1 Kings 4
34 verses
The account of Solomon's administrative organization and the enumeration of his officials establishes the institutional framework through which Solomon rules his kingdom and introduces the theme of the expansion of the central authority and the integration of local power structures into a unified administrative system. The chapter details Solomon's officers appointed over all Israel, creating a regional administrative structure that divides the kingdom into twelve districts. The narrative emphasizes the extent of Solomon's realm: 'Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea; they ate and drank and were happy,' a detail that suggests the unprecedented prosperity and stability of Solomon's rule. The chapter also records Solomon's wives: 'he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines,' emphasizing the extent of Solomon's wealth and his establishment of diplomatic alliances through marriage yet also introducing, through the sheer numbers, a hint of the compromise with foreign religious practices. The chapter concludes with the notation of Solomon's extraordinary wisdom and the enumeration of his accomplishments in sciences and natural philosophy. The theological significance lies in the establishment that Solomon's rule has brought a new level of administrative sophistication and economic organization to the kingdom, yet the very success and prosperity of his reign may contain the seeds of the religious compromise that will characterize his later years.
VERSES IN THIS CHAPTER
1
So king Solomon was king over all Israel.
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2
And these were the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest,
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3
Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder.
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4
And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:
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5
And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer, and the king’s friend:
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6
And Ahishar was over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute.
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7
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.
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8
And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim:
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9
The son of Dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth–shemesh, and Elon–beth–hanan:
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10
The son of Hesed, in Aruboth; to him pertained Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher:
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11
The son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife:
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12
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:
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13
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:
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14
Ahinadab the son of Iddo had Mahanaim:
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15
Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife:
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16
Baanah the son of Hushai was in Asher and in Aloth:
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17
Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar:
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18
Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin:
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19
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.
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20
Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.
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21
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.
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22
And Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,
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23
Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl.
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24
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.
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25
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.
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26
And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.
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27
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.
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28
Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.
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29
And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.
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30
And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
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31
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.
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32
And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.
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33
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.
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34
And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.
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