1 Kings 4

Chapter context

What is happening in 1 Kings 4?

templewisdomidolatrydivision

1 Kings 4 belongs to the early movement of the book, especially the section often described as Solomon’s accession and wisdom. First Kings tells of Solomon’s reign and temple, the split between north and south, and the rise of prophetic confrontation through Elijah. Read this chapter with the wider themes of temple, wisdom, and idolatry in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

¹ So king Solomon was king over all Israel. ² And these were the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest, ³ Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder. ⁴ And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests: 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: ⁶ And Ahishar was over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute. 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. ⁸ And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim: ⁹ The son of Dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Bethshemesh, and Elonbethhanan: ¹⁰ The son of Hesed, in Aruboth; to him pertained Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher: ¹¹ The son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife: ¹² Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and all Bethshean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Bethshean to Abelmeholah, even unto the place that is beyond Jokneam: ¹³ The son of Geber, in Ramothgilead; 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: ¹⁴ Ahinadab the son of Iddo had Mahanaim: ¹⁵ Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife: ¹⁶ Baanah the son of Hushai was in Asher and in Aloth: ¹⁷ Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar: ¹⁸ Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin: 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. ²⁰ Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry. 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. ²² And Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal, ²³ Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl. 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. ²⁵ And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. ²⁶ And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. 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. 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. ²⁹ And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. ³⁰ And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. 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. ³² And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. 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. 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.

Study helps

Glossary

Azariah Person v. 2, 5: Whom Jehovah helps. (1. ) Son of Ethan, of the tribe of Judah ( 1 Chr. 2:8 ). (2. ) Son of Ahimaaz, who succeeded his grandfather Zadok as high priest ( 1 Chr. 6:9 ; 1 Kings 4:2 ) in the days of Solomon.
Zadok Person v. 2, 4: Righteous. (1. ) A son of Ahitub, of the line of Eleazer ( 2 Sam. 8:17 ; 1 Chr. 24:3 ), high priest in the time of David ( 2 Sam. 20:25 ) and Solomon ( 1 Kings 4:4 ).
Jehoshaphat Person v. 3, 17: Jehovah-judged. (1. ) One of David’s body-guard ( 1 Chr. 11:43 ). (2. ) One of the priests who accompanied the removal of the ark to Jerusalem ( 1 Chr. 15:24 ).
Abiathar Person v. 4: Father of abundance, or my father excels, the son of Ahimelech the high priest. He was the tenth high priest, and the fourth in descent from Eli.
Benaiah Person v. 4: Built up by Jehovah. (1. ) The son of Jehoiada, chief priest ( 1 Chr. 27:5 ). He was set by David over his body-guard of Cherethites and Pelethites ( 2 Sam. 8:18 ; 1 Kings 1:32 ; 1 Chr. 18:17 ).
Jehoiada Person v. 4: Jehovah-known. (1. ) The father of Benaiah, who was one of David’s chief warriors ( 2 Sam. 8:18 ; 20:23 ). (2. ) The high priest at the time of Athaliah’s usurpation of the throne of Judah.
Nathan Person v. 5: Given. (1. ) A prophet in the reigns of David and Solomon ( 2 Chr. 9:29 ). He is first spoken of in connection with the arrangements David made for the building of the temple.
Abda Person v. 6: Servant. (1. ) The father of Adoniram, whom Solomon set over the tribute ( 1 Kings 4:6 ); i. e., the forced labour (R. V., “levy”). (2. ) A Levite of the family of Jeduthun ( Neh. 11:17 ), also called Obadiah ( 1 Chr. 9:16 ).
Adoniram Person v. 6: (Adoram, 1 Kings 12:18 ), the son of Abda, was “over the tribute,” i. e., the levy or forced labour. He was stoned to death by the people of Israel ( 1 Kings 4:6 ; 5:14 ).
Ahishar Person v. 6: Brother of song = singer, the officer who was “over the household” of Solomon ( 1 Kings 4:6 ).
Hur Person v. 8: A hole, as of a viper, etc. (1. ) A son of Caleb ( 1 Chr. 2:19 , 50; 4:1, 4; comp. 2 Chr. 1:5 ). (2. ) The husband of Miriam, Moses’ sister ( Ex. 17:10-12 ).
Beth-shemesh Place v. 9: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tel Bet Shemesh.
Elonbeth-hanan Place v. 9: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Khirbet Wadi Illin.
Makaz Place v. 9: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Deir Muheisin.
Shaalbim Place v. 9: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Salbit.
Arubboth Place v. 10: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Khirbet el Hamam.
Hepher Place v. 10: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell el Muhaffar.
Socoh Place v. 10: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Khirbet Shuweikat er Ras.
Abinadab Person v. 11: Father of nobleness; i. e., “noble. ” (1. ) A Levite of Kirjath-jearim, in whose house the ark of the covenant was deposited after having been brought back from the land of the Philistines ( 1 Sam. 7:1 ).
Naphoth-dor Place v. 11: Biblical region. Modern identification: Tel Dor.
Abel-meholah Place v. 12: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell Abu Sus.
Beth-shan Place v. 12: House of security or rest, a city which belonged to Manasseh ( 1 Chr. 7:29 ), on the west of Jordan. The bodies of Saul and his sons were fastened to its walls. Modern identification: Tel Bet Shean.
Jezreel Place v. 12: God scatters. (1. ) A town of Issachar ( Josh. 19:18 ), where the kings of Israel often resided ( 1 Kings 18:45 ; 21:1 ; 2 Kings 9:30 ). Modern identification: Tel Yizre’el.
Jokmeam Place v. 12: Gathering of the people, a city of Ephraim, which was given with its suburbs to the Levites ( 1 Chr. 6:68 ). It lay somewhere in the Jordan valley ( 1 Kings 4:12 , R. V.; but in A. V. incorrectly “Jokneam”). Modern identification: Tel Yokneam.
Megiddo Place v. 12: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tel Megiddo.
Taanach Place v. 12: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell Ta’anakh.
Zarethan Place v. 12: A place near Succoth, in the plain of the Jordan, “in the clay ground,” near which Hiram cast the brazen utensils for the temple ( 1 Kings 7:46 ); probably the same as Zartan. It is also called Zeredathah ( 2 Chr. 4:17 ). Modern identification: Tell es Sa’idiyeh.
Argob Place v. 13: Stony heap, an “island,” as it has been called, of rock about 30 miles by 20, rising 20 or 30 feet above the table-land of Bashan. Modern identification: Argob.
Bashan Place v. 13, 19: Biblical region. Modern identification: Saham al Jawlan.
Gilead Place v. 13, 19: Biblical region. Modern identification: Tell edh Dhahab esh Sherqiyeh.
Havvoth-jair Place v. 13: Biblical region. Modern identification: Qamm.
Ramoth-gilead Place v. 13: Heights of Gilead, a city of refuge on the east of Jordan; called “Ramoth in Gilead” ( Deut. 4:43 ; Josh. 20:8 ; 21:38 ). Modern identification: Tall er Rumeith.
Ahinadab Person v. 14: Brother of liberality = liberal, one of the twelve commissariat officers appointed by Solomon in so many districts of his kingdom to raise supplies by monthly rotation for his.
Iddo Person v. 14: (1. ) Timely ( 1 Chr. 6:21 ). A Gershonite Levite. (2. ) Lovely. The son of Zechariah ( 1 Chr. 27:21 ), the ruler of Manasseh in David’s time. (3. ) Timely.
Mahanaim Place v. 14: Two camps, a place near the Jabbok, beyond Jordan, where Jacob was met by the “angels of God,” and where he divided his retinue into “two hosts” on his return from Padan-aram ( Gen. 32:2 ). Modern identification: Tell edh Dhahab el Gharbi.
Ahimaaz Person v. 15: Brother of anger = irascible. (1. ) The father Ahinoam, the wife of Saul ( 1 Sam. 14:50 ). (2. ) The son and successor of Zadok in the office of high priest ( 1 Chr. 6:8 , 53).
Naphtali Person v. 15: My wrestling, the fifth son of Jacob. His mother was Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid ( Gen. 30:8 ). When Jacob went down into Egypt, Naphtali had four sons ( Gen. 46:24 ). Little is known of him as an individual.
Baanah Person v. 16: Son of affliction. (1. ) One of the two sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, a captain in Saul’s army. He and his brother Rechab assassinated Ishbosheth.
Bealoth Place v. 16: Citizens, a town in the extreme south of Judah ( Josh. 15:24 ); probably the same as Baalath-beer (19:8). In 1 Kings 4:16 , the Authorized Version has “in Aloth,” the Revised Version “Bealoth. ”. Modern identification: Beer Yeroham.
Paruah Tribe v. 17: Flourishing, the father of Jehoshaphat, appointed to provide monthly supplies for Solomon from the tribe of Issachar ( 1 Kings 4:17 ).
Benjamin Person v. 18: Son of my right hand. (1. ) The younger son of Jacob by Rachel ( Gen. 35:18 ). His birth took place at Ephrath, on the road between Bethel and Bethlehem, at a short distance from the latter place.
Shimei Person v. 18: Famous. (1. ) A son of Gershon, and grandson of Levi ( Num. 3:18 ; 1 Chr. 6:17 , 29); called Shimi in Ex. 6:17 .
Amorites People v. 19: Highlanders, or hillmen, the name given to the descendants of one of the sons of Canaan ( Gen. 14:7 ), called Amurra or Amurri in the Assyrian and Egyptian inscriptions.
Egypt Place v. 21, 30: The land of the Nile and the pyramids, the oldest kingdom of which we have any record, holds a place of great significance in Scripture. Modern identification: Ain Shams.
Euphrates Place v. 21, 24: Biblical river. Modern identification: Euphrates River.
Gaza Place v. 24: Called also Azzah, which is its Hebrew name. Modern identification: Tell Harube.
Tiphsah Place v. 24: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Dibseh.
Beersheba Place v. 25: Well of the oath, or well of seven, a well dug by Abraham, and so named because he and Abimelech here entered into a compact ( Gen. 21:31 ). On re-opening it, Isaac gave it the same name ( Gen. 26:31-33 ). Modern identification: Tel Beer Sheva.
Dan Place v. 25: Woodland Dan, a place probably somewhere in the direction of Dan, near the sources of the Jordan ( 2 Sam. 24:6 ). The LXX. and the Vulgate read “Dan-ja’ar”, i. e., “Dan in the forest. ”. Modern identification: Tel Dan.
East Place v. 30: (1. ) The orient (mizrah); the rising of the sun. Thus “the east country” is the country lying to the east of Syria, the Elymais ( Zech. 8:7 ). (2). Modern identification: Amman.
Ethan Tribe v. 31: Firm. (1. ) “The Ezrahite,” distinguished for his wisdom ( 1 Kings 4:31 ). He is named as the author of the 89th Psalm. He was of the tribe of Levi.
Heman Person v. 31: Faithful. (1. ) 1 Kings 4:31 ; 1 Chr. 2:6 , a son of Zerah, noted for his wisdom. (2. ) Grandson of Samuel ( 1 Chr. 6:33 ; 15:17 ), to whom the 88th Psalm probably was inscribed. He was one of the “seers” named in 2 Chr.
Lebanon Place v. 33: Biblical region. Modern identification: Jezzine.