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Solomon’s Administrative Officers

King Solomon was king over all Israel, and these were his high officials: Azari′ah the son of Zadok was the priest; Elihor′eph and Ahi′jah the sons of Shisha were secretaries; Jehosh′aphat the son of Ahi′lud was recorder; Benai′ah the son of Jehoi′ada was in command of the army; Zadok and Abi′athar were priests; Azari′ah the son of Nathan was over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan was priest and king’s friend; Ahi′shar was in charge of the palace; and Adoni′ram 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 E′phraim; Ben-deker, in Makaz, Sha-al′bim, Beth-she′mesh, and E′lonbeth-ha′nan; 10 Ben-hesed, in Arub′both (to him belonged Socoh and all the land of Hepher); 11 Ben-abin′adab, in all Naphath-dor (he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as his wife); 12 Ba′ana the son of Ahi′lud, in Ta′anach, Megid′do, and all Beth-she′an which is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, and from Beth-she′an to A′bel-meho′lah, as far as the other side of Jok′meam; 13 Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (he had the villages of Ja′ir the son of Manas′seh, which are in Gilead, and he had the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars); 14 Ahin′adab the son of Iddo, in Mahana′im; 15 Ahi′ma-az, in Naph′tali (he had taken Bas′emath the daughter of Solomon as his wife); 16 Ba′ana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; 17 Jehosh′aphat the son of Paru′ah, in Is′sachar; 18 Shim′e-i the son of Ela, in Benjamin; 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 officer in the land of Judah.

Magnificence of Solomon’s Rule

20 Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea; they ate and drank and were happy. 21 [a] Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphra′tes to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt; they brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.

22 Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty cors of fine flour, and sixty cors of meal, 23 ten fat oxen, and twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides harts, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowl. 24 For he had dominion over all the region west of the Euphra′tes from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the Euphra′tes; and he had peace on all sides round about him. 25 And Judah and Israel dwelt in safety, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, all the days of Solomon. 26 Solomon also had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. 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 charge.

Fame of Solomon’s Wisdom

29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and largeness of mind like the sand on the seashore, 30 so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ez′rahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the nations round about. 32 He also uttered three thousand proverbs; and his songs were a thousand and five. 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 men came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 4:21 Ch 5.1 in Heb

And king Solomon was king over all Israel. And these were the princes whom he had: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest; Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, [a]scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the [b]recorder; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests; and Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; and Zabud the son of Nathan was [c]chief minister, and the king’s friend; and Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the men subject to taskwork.

And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided victuals for the king and his household: each man had to make provision for a month in the year. And these are their names: Ben-hur, in the hill-country of Ephraim; Ben-deker, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan; 10 Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (to him pertained Socoh, and all the land of Hepher); 11 Ben-abinadab, in all [d]the [e]height of Dor (he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife); 12 Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean which is beside Zarethan, beneath Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, as far as [f]beyond Jokmeam; 13 Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (to him pertained [g]the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; even to him pertained the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brazen bars); 14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; 15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon to wife); 16 Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and [h]Bealoth; 17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18 Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin; 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; [i]and he was the only officer that 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 ruled over all the kingdoms from the River unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought tribute, and served Solomon all the days of his life. 22 And Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty [j]measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal, 23 ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and a hundred sheep, besides harts, and gazelles, and roebucks, and fatted fowl. 24 For he had dominion over all the region [k]on this side the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings [l]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 Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon. 26 And Solomon had [m]forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. 27 And those officers provided victuals for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon’s table, every man in his month; they let nothing be lacking. 28 Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds brought they unto the place [n]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’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all the 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 that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall; he spake also of beasts, and of birds, and of creeping things, and of fishes. 34 And there came of all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 4:3 Or, secretaries
  2. 1 Kings 4:3 Or, chronicler
  3. 1 Kings 4:5 Or, priest. See 2 Sam. 8:18.
  4. 1 Kings 4:11 Or, Naphath-dor
  5. 1 Kings 4:11 Or, region
  6. 1 Kings 4:12 Or, over against
  7. 1 Kings 4:13 Or, Havvoth-jair
  8. 1 Kings 4:16 Or, in Aloth
  9. 1 Kings 4:19 Hebrew and one officer.
  10. 1 Kings 4:22 Hebrew cor.
  11. 1 Kings 4:24 Or, beyond the River
  12. 1 Kings 4:24 Or, beyond the River
  13. 1 Kings 4:26 In 2 Chr. 9:25, four thousand.
  14. 1 Kings 4:28 Or, where he (that is, the king) was. Or, where it should be