1 Kings 4

Solomon’s Administration

1 So King Solomon was king over all Israel. 2 And these were his officials: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest; 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; *2 Sam. 8:16; 20:24Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder; 4 *1 Kin. 2:35Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, over the army; Zadok and *1 Kin. 2:27Abiathar, the priests; 5 Azariah the son of Nathan, over *1 Kin. 4:7the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan, *2 Sam. 8:18; 20:26a priest and*2 Sam. 15:37; 16:16; 1 Chr. 27:33the king’s friend; 6 Ahishar, over the household; and *1 Kin. 5:14Adoniram the son of Abda, over the labor force.

7 And Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household; each one made provision for one month of the year. 8 These are their names: Ben-Hur, in the mountains of Ephraim; 9 Ben-Deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan; 10 Ben-Hesed, in Arubboth; to him belonged Sochoh and all the land of Hepher; 11 Ben-Abinadab, in all the regions of Dor; he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as wife; 12 Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth Shean, which is beside Zaretan below Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah, as far as the other side of Jokneam; 13 Ben-Geber, in Ramoth Gilead; to him belonged*Num. 32:41; 1 Chr. 2:22the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, in Gilead; to him alsobelonged*Deut. 3:4the region of Argob in Bashan—sixty large cities with walls and bronze gate-bars; 14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; 15 *2 Sam. 15:27Ahimaaz, in Naphtali; he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon as wife; 16 Baanah the son of *2 Sam. 15:32; 1 Chr. 27:33Hushai, in Asher and Aloth; 17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18 *1 Kin. 1:8Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin; 19 Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, in*Deut. 3:8–10the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan. Hewas the only governor who was in the land.

Prosperity and Wisdom of Solomon’s Reign

20 Judah and Israel were as numerous *Gen. 22:17; 32:12; 1 Kin. 3:8; (Prov. 14:28)as the sand by the sea in multitude, *Ps. 72:3, 7; Mic. 4:4eating and drinking and rejoicing. 21 So *Ex. 34:24; 2 Chr. 9:26; Ps. 72:8Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from *Gen. 15:18; Josh. 1:4the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. *Ps. 68:29They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.

22 *Neh. 5:18Now Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty kors of fine flour, sixty kors of meal, 23 ten fatted oxen, twenty oxen from the pastures, and one hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowl.

24 For he had dominion over all theregion on this side of the River from Tiphsah even to Gaza, namely over *Ps. 72:11all the kings on this side of the River; and *1 Kin. 5:4; 1 Chr. 22:9he had peace on every side all around him. 25 And Judah and Israel *(Jer. 23:6)dwelt safely, *(Mic. 4:4; Zech. 3:10)each man under his vine and his fig tree, *Judg. 20:1from Dan as far as Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.

26 *1 Kin. 10:26; 2 Chr. 1:14Solomon had forty thousand stalls of *(Deut. 17:16)horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. 27 And *1 Kin. 4:7these governors, each man in his month, provided food for King Solomon and for all who came to King Solomon’s table. There was no lack in their supply. 28 They also brought barley and straw to the proper place, for the horses and steeds, each man according to his charge.

29 And *1 Kin. 3:12God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. 30 Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men *Gen. 25:6of the East and all *Is. 19:11, 12; Acts 7:22the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was *1 Kin. 3:12wiser than all men—*1 Chr. 15:19; Ps. 89:titlethan Ethan the Ezrahite, *1 Chr. 2:6; Ps. 88:titleand Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. 32 *Prov. 1:1; 10:1; 25:1; Eccl. 12:9He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his *Song 1:1songs were one thousand and five. 33 Also he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. 34 And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, *1 Kin. 10:1; 2 Chr. 9:1, 23came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.