Solomon’s Officials

King Solomon ruled over Israel,(A) and these were his officials:(B)

Azariah son of Zadok, priest;
Elihoreph and Ahijah the sons of Shisha, secretaries;
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud, court historian;
Benaiah son of Jehoiada, in charge of the army;
Zadok and Abiathar, priests;
Azariah son of Nathan, in charge of the deputies;
Zabud son of Nathan, a priest and adviser to the king;
Ahishar, in charge of the palace;
and Adoniram son of Abda, in charge of forced labor.

Solomon had 12 deputies for all Israel. They provided food for the king and his household; each one made provision for one month out of the year.(C) These were their names:

Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim;
Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan;
10 Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (he had Socoh and the whole land of Hepher);
11 Ben-abinadab, in all Naphath-dor (Taphath daughter of Solomon was his wife);
12 Baana son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth-shean which is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, as far as the other side of Jokmeam;
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, 60 great cities with walls and bronze bars);
14 Ahinadab son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;
15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he also had married a daughter of Solomon—Basemath);
16 Baana son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth;
17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah, in Issachar;
18 Shimei son of Ela, in Benjamin;
19 Geber son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan.

There was one deputy in the land of Judah.[a]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

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

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]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

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