1Solomon's chief officers of state. 7The twelve officers who provided for his household, each in his month. 20The prosperity and grandeur of his kingdom. 22The daily provision for his household, suitable to the extent of his dominions and peacefulness of his reign. 26His stables. 29His extraordinary wisdom.
1SO king Solomon was king 1over all Israel.
1 That is, over the twelve tribes, which is affirmed of Solomon, to distinguish him from the succeeding kings; whereof some (namely those who after him descended from the house of David) reigned only over two tribes, Judah and Benjamin, the others over the ten tribes.
2And these were the 2princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok 3the priest,
2 Meaning: chief officers or commanders.
3 Or, deputy, namely, of the king, in the entire government of the kingdom. This Zadok is not held to be the high priest mentioned in the foregoing chapters, but another of that name, sprung from another tribe, and that he was chief president in the government of all the land next to the king, and therefore named first before all others. For the Hebrew word signifies not only a priest, but also a civil governor. See Gen. 41 on verse 45 and below, verse 5. Others think that he was Zadok’s nephew, or the son of Ahimaaz’ son, whom mention is made, 2 Sam. 15:27 and that son called Azariah was a particular priest, to minister unto Solomon and his family in Divine things.
3Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, 4scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the 5recorder.
4 Or, secretaries. See likewise of such officers, 2 Sam. 8:17; Esther 3:12.
5 Or, registrar, or, remembrancer. See of this office, 2 Sam. 8:16.
4And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and 6Abiathar were the priests:
6 Who kept the name of priest while he was alive, without the deed of actual service. See 1 Kings 2 on verse 26, 27.
5And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the 7officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan was 8principal officer, and the king's friend:
7 Hebr. appointers, or, appointed. Understand the twelve officers, hereafter named from verse 7 to verse 19, who were appointed and ordained everyone in his month to furnish the king and his household with a set provision of meat and drink. The Hebrew word is elsewhere taken for a king’s deputy, who preserves the king’s place in the government of the land: 1 Kings 22:47. Likewise for other chief officers, 1 Kings 5:16; 2 Chron. 8:10.
8 Or, president, namely, in the king’s Privy Council; for which cause he had daily access to the king, as his familiar and special friend. He is to be distinguished from the priest, mentioned verse 2. Compare the annotation.
6And Ahishar was 9over the household: and Adonirama the son of Abda was 10over the tribute.
9 Hebr. was over the house, that is, over all the king’s court, as the word house was so used 1 Kings 2:24. See Gen. 34 on verse 19.
a 1 Kings 5:14; 12:18.
10 That is, over the king’s finances, treasures, yearly revenues, tolls, taxes, etc.; so that this officer might well be called the king’s Receiver General, Treasurer, or Master of the King’s Treasure. Others understand here, him who is set over the levy of the chosen men, which were given to the king as a tribute to minister unto him. See 1 Kings 5:13, 14.
7¶And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which 11provided victuals for 12the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision.
11 Namely, of meat and drink.
12 That is, him.
8And these are their names: The 13son of Hur, in mount Ephraim:
13 Other, Ben-Hur; and so in the following verses.
9The son of Dekar, in 14Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and 15Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan:
14 These were mostly cities in the tribe of Dan. See Joshua 19:41, 42, 43.
15 Called in Joshua 19:41 Ir-Shemesh.
10The son of Hesed, in 16Aruboth; to him pertained 17Sochoh, and all the land of 18Hepher:
16 This was a part of the land of Judah.
17 See of this city Joshua 15:35.
18 See Joshua 12:17.
11The son of Abinadab, in all the 19region of Dor; which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife:
19 Which was in the tribe of Manasseh beyond Jordan, Joshua 17:11; Judges 1:27.
12Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained 20Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean, which is by 21Zartanah beneath 22Jezreel, from 23Beth-shean to 24Abel-meholah, even unto the place that is beyond 25Jokneam:
20 These also belonged to the tribe of Manasseh, Joshua 17:11.
21 See of other Zaretans, Joshua 3:16.
22 A city in the tribe of Issachar, Joshua 19:18.
23 See Joshua 17:11; Judges 1:27.
24 See Judges 7:22.
25 Which was in the tribe of Zebulon, Joshua 19:11.
13The son of Geber, in 26Ramoth-gilead;27 to him pertained the 28towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; to him also pertained the 29region of 30Argob, which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brasen bars:
26 See Deut. 4:43; 1 Kings 22:20.
27 See Gen. 31 on verse 21.
28 See of these Num. 32:41.
29 See Deut. 3:4.
30 See Deut. 3:14.
14Ahinadab the son of Iddo had 31Mahanaim:
31 See Gen. 32 on verse 2.
15Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife:
16Baanah the son of Hushai was in Asher and in 32Aloth:
32 Some do not take this word for a proper name, but translate it upper parts, situated in or on the mountains, and belonging mostly to the tribe of Dan and Asher.
17Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar:
18Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin:
19Geber the son of Uri was in the country of 33Gilead, 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.
33 Understand the remaining part of this land, of what was mentioned before in verse 13.
20¶Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.
2134And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the 35river 36unto 37the land of the Philistines, and unto the 38border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.
34 Here we have the fulfillment of the promises heretofore frequently made; as Gen. 15:18. Exod. 23:31; Deut. 11:24; Joshua 1:4.
35 Namely, Euphrates. See Gen. 2 on verse 14. This river was the Israelites’ border north-eastward.
36 See 2 Chron. 9:26.
37 Which was their border westward.
38 Understand the river Sihor, the south-border of their land.
22¶And Solomon’s 39provision for one day was thirty 40measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,
39 Hebr. bread.
40 Hebr. cors. Understand by cors the largest measure of the Hebrews of dry wares, containing ten Ephahs, one Ephah 432 common egg-shells, and consequently one cor 4320 egg-shells. This measure is also called an homer, Lev. 27:16.
23Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl.
24For he had dominion over all the region on this 41side the river, from 42Tiphsah even to 43Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all 44sides round about him.
41 Namely, Euphrates. Also verse 21. See the annotation.
42 The name of a city situated on the north-east border of the kingdom of Israel. See of this also, 2 Kings 15:16.
43 Or, Gaza. Hebr. Azzah. A city situated on the south-west-border of the land of Canaan, Gen. 10:19; Deut. 2:23.
44 Hebr. passages.
25And Judah and Israel dweltb safely, every man 45under his vine and under his fig tree, 46from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon.
b Lev. 26:5.
45 A phrase, signifying a time of great peace, plenty, and prosperity in all things, not only in temporal, as here, but also in spiritual things; as Micah 4:4. Zech. 3:10.
46 That is, from the north-border of the land of Canaan to the south-border. Also Judges 20:1. Of Dan, see Gen. 14 on verse 14. Of Beer-sheba, Gen. 21 on verse 31.
26¶And Solomonc had forty thousand 47stalls of horses for his 48chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.
c 1 Kings 10:26; 2 Chron. 1:14; 9:25.
47 Understand this of places for horses, in which each stood one horse. Now Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses, 2 Chron. 9:25, whereof each stall had ten partitions for horses, making together the number of 40,000.
48 The number of these was 1400, 1 Kings 10:26.
27And 49those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon's table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing.
49 Which were named in verse 7, etc.
28Barley also and straw for the horses and 50dromedaries brought they unto the place where 51the officers were, every man according to his charge.
50 Called dromedaries. Others translate the Hebrew word post-horses, swift horses, or mules, which were likewise very swift in running. See Esther 8:10, 14.
51 Or, where he was, namely, king Solomon. Other, unto the place where it was appointed, or where they were, or, where every man was according to this charge.
29¶And God gave Solomon 52wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and 53largeness of heart, even 54as the sand that is on the 55sea shore.
52 See 1 Kings 3 on verse 12.
53 Hebr. wideness or breadth of heart; which is sometimes taken in a bad sense, signifying loftiness or pride of heart, Prov. 21:4; sometimes in a good sense, as here, and signifies a great measure, not only of knowledge, discernment and memory, but also of boldness, courage, and desire to effect and perform everything most bravely and nobly.
54 That is, he had as much of the aforementioned things as the sand, etc., an hyperbole, or excessive kind of speech, as 1 Kings 1:40.
55 Hebr. lip of the sea.
30And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom 56of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
56 Or, of all those of the east. Hebr. children of the east. See Gen. 29 on verse 1. These, as also the Egyptians, were renowned for their great wisdom and skill in all manner of Arts and Sciences, although afterward they declined to vain and superstitious arts, Isa. 2:6.
31For he was wiser than all men; than 57Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.
57 See of these men, 1 Chron. 2:6.
32And he spake 58three thousand 59proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.
58 Whereof a part are in the books of the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon.
59 The Hebrew word signifies a speech or sentence, which, for its brevity, exceeds all others in wise and deep learning, Prov. 1:1.
33And he spake 60of trees, from the 61cedar tree that is in 62Lebanon even unto the 63hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.
60 The writings hereof are not now in existence and that without diminishing the Holy Scripture, or hindrance to our salvation.
61 See Judges 9 on verse 15.
62 An excellent mountain, situated on the north border of Palestina. See Deut. 3:25; 11:24; Joshua 9:1: Psalm 92:12; Isa. 35:2.
63 The Hebrew word ezob the Greek translators have translated it with hussopos, which word the apostle retains in Heb. 9:19; although some hold it to be wild marjoram, others, wild savory; others, rosemary, or, parietaria, that is, pellitory-of-the-wall; so that it is uncertain what kind of herb it was among the ancients. See Exod. 12:22.
34And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.