ki 2:27; 1Ki 2:35) 5 Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan was priest and king’s friend; (2Sa 15:37; 2Sa 16:16; 1Ki 4:7; 1Ch 27:33)

2Sa 15:372Sa 16:161Ki 4:71Ch 27:33

6 Ahishar was in charge of the palace; and Adoniram the son of Abda was in charge of the forced labor. (2Sa 20:24; 1Ki 5:14; 1Ki 9:15; 1Ki 12:18; 2Ch 10:18)

2Sa 20:241Ki 5:141Ki 9:151Ki 12:182Ch 10:18

7 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. 8 These were their names: Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim; (Jos 24:33) 9 Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elonbeth-hanan; 10 Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (to him belonged Socoh and all the land of Hepher); 11 Ben-abinadab, in all Naphath-dor (he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as his wife); (Jos 11:2) 12 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; (Jos 17:11) 13 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); (Nu 32:41; De 3:4; 1Ki 22:3) 14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; 15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he had taken Basemath the daughter of Solomon as his wife); 16 Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; 17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18 Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin; (1Ki 1:8) 19 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. (De 3:8)

Solomon’s Wealth and Wisdom

20 Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea. They ate and drank and were happy. (Ge 22:17; 1Ki 3:8; 2Ch 1:9) 21 ^[1] Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates^[2] to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life. (Ge 15:18; Ex 23:31; Jos 1:4; 2Ch 9:26; Ps 68:29; Ps 72:8; Ps 72:10)

Ge 15:18Ex 23:31Jos 1:42Ch 9:26Ps 68:29Ps 72:8Ps 72:10

22 Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty cors^[3] of fine flour and sixty cors of meal, 23 ten fat oxen, and twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl. 24 For he had dominion over all the region west of the Euphrates^[4] from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the Euphrates. And he had peace on all sides around him. (Ge 10:19; 1Ch 22:9) 25 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. (2Sa 3:10; 2Ki 18:31; Isa 36:16; Jer 23:6; Jer 32:37; Eze 28:26; Mic 4:4; Zec 3:10)

2Sa 3:102Ki 18:31Isa 36:16Jer 23:6Jer 32:37Eze 28:26Mic 4:4Zec 3:10

26 Solomon also had 40,000^[5] stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen. (1Ki 10:26; 2Ch 1:14; 2Ch 9:25) 27 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. 28 Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds they brought to the place where it was required, each according to his duty. (Es 8:10; Es 8:14; Mic 1:13) 29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, (1Ki 3:12; 1Ki 4:20) 30 so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. (Jud 6:3; Isa 19:11; Ac 7:22) 31 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. (1Ki 4:29) 32 He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. (Pr 1:1; Ec 12:9; So 1:1) 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, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish. 34 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. (1Ki 10:1; 2Ch 9:23)

King James Version

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, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder. 4 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests: 5 And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer, and the king' friend: 6 And Ahishar was over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute. 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. 8 And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim: 9 The son of Dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Bethshemesh, and Elonbethhanan: 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 Bethshean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Bethshean to Abelmeholah, even unto the place that is beyond Jokneam: 13 The son of Geber, in Ramothgilead; 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. 20 Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry. 21 And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the 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' provision 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 dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, 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 safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. 26 And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. 27 And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon' table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing. 28 Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge. 29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. 30 And Solomon' 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 proverbs: and his songs 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 all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.