1 Kings Chapter 4

Solomon’s Officials and Governors

¹ Solomon ruled all Israel. ² These were his officials:

Azariah Ben-Zadok was priest.

                  ³Elihoreph and Ahijah, Ben-Shisha, were secretaries.

Jehoshaphat Ben-Ahilud was recorder.

                  ⁴Benaiah Ben-Jehoiada was the general over the army.

Zadok and Abiathar were priests.

                  ⁵Azariah Ben-Nathan oversaw the deputies.

Zabud Ben-Nathan, a priest, was the king’s personal advisor.

                  ⁶Ahishar governed the household.

Adoniram Ben-Abda oversaw forced labor.

⁷ Solomon had 12 deputies who provided for him and his household, one per month per

                        year:

            ⁸ Benhur in the hill country of Ephraim, 1 Kg 4:1-8

            ⁹ Bendeker in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan;

            ¹⁰ Benhesed in Arubboth, (Socoh and the land of Hepher belonged to him.)

            ¹¹ Benabinadab in all the height of Dor, (His wife was Solomon’s daughter

                        Taphath.)

                  ¹²Baana Ben-Ahilud in Taanach, Megiddo, and Beth-shean, which is beside

                        Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abelmeholah as far as the

                        other side of Jokmeam;

            ¹³ Bengeber in Ramoth-gilead, (The towns of Jair Ben-Manasseh, in Gilead,

belonged to him. He also had the region of Argob, in Bashan, 60 big towns with walls and bronze bars were also his.);     

            ¹⁴ Ahinadab Ben-Iddo in Mahanaim,

            ¹⁵ Ahimaaz in Naphtali, (married Solomon’s daughter Basemath)

            ¹⁶ Baana Ben-Hushai in Asher and Bealoth,

            ¹⁷ Jehoshaphat Ben-Paruah in Issachar,

            ¹⁸ Shimei Ben-Ela in Benjamin,

            ¹⁹ Geber Ben-Uri in Gilead (the country of King Sihon the Amorite and

Og, king of Bashan. He was the only deputy in the land.)            1 Kg 4:7-19

Solomon’s Prosperity and Wisdom

²⁰ Judah and Israel were as numerous as sand on the shore. They were eating and drinking and celebrating. ²¹ Solomon ruled the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served him his whole life.

²² Solomon’s provisions for one day were

            30 kors of fine flour and (330 bushels)

            60 kors of meal,              (660 bushels)

        ²³ 10 grain-fed oxen,

            20 pasture-fed oxen, and

            100 sheep besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl.

²⁴ He had dominion over the territory west of the Euphrates River from Tiphsah to Gaza. He had peace all around. ²⁵ Judah and Israel lived safely, every man under his vine and fig tree from Dan to Beersheba Solomon’s whole life. ²⁶ He had 40,000 stalls for horses for his chariots and 12,000 cavalry. ²⁷ For a month at a time, the deputies provided for him and everybody that came to his table; they left, not lacking anything. ²⁸ They also brought barley and straw for the horses and swift steeds to where it should be, each according to his responsibility.        1 Kg 4:20-28

²⁹ God gave Solomon wisdom, great discernment, and breadth of mind. ³⁰ His wisdom surpassed the wisdom of men in the East and in Egypt. ³¹ He was wiser than anyone else—than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman; or Calcol and Darda, sons of Mahol. He was famous in the nations all around. ³² He authored 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs. ³³ He knew about trees from the cedars in Lebanon to the hyssop on the wall. He talked about animals, birds, crawling things, and fish. ³⁴ People came from every nation to hear his wisdom, kings everywhere who’d heard about it.            1 Kg 4:29-34