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Solomon’s Administrative Officers

King Solomon was king over all Israel, and these were his high officials: Azariah son of Zadok was the priest; Elihoreph and Ahijah sons of Shisha were secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was in command of the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; Azariah son of Nathan was over the officials; Zabud son of Nathan was priest and king’s friend;(A) Ahishar was in charge of the palace; and Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of the forced labor.

Solomon had twelve officials over all Israel who provided food for the king and his household; each one had to make provision for one month in the year. These were their names: Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim;(B) Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan;(C) 10 Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (to him belonged Socoh and all the land of Hepher);(D) 11 Ben-abinadab, in all Naphath-dor (he had Taphath, Solomon’s daughter, as his wife);(E) 12 Baana son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth-shean, which is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, and from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, as far as the other side of Jokmeam;(F) 13 Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (he had the villages of Jair 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);(G) 14 Ahinadab son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;(H) 15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he had taken Basemath, Solomon’s daughter, as his wife);(I) 16 Baana son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth;(J) 17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18 Shimei son of Ela, in Benjamin;(K) 19 Geber son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of King Sihon of the Amorites and of King Og of Bashan. And there was one garrison in the land.(L)

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Solomon’s administration

King Solomon became king of all Israel.

These were his officials: the priest Azariah, Zadok’s son; the scribes Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha; Jehoshaphat, the recorder, Ahilud’s son; the general Benaiah, Jehoiada’s son; the priests Zadok and Abiathar; Azariah, Nathan’s son, who was in charge of the officials; Zabud, Nathan’s son, a priest and royal friend; Ahishar, who was in charge of the palace; and Adoniram, Abda’s son, who was supervisor of the work gangs.

Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel. They supplied the king and his palace with food. Each would provide the supplies for one month per year. Here are their names:

Ben-hur in the highlands of Ephraim;

Ben-deker in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elon-bethhanan;

10 Ben-hesed in Arubboth, who had Socoh and all the land of Hepher;

11 Ben-abinadab in all of Naphath-dor (Taphath, Solomon’s daughter, was his wife);

12 Baana, Ahilud’s son, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth-shean beside Zarethan and below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah and over to the region opposite Jokmeam;

13 Ben-geber in Ramoth-gilead, who controlled the villages of Jair, Manasseh’s son, which were in Gilead, and who had the Argob region that was in Bashan—sixty large walled cities with bronze bars;

14 Ahinadab, Iddo’s son, in Mahanaim;

15 Ahimaaz in Naphtali, who also took Solomon’s daughter Basemath as his wife;

16 Baana, Hushai’s son, in Asher and Bealoth;

17 Jehoshaphat, Paruah’s son, in

Issachar;

18 Shimei, Ela’s son, in Benjamin;

19 Geber, Uri’s son, in the land of Gilead, the land of the Amorite king Sihon and of King Og of Bashan;

and there was a single officer who was in the land of Judah.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 4:19 LXX; MT lacks of Judah.