Text -- 1 Kings 4:1-22 (NET)

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,

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: 1Ki 4:3

¹ tn Heb “were scribes”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “secretaries”; TEV, NLT “court secretaries.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 4:4

¹ tn Heb “was over.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 4:5

¹ tn Heb “was over.”

² tn Heb “close associate of”; KJV, ASV, NASB “the king’s friend” (a title for an adviser, not just an acquaintance).

NET Notes: 1Ki 4:6

¹ tn Heb “over the house.”

² tn Heb “was over.”

³ sn The work crews. This Hebrew word (מַס, mas) refers to a group of laborers conscripted for royal or public service.

NET Notes: 1Ki 4:12

¹ map For location see Map1 D4; Map2 C1; Map4 C2; Map5 F2; Map7 B1.

NET Notes: 1Ki 4:21

¹ sn Beginning with 4:21, the verse numbers through 5:18 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 4:21 ET = 5:1 HT, 4:22 ET = 5:2 HT, etc., through 5:18 ET = 5:32 HT. Beginning with 6:1 the numbering of verses in the English Bible and the Hebrew text is again the same.

² tn Heb “the River” (also in v. 24). This is the standard designation for the Euphrates River in biblical Hebrew.

³ tn Heb “[They] were bringing tribute and were serving Solomon all the days of his life.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 4:22

¹ tn Heb “the food of Solomon for each day was.”

² tn As a unit of dry measure a cor was roughly equivalent to six bushels.