The First Book of the Kings

⭑ World English Bible Catholic :: King James Version ⭑

⮜ Back | Contents | Next ⮞

- Chapter 4 -

King Solomon was king over all Israel.

These were the princes whom he had: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest;

Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder;

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan was chief minister, the king’s friend;

Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the men subject to forced labor.

Solomon’s Twelve Officers

Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household. Each man had to make provision for a month in the year.

These are their names: Ben Hur, in the hill country of Ephraim;

Ben Deker, in Makaz, in Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan;

Ben Hesed, in Arubboth (Socoh and all the land of Hepher belonged to him);

Ben Abinadab, in all the height of Dor (he had Taphath, Solomon’s daughter, as wife);

Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth Shean which is beside Zarethan, beneath Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah, as far as beyond Jokmeam;

Ben Geber, in Ramoth Gilead (the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead, belonged to him; and the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars, belonged to him);

Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;

Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon as wife);

Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth;

Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar;

Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin;

Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer who was in the land.

Solomon’s Prosperity

Judah and Israel were numerous as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry.

Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.

Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty cors(a) of fine flour, sixty measures of meal,

ten head of fat cattle, twenty head of cattle out of the pastures, and one hundred sheep, in addition to deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl.

For he had dominion over all on this side the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side the River; and he had peace on all sides around him.

Judah and Israel lived safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.

Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.

Those officers provided food for King Solomon, and for all who came to King Solomon’s table, every man in his month. They let nothing be lacking.

They also brought barley and straw for the horses and swift steeds to the place where the officers were, each man according to his duty.

Solomon’s Wisdom

God gave Solomon abundant wisdom, understanding, and breadth of mind like the sand that is on the seashore.

Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.

For he was wiser than all men—wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the nations all around.

He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered one thousand five.

He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that grows out of the wall; he also spoke of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish.

People of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, sent by all kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.

Footnotes

(a)4:22 1 cor is the same as a homer, or about 55.9 U. S. gallons (liquid) or 211 liters or 6 bushels

So king Solomon was king over all Israel.

And these were the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest,(a)

Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder.(b)

(c)

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:

And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer, and the king’s friend:

And Ahishar was over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute.(d)

Solomon’s Twelve Officers

And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision.

And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim:(e)

The son of Dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth–shemesh, and Elon–beth–hanan:(f)

The son of Hesed, in Aruboth; to him pertained Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher:(g)

The son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife:(h)

Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth–shean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Beth–shean to Abel–meholah, even unto the place that is beyond Jokneam:

The son of Geber, in Ramoth–gilead; to him pertained the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; to him also pertained the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brasen bars:(i)

Ahinadab the son of Iddo had Mahanaim:(j)

Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife:

Baanah the son of Hushai was in Asher and in Aloth:

Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar:

Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin:

Geber the son of Uri was in the country of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer which was in the land.

Solomon’s Prosperity

Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.

And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.

And Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,(k)

(l)

Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl.

For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him.

And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beer–sheba, all the days of Solomon.(m)

And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.

And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon’s table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing.

Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.(n)

Solomon’s Wisdom

And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.

And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.

For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.

And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.

And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.

And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.

Footnotes

(a)4:2 priest: or, chief officer

(b)4:3 scribes: or, secretaries

(d)4:6 tribute: or, levy

(e)4:8 The son…: or, Ben–hur

(f)4:9 The son…: or, Ben–dekar

(g)4:10 The son…: or, Ben–hesed

(h)4:11 The son…: or, Ben–abinadab

(i)4:13 The son…: or, Ben–geber

(j)4:14 Mahanaim: or, to Mahanaim

(k)4:22 provision: Heb. bread

(l)4:22 measures: Heb. cors

(m)4:25 safely: Heb. confidently

(n)4:28 dromedaries: or, mules, or, swift beasts