The First Book of the Kings

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- Chapter 4 -

And king Solomon reigned over all Israel:

And these were the princes which he had: Azarias the son of Sadoc the priest:

Elihoreph, and Ahia, the sons of Sisa, scribes: Josaphat the son of Ahilud, recorder:

Banaias the son of Joiada, over the army: and Sadoc and Abiathar priests.

Azarias the son of Nathan, over them that were about the king: Zabud, the son of Nathan the priest, the king’s friend:

And Ahisar governor of the house: and Adoniram the son of Abda over the tribute.

Solomon’s Twelve Officers

And Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel, who provided victuals for the king and for his household: for every one provided necessaries, each man his month in the year.

And these are their names: Benhur, in mount Ephraim,

Bendecar, in Macces, and in Salebim, and in Bethsames, and in Elon, and in Bethanan.

Benhesed in Aruboth: his was Socho, and all the land of Epher.

Benabinadab, to whom belonged all Nephath-Dor, he had Tapheth the daughter of Solomon to wife.

Bana the son of Ahilud, who governed Thanac and Mageddo, and all Bethsan, which is by Sarthana beneath Jezrael, from Bethsan unto Abelmehula over against Jecmaan.

Bengaber in Ramoth Galaad: he had the towns of Jair the son of Manasses in Galaad, he was chief in all the country of Argob, which is in Basan, threescore great cities with walls, and brazen bolts.

Abinadab the son of Addo was chief in Manaim.

Achimaas in Nephtali: he also had Basemath the daughter of Solomon to wife.

Baana the son of Husi, in Aser and in Baloth.

Josaphat the son of Pharue, in Issachar.

Semei the son of Ela in Benjamin.

Gaber the son of Uri, in the land of Galaad, in the land of Sehon the king of the Amorrhites and of Og the king of Basan, over all that were in that land.

Solomon’s Prosperity

Juda and Israel were innumerable, as the sand of the sea in multitude: eating and drinking, and rejoicing.

And Solomon had under him all the kingdoms from the river to the land of the Philistines, even to the border of Egypt: and they brought him presents, and served him, all the days of his life.

And the provision of Solomon for each day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,

Ten fat oxen and twenty out of the pastures, and a hundred rams, besides venison of harts, roes, and buffles, and fatted fowls.

For he had all the country which was beyond the river, from Thaphsa to Gazan, and all the kings of those countries: and he had peace on every side round about.

And Juda and Israel dwelt without any fear, every one under his vine, and under his fig tree, from Dan to Bersabee, all the days of Solomon.

And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of chariot horses, and twelve thousand for the saddle.

And the foresaid governors of the king fed them: and they furnished the necessaries also for king Solomon’s table, with great care in their time.

They brought barley also and straw for the horses, and beasts, to the place where the king was, according as it was appointed them.

Solomon’s Wisdom

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

And the wisdom of Solomon surpassed the wisdom of all the Orientals, and of the Egyptians,

And he was wiser than all men: wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Dorda the sons of Mahol, and he was renowned in all nations round about.

Solomon also spoke three thousand parables: and his poems were a thousand and five.

And he treated about trees from the cedar that is in Libanus, unto the hyssop that cometh out of the wall: and he discoursed of beasts, and of fowls, and of creeping things, and of fishes.

And they came from all nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who heard of his wisdom.

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