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Texts -- 1 Kings 4:1-25 (NET)

Context
Solomon’s Royal Court and Administrators
4:1 King Solomon ruled over all Israel . 4:2 These were his officials : Azariah son of Zadok was the priest . 4:3 Elihoreph and Ahijah , the sons of Shisha , wrote down what happened. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was in charge of the records. 4:4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was commander of the army . Zadok and Abiathar were priests . 4:5 Azariah son of Nathan was supervisor of the district governors. Zabud son of Nathan was a priest and adviser to the king . 4:6 Ahishar was supervisor of the palace . Adoniram son of Abda was supervisor of the work crews . 4:7 Solomon had twelve district governors appointed throughout Israel who acquired supplies for the king and his palace . Each was responsible for one month in the year . 4:8 These were their names : Ben-Hur was in charge of the hill country of Ephraim . 4:9 Ben-Deker was in charge of Makaz , Shaalbim , Beth Shemesh , and Elon Beth Hanan . 4:10 Ben-Hesed was in charge of Arubboth ; he controlled Socoh and all the territory of Hepher . 4:11 Ben-Abinadab was in charge of Naphath Dor . (He was married to Solomon’s daughter Taphath .) 4:12 Baana son of Ahilud was in charge of Taanach and Megiddo , as well as all of Beth Shan next to Zarethan below Jezreel , from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah and on past Jokmeam . 4:13 Ben-Geber was in charge of Ramoth Gilead ; he controlled the tent villages of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead , as well as the region of Argob in Bashan , including sixty large walled cities with bronze bars locking their gates. 4:14 Ahinadab son of Iddo was in charge of Mahanaim . 4:15 Ahimaaz was in charge of Naphtali . (He married Solomon’s daughter Basemath .) 4:16 Baana son of Hushai was in charge of Asher and Aloth . 4:17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah was in charge of Issachar . 4:18 Shimei son of Ela was in charge of Benjamin . 4:19 Geber son of Uri was in charge of the land of Gilead (the territory which had once belonged to King Sihon of the Amorites and to King Og of Bashan ). He was sole governor of the area .
Solomon’s Wealth and Fame
4:20 The people of Judah and Israel were as innumerable as the sand on the seashore ; they had plenty to eat and drink and were happy . 4:21 Solomon ruled all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines , as far as the border of Egypt . These kingdoms paid tribute as Solomon’s subjects throughout his lifetime . 4:22 Each day Solomon’s royal court consumed thirty cors of finely milled flour , sixty cors of cereal , 4:23 ten calves fattened in the stall, twenty calves from the pasture , and a hundred sheep , not to mention rams , gazelles , deer , and well-fed birds . 4:24 His royal court was so large because he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River from Tiphsah to Gaza ; he was at peace with all his neighbors . 4:25 All the people of Judah and Israel had security ; everyone from Dan to Beer Sheba enjoyed the produce of their vines and fig trees throughout Solomon’s lifetime .

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Solomon

    [ebd] peaceful, (Heb. Shelomoh), David's second son by Bathsheba, i.e., the first after their legal marriage (2 Sam. 12). He was probably born about B.C. 1035 (1 Chr. 22:5; 29:1). He succeeded his father on the throne in early man...
    [isbe] SOLOMON - sol'-o-mun (shelomoh; New Testament Solomon): I. EARLY LIFE 1. Name and Meaning 2. Sources 3. Birth and Upbringing 4. His Accession 5. Closing Days of David II. REIGN OF SOLOMON 1. His Vision 2. His Policy 3. Its R...
    [nave] SOLOMON Son of David by Bathsheba, 2 Sam. 12:24; 1 Kin. 1:13, 17, 21. Named Jedidiah, by Nathan the prophet, 2 Sam. 12:24, 25. Ancestor of Joseph, Matt. 1:6. Succeeds David to the throne of Israel, 1 Kin. 1:11-48; 2:12; 1...

  • Deer

    [isbe] DEER - der ('ayyal, feminine 'ayyalah, and 'ayyeleth (compare Arabic, 'ayyal and 'iyal, "deer" and 'ayil, "ram," and Latin caper and capra, "goat," caprea, capreolus, "wild goat," "chamois," or "roe deer"); yachmur (compare ...
    [nave] DEER, called also, Fallow Deer, Hart, Hind, Roebuck. Designated among the clean animals, to be eaten, Deut. 12:15; 14:5. Provided for Solomon's household, 1 Kin. 4:23. Fleetness of, 2 Sam. 2:18; 1 Chr. 12:8; Prov. 6:5; Song...

  • Ramoth-gilead

    [isbe] RAMOTH-GILEAD - ra'-moth-gil'-e-ad (ramoth gil'adh; Codex Vaticanus Rhemmath Galadd; Codex Alexandrinus Rhammoth, and other forms): A great and strong city East of the Jordan in the territory of Gad, which played an importan...
    [nave] RAMOTH-GILEAD Called also Ramah, 2 Kin. 8:29; 2 Chr. 22:6. A city of Gad, and a city of refuge, Deut. 4:43; Josh. 20:8; 1 Chr. 6:80. One of Solomon's commissaries at, 1 Kin. 4:13. In the possession of the Syrians, 1 Kin. ...

  • GENEALOGY, 1-7

    [isbe] GENEALOGY, 1-7 - je-na-al'-o-ji, jen-a-al'-o-ji: 1. Definition 2. Biblical References 3. Importance of Genealogies 4. Their Historical Value 5. Principles of Interpretation 6. Principles of Compilation 7. Sources 8. Principa...

  • HORSE

    [isbe] HORSE - hors: 1. Names: The common names are (1) cuc, and (2) hippos. (3) The word parash, "horseman," occurs often, and in several cases is translated "horse" or "warhorse" (Isa 28:28; Ezek 27:14; Joel 2:4 the Revised Versi...

  • Micah, Book of

    [ebd] the sixth in order of the so-called minor prophets. The superscription to this book states that the prophet exercised his office in the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. If we reckon from the beginning of Jotham's reign ...

  • King

    [ebd] is in Scripture very generally used to denote one invested with authority, whether extensive or limited. There were thirty-one kings in Canaan (Josh. 12:9, 24), whom Joshua subdued. Adonibezek subdued seventy kings (Judg. 1:...
    [nave] KING Called King of kings, Ezra 7:12; Ezek. 26:7; Dan. 2:37. Divinely authorized, Deut. 17:15; 1 Sam. 9:16, 17; 16:12; 1 Chr. 22:10; 2 Chr. 2:11, 12; Prov. 8:15; Dan. 2:21, 37; 4:17; 5:20; Hos. 8:4; 13:11. How chosen: By d...

  • Tax

    [nave] TAX Poll, Ex. 30:11-16; 38:26; Neh. 10:32; Luke 2:1. Jesus pays, Matt. 17:24-27. Land, Gen. 41:34, 48; 2 Kin. 23:35. Land mortgaged for, Neh. 5:3, 4. Priests exempted from, Gen. 47:26; Ezra 7:24. Paid in grain, Amos 5:1...

  • Officer

    [isbe] OFFICER - of'-i-ser: In the King James Version the term is employed to render different words denoting various officials, domestic, civil and military, such as caric, "eunuch," "minister of state" (Gen 37:36); paqidh, "perso...
    [nave] OFFICER. Civil Chosen by the people, Deut. 1:13-16; appointed by kings, 2 Sam. 8:16-18; 20:23-26; 1 Kin. 4:1-19; 9:22; Ezra 7:25. See: Government; Judge; Ruler; Serjeant. Ecclesiastical See: Priest; Levite; Apostle; Eld...

  • Rulers

    [nave] RULERS Appointed and removed by God. See: Government, God in. Chastised, Dan. 4. See: Nation. Monarchical, See: Kings. Patriarchal, Gen. 27:29, 37. Instances of Nimrod, Gen. 10:8-10. Abraham, Gen. 14:13-24; 17:6; 21:2...

  • Canaan

    [nave] CANAAN 1. Son of Ham, Gen. 9:18, 22, 25-27. Descendants of, Gen. 10:6, 15; 1 Chr. 1:8, 13. 2. Land of (The history of this region is involved in that of the Israelites. The student is therefore referred to Israel, History ...

  • TAX; TAXING

    [isbe] TAX; TAXING - taks, taks'-ing: I. INTRODUCTION 1. General Considerations 2. Limits of the Discussion II. TAXES IN ISRAEL UNDER SELF-GOVERNMENT 1. In the Earliest Period 2. Under the Theocracy; in the Period of the Judges 3. ...

  • Quarter Master

    [nave] QUARTER MASTER, for Solomon, 1 Kin. 4:7-19, 27.

  • PALESTINE, 2

    [isbe] PALESTINE, 2 - III. Palestine in the Historic Books of the Old Testament. 1. Book of Joshua: Joshua is the great geographical book of the Old Testament; and the large majority of the 600 names of places, rivers and mountains...

  • Commissary

    [nave] COMMISSARY For armies, cattle driven with, 2 Kin. 3:9. See: Armies. For royal households, 1 Kin. 4:7-19, 27, 28.

  • Geber

    [ebd] a valiant man, (1 Kings 4:19), one of Solomon's purveyors, having jurisdiction over a part of Gilead, comprising all the kingdom of Sihon and part of the kingdom of Og (Deut. 2; 31).
    [isbe] GEBER - ge'-ber (gebher, "man," "strong one"): (1) According to 1 Ki 4:13 the King James Version the father of one of the 12 officers who provided food for Solomon and his household (but here the Revised Version (British and...
    [smith] (manly). The son of Geber resided in the fortress of Ramoth-gilead, and had charge of Havoth-jair and the district of Argob. (1 Kings 4:13) (B.C. 1013). Geber the son of Uri had a district south of the former --the "land ...
    [nave] GEBER, name of two men, officers of Solomon, 1 Kin. 4:13, 19.

  • Azariah

    [ebd] whom Jehovah helps. (1.) Son of Ethan, of the tribe of Judah (1 Chr. 2:8). (2.) Son of Ahimaaz, who succeeded his grandfather Zadok as high priest (1 Chr. 6:9; 1 Kings 4:2) in the days of Solomon. He officiated at the consec...
    [isbe] AZARIAH - az-a-ri'-a `azaryahu and `azaryah, "Yahweh has helped"): (1) King of Judah. See UZZIAH. (2) A Judahite of the house of Ethan the Wise (1 Ch 2:8). (3) The son of Jehu, descended from an Egyptian through the daughter...
    [smith] (whom the Lord helps) a common name in Hebrew, and especially in the families of the priests of the line of Eleazar, whose name has precisely the same meaning as Azariah. It is nearly identical, and is often confounded, with ...
    [nave] AZARIAH 1. Son of Ethan, 1 Chr. 2:8. 2. Son of Jehu, 1 Chr. 2:38, 39. 3. Son of Zadok, 1 Kin. 4:2; perhaps identical with No. 6, below. 4. Captain of Solomon's guards, 1 Kin. 4:5. 5. A prophet, called Oded, 2 Chr. 15:1; ...

  • Cabinet

    [nave] CABINET, heads of departments in government. David's, 2 Sam. 8:15-18; 15:12; 20:23-26; 1 Chr. 27:32-34; Solomon's, 1 Kin. 4:1-7; Hezekiah's, Isa. 36:3; Artaxerxes', Ezra 7:14. See: Counselor; Minister, Prime.

  • Hur

    [isbe] HUR - hur (chur): (1) A prominent official in Israel. With Aaron he held up Moses' hands during the battle against the Amalekites (Ex 17:10,12) and assisted him as judicial head of the people during Moses' stay in the mount ...
    [nave] HUR 1. An Israelite who assisted in supporting Moses's hands during battle, Ex. 17:10, 12; 24:14. 2. A son of Caleb, Ex. 31:2; 35:30; 38:22; 1 Chr. 2:19, 20; 2 Chr. 1:5. 3. A king of Midian, Num. 31:8; Josh. 13:21. 4. Cal...

  • Ahilud

    [isbe] AHILUD - a-hi'-lud ('achiludh, "child's brother," perhaps): The father of Jehoshaphat, who is mentioned as "recorder" in both the earlier and the later lists under David, and in the list under Solomon (2 Sam 8:16 and 1 Ch 18...
    [smith] (a brother of one born, i.e. before him). Father of Jehoshaphat, the recorder or chronicler of the kingdom in the reigns of David and Solomon. (2 Samuel 8:16; 20:24; 1 Kings 4:3; 1 Chronicles 18:15) (B.C. before 101...
    [nave] AHILUD, father of Baana, 1 Kin. 4:12; and of Jehoshaphat, 2 Sam. 8:16; 20:24; 1 Kin. 4:3; 1 Chr. 18:15.
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Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • These verses summarize Samuel's continuing ministry as a prophet in Israel. Samuel qualified for this privilege by his faithful obedience to God's will as he knew it. God sovereignly chose Samuel for this ministry, but his di...
  • I. The reign of Solomon chs. 1-11A. Solomon's succession to David's throne 1:1-2:121. David's declining health 1:1-42. Adonijah's attempt to seize the throne 1:5-533. David's charge to Solomon 2:1-94. David's death 2:10-12B. ...
  • The Holy Spirit led the writer of Kings to give an interpretation of history, not just a chronologically sequential record of events. This is true of all the writers of the Old Testament historical books. Some of the events i...
  • The flowing narrative of chapters 1-2 now gives way to reports and lists that catalogue facts about Solomon's reign.The writer constructed the Solomon narrative (chs. 3-11), like so many others in the Old Testament, to draw a...
  • Delegation of authority is a mark of wisdom. Azariah (v. 2) was apparently Zadok's grandson (1 Chron. 6:8-9). "The priest"is a common designation for the high priest. Secretaries (v. 3) prepared official documents and records...
  • These men were responsible for providing for the needs of Solomon's large household, including his courtiers, and for his thousands of horses (v. 28). Two were Solomon's sons-in-law (vv. 11, 15). The district arrangement seem...
  • We can explain the writer's unusual reference to Judah and Israel at this time, before the division of the kingdom. When he wrote Kings the nation had split, so probably the writer was using the designation that was common in...
  • The writer of Kings referred to other ancient records (v. 41; cf. 14:19, 29). The Acts of Solomon was the first of these.120It is no longer extant.Solomon's long reign of 40 years (971-931 B.C.) ended with the king in decline...
  • Aharoni, Yohanan. "The Building Activities of David and Solomon."Israel Exploration Journal24:1(1974):13-16.Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonahl. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed., New York: Macmillan Publishing Co.,...
  • The Chronicler's main interest in David's reign, as we have seen, focused on the Davidic Covenant with its promises to David and his descendants. In recounting the events of Solomon's reign he proceeded to emphasize the templ...
  • It seemed to Isaiah's audience that the promises in chapter 60 could hardly come to pass since the Babylonian exile was still ahead of them. The Lord assured them that He would surely fulfill these promises."Much of this chap...
  • 40:1 Ezekiel dated the vision that comprises the final portion of the book as coming to him in 573 B.C., more than 12 years after his immediately preceding messages (cf. 33:21-22).512He located it in time using two points of ...
  • 1:3 The expression "for three transgressions [Heb. pesha'im, rebellions, i.e., against the universal Sovereign; cf. Gen. 9:5-17] and for four"is one of Amos' trademarks (cf. vv. 6, 9, 11, 13; 2:1, 4, 6). It means for numerous...
  • 4:1 Reference to "the last days"often points to the eschatological future in the Prophets, and it does here (e.g., Deut. 4:30; Ezek. 38:16; Dan. 2:28; 10:14; Hos. 3:5). This phrase usually refers to the Tribulation and or the...
  • 3:6-7 Then the angel of the Lord admonished Joshua. He promised, in the name of sovereign Yahweh, that if Joshua obeyed the Lord and served Him, Joshua would govern the temple, have charge of the temple courts, and enjoy free...
  • The name of the writer is the title of this book."Malachi"means "my messenger."We know nothing of the prophet's parentage, ancestral or tribal roots, geographical origin, or other vocation. All we know is that he received and...
  • The disciples of John were not the only men who began following Jesus. Andrew continued to bring other friends to Jesus. This incident preceded Jesus' formal appointment of the Twelve, but it shows Him preparing those who wou...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • The remainder of the vision is the address of the Angel of the Lord to Joshua, developing the blessings now made sure to him and his people by this renewed consecration and cleansing. First (Zechariah 3:7) is the promise of c...
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