Solomon’s Power, Wealth, and Wisdom

20 (A)Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand that is on the [a]seashore in abundance; they were eating, drinking, and rejoicing.

21 [b](B)Now Solomon was ruling over all the kingdoms (C)from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt; (D)they brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.

22 Solomon’s [c]provision for one day was [d]thirty kors of fine flour and [e]sixty kors of meal, 23 ten fat oxen, twenty [f]pasture-fed oxen, and a hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened geese. 24 For he was ruling over everything [g]west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah even to (E)Gaza, (F)over all the kings [h]west of the River; and (G)he had peace on all sides surrounding him. 25 (H)So Judah and Israel lived securely, everyone under his vine and his fig tree, (I)from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. 26 (J)Solomon had [i]forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. 27 And those deputies provided food for King Solomon and all who came to King Solomon’s table, each in his month; they allowed nothing to be lacking. 28 They also brought barley and straw for the war horses and (K)baggage horses to the place where it was required, each deputy according to his duty.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 4:20 Lit sea
  2. 1 Kings 4:21 Ch 5:1 in Heb
  3. 1 Kings 4:22 Lit bread
  4. 1 Kings 4:22 About 231 cubic feet or 6.5 cubic meters
  5. 1 Kings 4:22 About 462 cubic feet or 13 cubic meters
  6. 1 Kings 4:23 Lit oxen of the pasture
  7. 1 Kings 4:24 Lit beyond
  8. 1 Kings 4:24 Lit beyond
  9. 1 Kings 4:26 One LXX ms reads 4,000, cf. 2 Chr 9:25

Solomon’s Prosperity and Wisdom

20 The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They were very contented, with plenty to eat and drink. 21 [a]Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River[b] in the north to the land of the Philistines and the border of Egypt in the south. The conquered peoples of those lands sent tribute money to Solomon and continued to serve him throughout his lifetime.

22 The daily food requirements for Solomon’s palace were 150 bushels of choice flour and 300 bushels of meal[c]; 23 also 10 oxen from the fattening pens, 20 pasture-fed cattle, 100 sheep or goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roe deer, and choice poultry.[d]

24 Solomon’s dominion extended over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza. And there was peace on all his borders. 25 During the lifetime of Solomon, all of Judah and Israel lived in peace and safety. And from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, each family had its own home and garden.[e]

26 Solomon had 4,000[f] stalls for his chariot horses, and he had 12,000 horses.[g]

27 The district governors faithfully provided food for King Solomon and his court; each made sure nothing was lacking during the month assigned to him. 28 They also brought the necessary barley and straw for the royal horses in the stables.

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Footnotes

  1. 4:21a Verses 4:21-34 are numbered 5:1-14 in Hebrew text.
  2. 4:21b Hebrew the river; also in 4:24.
  3. 4:22 Hebrew 30 cors [6.6 kiloliters] of choice flour and 60 cors [13.2 kiloliters] of meal.
  4. 4:23 Or and fattened geese.
  5. 4:25 Hebrew each family lived under its own grapevine and under its own fig tree.
  6. 4:26a As in some Greek manuscripts (see also 2 Chr 9:25); Hebrew reads 40,000.
  7. 4:26b Or 12,000 charioteers.