An instance of the wisdom God granted to Solomon we had in the close of
the foregoing chapter. In this we have an account of his wealth and
prosperity, the other branch of the promise there made him. We have
here,
I. The magnificence of his court, his ministers of state
( ver. 1-6 ),
and the purveyors of his household
( ver. 7-19 ),
and their office, ver. 27, 28 .
II. The provisions for his table, ver. 22, 23 .
III. The extent of his dominion, ver. 21-24 .
IV. The numbers, case, and peace, of his subjects, ver. 20-25 .
V. His stables, ver. 26 .
VI. His great reputation for wisdom and learning, ver. 29-34 .
Thus great was Solomon, but our Lord Jesus was greater than he
( Matt. xii. 42 ),
though he took upon him the form of a servant; for divinity, in its
lowest humiliation, infinitely transcends royalty in its highest
elevation.
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 Beth-shemesh,
and Elon-beth-hanan:
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 Beth-shean, which is by Zartanah beneath
Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, even unto the place
that is beyond Jokneam:
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:
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.
I. Solomon upon his throne
( v. 1 ): So king Solomon was king, that is, he was confirmed and
established king over all Israel, and not, as his successors,
only over two tribes. He was a king, that is, he did the work and duty
of a king, with the wisdom God had given him. Those preserve the name
and honour of their place that mind the business of it and make
conscience of it.
II. The great officers of his court, in the choice of whom, no doubt,
his wisdom much appeared. It is observable,
1. That several of them are the same that were in his father's time.
Zadok and Abiathar were then priests
( 2 Sam. xx. 25 ),
so they were now; only then Abiathar had the precedency, now Zadok.
Jehoshaphat was then recorder, or keeper of the great seal, so he was
now. Benaiah, in his father's time, was a principal man in military
affairs, and so he was now. Shisha was his father's scribe, and his
sons were his, v. 3 .
Solomon, though a wise man, would not affect to be wiser than his
father in this matter. When sons come to inherit their father's wealth,
honour, and power, it is a piece of respect to their memory, cæteris paribus--where it can properly be done, to employ those
whom they employed, and trust those whom they trusted. Many pride
themselves in being the reverse of their good parents.
2. The rest were priests' sons. His prime-minister of state was Azariah the son of Zadok the priest. Two others of the first
rank were the sons of Nathan the prophet, v. 5 .
In preferring them he testified the grateful respect he had for their
good father, whom he loved in the name of a prophet.
III. The purveyors for his household, whose business it was to send in
provisions from several parts of the country, for the king's tables and
cellars
( v. 7 )
and for his stables
( v. 27, 28 ),
that thus,
1. His house might always be well furnished at the best hand. Let great
men learn hence good house-keeping, to be generous in spending
according to their ability, but prudent in providing. It is the
character of the virtuous woman that she bringeth her food from
afar ( Prov. xxxi. 14 ),
not far-fetched and dear-bought, but the contrary, every thing bought
where it is cheapest.
2. That thus he himself, and those who immediately attended him, might
be eased of a great deal of care, and the more closely apply themselves
to the business of the state, not troubled about much serving,
provision for that being got ready to their hand.
3. That thus all the parts of the kingdom might be equally benefited by
the taking off of the commodities that were the productions of their
country and the circulating of the coin. Industry would hereby be
encouraged, and consequently wealth increased, even in those tribes
that lay most remote from the court. The providence of God extends
itself to all places of his dominions ( Ps. ciii. 22 );
so should the prudence and care of princes.
4. The dividing of this trust into so many hands was prudent, that no
man might be continually burdened with the care of it nor grow
exorbitantly rich with the profit of it, but that Solomon might have
those, in every district, who, having a dependence upon the court,
would be serviceable to him and his interest as there was occasion.
These commissioners of the victualling-office, not for the army or navy
(Solomon was engaged in no war), but for the household, are here named,
several of them only by their surnames, as great men commonly call
their servants: Ben-hur, Ben-dekar, &c., though several of them
have also their proper names prefixed. Two of them married Solomon's
daughters, Ben-Abinadab
( v. 11 )
and Ahimaaz
( v. 15 ),
and no disparagement to them to marry men of business. Better match
with the officers of their father's court that were Israelites than
with the sons of princes that were strangers to the covenant of
promise. The son of Geber was in Ramoth-Gilead
( v. 19 ),
and Geber himself was in the country of Sihon and Og, which included
that and Mahanaim, v. 14 .
He is therefore said to be the only officer in that land, because the other two, mentioned v. 13, 14 ,
depended on him, and were subordinate to him.
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 Beer-sheba, 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.
Such a kingdom, and such a court, surely never any prince had, as
Solomon's are here described to be.
I. Such a kingdom. Never did the crown of Israel shine so brightly as
it did when Solomon wore it, never in his father's days, never in the
days of any of his successors; nor was that kingdom ever so glorious a
type of the kingdom of the Messiah as it was then. The account here
given of it is such as fully answers the prophecies which we have
concerning it in Ps. lxxii. ,
which is a psalm for Solomon, but with reference to Christ.
1. The territories of his kingdom were large and its tributaries many;
so it was foretold that he should have dominion from sea to sea, Ps. lxxii. 8-11 .
Solomon reigned not only over all Israel, who were his subjects by
choice, but over all the neighbouring kingdoms, who were his subjects
by constraint. All the princes from the river Euphrates, north-east to
the border of Egypt south-west, not only added to his honour by doing
him homage and holding their crowns from him, but added to his wealth
by serving him, and bringing him presents, v. 21 .
David, by his successful wars, compelled them to this subjection, and
Solomon, by his admirable wisdom, made it easy and reasonable; for it
is fit that the fool should be servant to the wise in heart. If
they gave him presents, he gave them instructions, and still taught
the people knowledge, not only his own people, but those of other
nations: and wisdom is better than gold. He had peace on all
sides, v. 24 .
None of all the nations that were subject to him offered to shake off
his yoke, or to give him any disturbance, but rather thought themselves
happy in their dependence upon him. Herein his kingdom typified the
Messiah's; for to him it is promised that he shall have the heathen
for his inheritance and that princes shall worship him, Isa. xlix. 6, 7; liii. 12 .
2. The subjects of his kingdom and its inhabitants, were many and
cheerful.
(1.) They were numerous and country was exceedingly populous
( v. 20 ): Judah and Israel were many, and that good land was sufficient to
maintain them all. They were as the sand of the sea in
multitude. Now was fulfilled the promise made to Abraham concerning
the increase of his seed
( Gen. xxii. 17 ),
as well as that concerning the extent of their dominion, Gen. xv. 18 .
This was their strength and beauty, the honour of their prince, the
terror of their enemies, and an advancement of the wealth of the
nation. If they grew so numerous that the place was any where too
strait for them, they might remove with advantage into the countries
that were subject to them. God's spiritual Israel are many, at least
they will be so when they come all together, Rev. vii. 9 .
(2.) They were easy, they dwelt safely, or with confidence and
assurance
( v. 25 ),
not jealous of their king or of his officers, not disaffected either to
him or one to another, nor under any apprehension or danger from
enemies foreign or domestic. They were happy and knew it, safe and
willing to think themselves so. They dwelt every man under his vine
and fig-tree. Solomon invaded no man's property, took not to
himself their vineyards and olive-yards, as sometimes was the manner of
the king
( 1 Sam. viii. 14 ),
but what they had they could call their own: he protected every man in
the possession and enjoyment of his property. Those that had vines and
fig-trees ate the fruit of them themselves; and so great was the peace
of the country that they might, if they pleased, dwell as safely under
the shadow of them as within the walls of a city. Or, because it was
usual to have vines by the sides of their houses ( Ps. cxxviii. 3 ),
they are said to dwell under their vines. (3.) They were cheerful in the use of their plenty, eating and
drinking, and making merry, v. 20 .
Solomon did not only keep a good table himself, but enabled all his
subjects, according to their rank, to do so too, and taught them that
God gave them their abundance that they might use it soberly and
pleasantly, not that they might hoard it up. There is nothing
better than for a man to eat the labour of his hands ( Eccl. ii. 24 ),
and that with a merry heart, Eccl. ix. 7 .
His father, in the Psalms, had led his people into the comforts of
communion with God, and now he led them into the comfortable use of the
good things of this life. This pleasant posture of Israel's affairs
extended, in place, from Dan to Beer-sheba--no part of the country was
exposed nor upon any account uneasy; and it continued a long time, all the days of Solomon, without any material interruption. Go
where you would, you might see all the marks of plenty, peace, and
satisfaction. The spiritual peace, and joy, and holy security, of all
the faithful subjects of the Lord Jesus were typified by this. The
kingdom of God is not, as Solomon's was, meat and drink, but, what is infinitely better, righteousness, and peace, and joy in
the Holy Ghost.
II. Such a court Solomon kept as can scarcely be paralleled. We may
guess at the vast number of his attendants, and the great resort there
was to him, by the provision that was made daily for his table. Of
bread there were so many measures of flour and meal as, it is computed,
would richly serve 3000 men (Carellus computes above 4800 men), and the
provision of flesh
( v. 23 )
was rather more in proportion. What vast quantities were here of beef,
mutton, and venison, and the choicest of all fatted things, as
some read that which we translate fatted fowl! Ahasuerus, once
in his reign, made a great feast, to show the riches of his
kingdom, Esth. i. 3, 4 .
But it was much more the honour of Solomon that he kept a constant
table and a very noble one, not of dainties or deceitful meats (he
himself witnessed against them, Prov. xxiii. 3 ),
but substantial food, for the entertainment of those who came to hear
his wisdom. Thus Christ fed those whom he taught, 5000 at a time, more
than ever Solomon's table would entertain at once: and all believers
have in him a continual feast. Herein he far outdoes Solomon, that he
feeds all his subjects, not with the bread that perishes, but with
that which endures to eternal life. It added much both to the
strength and glory of Solomon's kingdom that he had such abundance of
horses, 40,000 for chariots and 12,000 for his troops, 1000 horse,
perhaps, in every tribe, for the preserving of the public peace, v. 26 .
God had commanded that their king should not multiply horses
( Deut. xvii. 16 ),
nor, according to the account here given, considering the extent and
wealth of Solomon's kingdom, did he multiply horses in proportion to
his neighbours; for we find even the Philistines bringing into the
field 30,000 chariots
( 1 Sam. xiii. 5 )
and the Syrians at least 40,000 horse, 2 Sam. x. 18 .
The same officers that provided for his house provided also for his
stable, v. 27, 28 .
Every one knew his place, and work, and time; and so this great court
was kept without confusion. Solomon, that had vast incomes, lived at a
vast expense, and perhaps wrote that with application to himself, Eccl. v. 11 . When goods increase those are increased that eat them; and what good
is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their
eyes, unless withal they have the satisfaction of doing good with
them?
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.
Solomon's wisdom was more his glory than his wealth, and here we have a
general account of it.
I. The fountain of his wisdom: God gave it him, v. 29 .
He owns it himself. Prov. ii. 6 , The Lord giveth wisdom. He gives the powers of reason
( Job xxxviii. 36 ),
preserves and improves them. The ordinary advances of them are owing to
his providence, the sanctification of them to his grace, and this
extraordinary pitch at which they arrived in Solomon to a special grant
of his favour to him in answer to prayer.
II. The fulness of it: He had wisdom and understanding, exceeding
much, great knowledge of distant countries and the histories of
former times, a quickness of thought, strength of memory, and clearness
of judgment, such as never any man had. It is called largeness of
heart; for the heart is often put for the intellectual powers. He
had a vast compass of knowledge, could take things entire, and had an
admirable faculty of laying things together. Some, by his largeness
of heart, understand his courage and boldness, and that great
assurance with which he delivered his dictates and determinations. Or
it may be meant of his disposition to do good with his knowledge. He
was very free and communicative, had the gift of utterance as well as
wisdom, was as free of his learning as he was of his meat, and grudged
neither to any that were about him. Note, It is very desirable that
those who have large gifts of any kind should have large hearts to use
them for the good of others; and this is from the hand of God, Eccl. ii. 24 .
He shall enlarge the heart, Ps. cxix. 32 .
The greatness of Solomon's wisdom is illustrated by comparison. Chaldea
and Egypt were nations famous for learning; thence the Greeks borrowed
theirs; but the greatest scholars of these nations came short of
Solomon, v. 30 .
If nature excels art, much more does grace. The knowledge which God
gives by special favour goes beyond that which man gets by his own
labour. Some wise men there were in Solomon's time, who were in great
repute, particularly Heman, and others who were Levites, and employed
by David in the temple-music, 1 Chron. xv. 19 .
Heman was his seer in the word of God, 1 Chron. xxv. 5 .
Chalcol and Darda were own brothers, and they also were noted for
learning and wisdom. But Solomon excelled them all ( v. 30 ),
he out-did them and confounded them; his counsel was much more
valuable.
III. The fame of it. It was talked of in all nations round
about. His great wealth and glory made his wisdom much more
illustrious, and have him those opportunities of showing it which those
cannot have that live in poverty and obscurity. The jewel of wisdom may
receive great advantage by the setting of it.
IV. The fruits of it; by these the tree is known: he did not bury his
talent, but showed his wisdom,
1. In his compositions. Those in divinity, written by divine
inspiration, are not mentioned here, for they are extant, and will
remain to the world's end monuments of his wisdom, and are, as other
parts of scripture, of use to make us wise unto salvation. But,
besides these, it appears by what he spoke, or dictated to be written
from him,
(1.) That he was a moralist, and a man of great prudence, for he spoke
3000 proverbs, wise sayings, apophthegms, of admirable use for
the conduct of human life. The world is much governed by proverbs, and
was never better furnished with useful ones than by Solomon. Whether
those proverbs of Solomon that we have were any part of the 3000 is
uncertain.
(2.) That he was a poet and a man of great wit: His songs were 1005, of which one only is extant, because that only was divinely
inspired, which is therefore called his Song of songs. His wise
instructions were communicated by proverbs, that they might be familiar
to those whom he designed to teach and ready on all occasions, and by songs, that they might be pleasant and move the affections.
(3.) That he was a natural philosopher, and a man of great learning and
insight into the mysteries of nature. From his own and others'
observations and experience, he wrote both of plants and animals
( v. 33 ),
descriptions of their natures and qualities, and (some think) of the
medicinal use of them.
2. In his conversation. There came persons from all parts, who were
more inquisitive after knowledge than their neighbours, to hear the
wisdom of Solomon, v. 34 .
Kings that had heard of it sent their ambassadors to hear it and to
bring them instructions from it. Solomon's court was the staple of
learning, and the rendezvous of philosophers, that is, the lovers of
wisdom, who all came to light their candle at his lamp and to borrow
from him. Let those who magnify the modern learning above that of the
ancients produce such a treasure of knowledge any where in these latter
ages as that was which Solomon was master of; yet this puts an honour
upon human learning, that Solomon was praised for it, and recommends it
to the great men of the earth, as well worthy their diligent search.
But,
Lastly, Solomon was, herein, a type of Christ, in whom are
hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and hidden for
use; for he is made of God to us wisdom.
INTRODUCTION TO FIRST KINGS 4
As in the preceding chapter we have a proof of the wisdom and understanding which the Lord gave to Solomon, as promised, so in this an account is given of the riches and honour he was possessed of; of him, as king over all Israel, and of his princes, 1Ki 4:1; of the providers of food for his household in the several parts of the land, 1Ki 4:7; of the largeness and extent of his dominions, and of the peace and prosperity thereof, 1Ki 4:20; of his daily provisions for his household and for his cattle, 1Ki 4:22; and of his superior wisdom and knowledge to all others in all nations, which brought some out of all to hear it, 1Ki 4:29.
Ver. 1. So King Solomon was king over all Israel. As David his father was not at first, only over Judah, and as Solomon's successors were not, after the division of the kingdom under his son Rehoboam; though this seems to have a particular respect to what is related in the preceding chapter concerning the wisdom of Solomon, for which he was so famous, that he reigned by the consent of all, and in the hearts of all the people of Israel.
1 Kings 4:2
Ver. 2. And these [were] the princes which he had,.... That were in office about him, in the highest posts of honour and trust:
Azariah the son of Zadok the priest: or rather his grandson, since Ahimaaz was the son of Zadok, and Azariah the son of Ahimaaz, 1Ch 6:8; though another Zadok may be meant, and his son not a priest but a prince, as the word may be rendered, and was Solomon's prime minister of state, and the rather, since he is mentioned first.
1 Kings 4:3
Ver. 3. Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes,.... Their father Shisha, the same with Sheva, was scribe only in David's time; and he being dead very probably, both his sons were continued in the office as secretaries of state, Solomon having more business for such an office, see 2Sa 20:25;
Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder; who was in the same office in the times of David, and now held it under Solomon, 2Sa 8:16.
1 Kings 4:4
Ver. 4. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was] over the host,.... General of the army in the room of Joab, 1Ki 2:35;
and Zadok and Abiathar [were] the priests; so they were when Solomon came to the throne; but Abiathar was deposed by him after some time, though he might retain the name afterwards, and be employed, as Ben Gersom thinks, in case of necessity, in the room of Zadok, or, however, be employed as a common priest at Jerusalem, upon a reconciliation with Solomon; though Kimchi thinks another Abiathar is meant, which is not so likely.
1 Kings 4:5
Ver. 5. And Azariah the son of Nathan [was] over the officers,.... The twelve officers who provided food for Solomon's household after mentioned:
and Zabud the son of Nathan; another of the sons of Nathan the prophet: for he being a principal instrument of settling Solomon on the throne, had interest enough to promote his sons to the chief places of honour and trust: and this here
[was] principal officer, [and] the king's friend; a chief minister about him, very intimate with him, that kept him company, privately conversed with him, was in his secrets, and admitted to great privacy and nearness to him.
1 Kings 4:6
Ver. 6. And Abiathar [was] over the household,.... Steward of the household:
and Adoniram the son of Abda [was] over the tribute, over those that collected the tribute, as the Targum, whether from the people of Israel or other nations, or both; this man was in the same post in David's time, 2Sa 20:24.
1 Kings 4:7
Ver. 7. And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel,.... Not with respect to the twelve tribes of Israel, for it does not appear that they had each of them a tribe under them, but some particular places in a tribe; but with respect to the twelve months of the year, in which each took his turn:
which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision; furnished food of all sorts out of the country in which they presided for the space of one month in a year; by which means there was always a plenty of provisions at court for the king's family, and for all strangers that came and went, and no one part of the land was burdened or drained, nor the price of provisions raised; these seem to be the twelve "phylarchi", or governors of tribes, Eupolemus {r}, an Heathen writer, speaks of, before whom, and the high priest, David delivered the kingdom to Solomon; though in that he was mistaken, that they were in being then, since these were officers of Solomon's creating.
{r} Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 30.
1 Kings 4:8
Ver. 8. And these [are] their names,.... Or rather the names of their fathers; for of many of them not their own names but their fathers' names are given, as being well known:
the son of Hur, in Mount Ephraim; a fruitful country in the tribe of Ephraim, from whence this officer was to furnish the king with provisions for one month in the year.
1 Kings 4:9
Ver. 9. The son of Dekar in Makaz,.... A place in the tribe of Dan, on the borders of it:
and in Shaalbim, and Bethshemesh, and Elonbethhanan; all in the same tribe, see Jos 19:41.
1 Kings 4:10
Ver. 10. The son of Hesed in Aruboth,.... Which seems to have been in the tribe of Judah by the places that follow:
to him [pertained] Sochoh; there were two places of this name in that tribe, Jos 15:35;
and all the land of Hepher: there was an Hepher in the land of Canaan, which was a royal city in the times of the Canaanites, Jos 12:17; and there was an Hepher, the name of a man, a descendant of Judah, to whom, very probably, this land belonged, 1Ch 4:6; unless it can be thought to be the portion of land given to the daughters of Hepher, Jos 17:3.
1 Kings 4:11
Ver. 11. The son of Abinadab in all the region of Dor,.... The same with Dor and her towns, belonged to the half tribe of Manasseh, on this side Jordan, Jos 17:11;
which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife; not when he was first put into this office, when, in all probability, Solomon had not a daughter marriageable; but behaving well in it, in process of time he bestowed a daughter of his on him.
1 Kings 4:12
Ver. 12. Baana the son of Ahilud, [to him pertained] Taanach and Megiddo, and all Bethshean,.... All which were places in the tribe of Manasseh, Jos 17:11;
which [is] by Zartanah beneath Jezreel; so described, to distinguish it, as is thought, from Zaretan in Jos 3:16; and the country this officer presided over reached also
from Bethshean to Abelmeholah, [even] unto [the place that is] beyond Jokneam; the two first of these were in the tribe of Manasseh, and the last in the tribe of Zebulun, Jos 19:11.
1 Kings 4:13
Ver. 13. The son of Geber in Ramothgilead,.... A city in the tribe of Gad, and was a city of refuge, Jos 20:8;
to him [pertained] the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which [are] in Gilead; of which see Nu 32:41;
to him [also pertained] the region of Argob, which [is] in Bashan,
threescore great cities with walls, and brasen bars; called by Josephus {s} Ragaba, beyond Jordan; See Gill on "De 3:4".
{s} Antiqu. l. 13. c. 15. sect. 5.
1 Kings 4:14
Ver. 14. Ahinadab the son of Iddo [had] Mahanaim. Another city on the other side Jordan, where both Ishbosheth and David sometimes dwelt, 2Sa 2:8; this and the places adjacent must be very fruitful, since this officer was to furnish the king with provisions for a month once a year from hence,
1 Kings 4:15
Ver. 15. Ahimaaz [was] in Naphtali,.... Out of that tribe he made a monthly provision annually:
he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife; another daughter of Solomon's, in course of time; See Gill on "1Ki 4:11".
1 Kings 4:16
Ver. 16. Baanah the son of Hushai [was] in Asher,.... In the tribe of Asher; a very plentiful tribe, particularly for oil; this officer was perhaps the son of Hushai, the Archite, David's friend, and, it may be, promoted for his sake:
and in Aloth; which signifies ascensions, mountains went upon by steps; near to this place was an high mountain, called the ladder of Tyre {t}; perhaps that and the parts adjacent may be meant here.
{t} Vid. Joseph. de Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 10. sect. 2.
1 Kings 4:17
Ver. 17. Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah in Issachar. In the tribe of Issachar; he had the whole tribe at his command to make a monthly provision out of for the king once a year, as had the preceding officer and the following one.
1 Kings 4:18
Ver. 18. Shimei the son of Elah in Benjamin. So described, to distinguish him from that Shimei that cursed David, who was of the same tribe; See Gill on "2Sa 16:5".
1 Kings 4:19
Ver. 19. Geber the son of Uri [was] in the country of Gilead,.... Which was beyond Jordan, and inhabited by the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh; this must be understood of all the country, excepting what was under the jurisdiction of the son of Geber, 1Ki 4:13; and which had been
the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; until it was taken from them by Moses, Nu 21:25;
and [he was] the only officer which [was] in the land; which is not true of Geber; for there was another officer in the land of Gilead besides him, the son of Geber before observed, unless it should be rendered "in that land", in that part of the land he had; but then the same might have been observed of all the rest of the officers: the words may be rendered best, "and there was one officer in the land"; which some understand of one officer over all the rest, Azariah the son of Nathan, 1Ki 4:5; but it seems best what other Jewish writers say {u}, that this was another officer appointed for the intercalated month; when there were thirteen months in the year, there was an officer in the land fixed for that month to make provision out of the land; perhaps any where, where he pleased, being not limited to any certain place. These twelve providers for Solomon's family were emblems of the twelve apostles of Christ, appointed to provide food for his family, the church; and if you add to them the Apostle Paul, it will make thirteen, as this officer did.
{u} T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 12. 1.
1 Kings 4:20
Ver. 20. Judah and Israel [were] many, as the sand which [is] by the sea in multitude,.... Being blessed with great fruitfulness in their families, and having no pestilential disease among them, nor wars to lessen their number, and so the promise to Abraham was fulfilled, Ge 22:17; and which was an emblem of Christ's spiritual subjects, especially in the latter day, whom Solomon was a type of, see Ho 1:10;
eating, and drinking, and making merry; having a large increase of the fruits of the earth, and in no fear of any enemies; expressive of the spiritual joy of believers in the kingdom of Christ, and under the word and ordinances, So 2:3.
1 Kings 4:21
Ver. 21. And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms,.... Not only over Judah and Israel, but all people round about him, they standing in fear of him; or who brought him presents, or paid tribute to him, which was an acknowledgment of superiority over them, and doing homage to him:
from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt; that is, from the river Euphrates, as the Targum, which was the border of his proper domains to the east, to Palestine, inhabited by the Philistines, which lay to the west, and as far as the border of Egypt, which was the southern boundary; a like and larger extent of Christ's kingdom is given, Ps 72:8;
and they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life; this explains in what sense other kingdoms besides were ruled by Solomon, and subject to him; of Christ his antitype, see Ps 72:10.
1 Kings 4:22
Ver. 22. And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour,.... The measure here used was the "corus", or "cor", the same with the homer, which was equal to ten ephahs, and, according to Bishop Cumberland {w}, held seventy five wine gallons and five pints, and somewhat more; by which may be known how many gallons of fine flour these thirty measures held, which were all consumed in one day:
and threescore measures of meal: sixty measures of a coarser sort, for the servants, not so finely dressed; the same measure is here used as before; and it is observed by some, that one cor is equivalent to six hundred forty eight Roman pounds, and allowing to one man two pounds a day for his food, there would be food enough for 29,160 men out of 90 times 648, or 58,320 pounds {x}. Others exaggerate the account; Vilalpandus says it would have sufficed 48,600 persons; Seth Calvisius 54,000, and Salianus 70,000 {y}; the Jews say {z} that he had 60,000 that ate at his table; that is, who were maintained at his court.
{w} Scripture Weights and Measures, ch. 3. p. 86. {x} Vid. Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. p. 516. {y} Vid. Witsii Miscellan. tom. 2. exercit. 10. sect. 26. {z} Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 8. 2.
1 Kings 4:23
Ver. 23. Ten fat oxen,.... Such as were kept up in the stall and fatted:
and twenty oxen out of the pastures; which were killed as they were taken from thence, and not put up to be fed:
and an hundred sheep; out of the folds:
beside harts, and roebucks, and fallow deer; which were clean creatures, according to the Levitical law, De 14:5; these were hunted in fields, or taken out of the park, or were presents from other countries; so that here was plenty of beef, mutton, and venison: for the spiritual application of this to the antitypical Solomon, and his provisions, see Mt 22:4;
and fatted fowl; such as we call capons {a}; some Jewish writers {b}, because of the likeness of sound in the word here used, take them to be Barbary fowls, or such as were brought from that country: there is a sort of birds called barbaroi, which were without a voice, that neither heard men, nor knew their voice {c}.
{a} So David de Pomis, Tzemach David, fol. 12. 3. and some in Kimchi in loc. {b} Baal Aruch & R. Elias Levit. Tishbi, in voce rbrb. {c} Scholia in Aristoph. Aves, p. 550.
1 Kings 4:24
Ver. 24. For he had dominion over all [the region] on this side the river,.... Or beyond the river Euphrates, in the sense before given, 1Ki 4:21; which accounts for the plenty of provisions he had, and the revenue with which he supported such a table he kept:
from Tiphsah even to Azzah; or Gaza, one of the five principalities of the Philistines. Tiphsah is thought to be the Thapsacus of Pliny {d} which both he and Ptolemy {e} place near the river Euphrates, since called Amphipolis; the former places it in Syria, the latter in Arabia Deserta; and which Strabo {f}, from Eratosthenes, describes as 4800 furlongs or six hundred miles from Babylon, and from the place where Mesopotamia begins not less than two thousand furlongs or two hundred and fifty miles:
over all the kings on this side the river; the river Euphrates, or beyond it, in the sense before explained, as the kings of Syria, Arabia, &c.
and he had peace on all sides round about him; in which he was a type of Christ, the Prince of peace.
{d} Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 24. {e} Geograph. l. 5. c. 19. {f} Geograph. l. 16. p. 514.
1 Kings 4:25
Ver. 25. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely,.... Without fear of any injury done to their persons or properties by any enemy; which is, and will be, more abundantly fulfilled in Christ, the antitype of Solomon, Jer 23:5;
every man under his vine, and under his fig tree; which were principal trees in the land of Judea, put for all the rest; and the phrase denotes the happy, safe, quiet, full, and peaceable enjoyment of all outward blessings, and is used of the times of the Messiah, Mic 4:4;
from Dan even to Beersheba; which were the two extremities of the land of Israel, north and south:
all the days of Solomon; so long this peace and safety continued, there being no wars in his time.
1 Kings 4:26
Ver. 26. And Solomon had forty thousand stalls for horses,.... In 2Ch 9:25; it is only four thousand; and therefore some think that here is a mistake of the copier, of "arbaim", forty, for "arbah", four; which it is thought might be through divine permission, in such lesser matters, without any prejudice to the authority of the Scriptures in matters of faith and practice; but without supposing this, a reconciliation may be made, by observing, that here the writer, as Ben Gersom notes, gives the number of the horses that were in the stables, which were forty thousand, there the stables themselves, which were four thousand, ten horses in a stable; or here he numbers the stalls, which were forty thousand, and there the stables, which were four thousand, there being ten stalls in each; and the word there has the letter "yod" in it more than here, which is the numerical letter for "ten", and may point thereunto; or here the writer speaks of all the stalls for horses Solomon had throughout the kingdom, there of those only he had in Jerusalem. Benjamin of Tudela {g} affirms, that these stalls, or stables, which Solomon built very strong of large stones, are still in being in Jerusalem, and that there is no building to be seen like it any where; but no other writer speaks of them; nor is it at all probable that they should remain:
for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; some of the said stalls of horses were for his chariots, to draw in them for various uses, of which had 1400, 1Ki 10:26; and others to mount twelve thousand horsemen, who were placed in various parts, to defend kingdom.
{g} Itinerar. p. 43.
1 Kings 4:27
Ver. 27. And these officers provided victuals for King Solomon,.... The twelve before mentioned; and this is repeated here, after the account of his horses, to observe, that they provided for them also, as well as for the sake of what follows; that the large provision made by them was not only for Solomon's family and domestic servants, but for strangers from different arts, who came upon messages to him, or to visit him, and to behold the splendour of his court:
and for all that came to Solomon's table; which was an open table for all comers, as there were some from all parts of the earth, 1Ki 4:34;
every man in his month; each of the twelve officers provided food in the month assigned to him:
they lacked nothing; they always had enough to supply the king with, and they failed not in the performance of their duty, nor came short of their salaries, being fully and punctually paid them.
1 Kings 4:28
Ver. 28. Barley also, and straw for the horses and dromedaries,.... Or rather mules, by comparing the passage with 2Ch 9:24; the particular kind of creatures meant is not agreed on; though all take them to be a swifter sort of creatures than horses; or the swifter of horses, as race horses or posts horses: barley was for their provender, that being the common food of horses in those times and countries, and in others, as Bochart {h} has shown from various writers; and in the Misnah {i} it is called the food of beasts; and Solomon is said to have every day his own horses two hundred thousand Neapolitan measures of called "tomboli" {k}; so the Roman soldiers, the horse were allowed a certain quantity of barley for their horses every morning, and sometimes they had money instead of it, which they therefore called "hordiarium" {l} and the "straw" was for the litter of them: these
brought they unto the place; where the officers were; not where the king was, as the Vulgate Latin version; where Solomon was, as the Arabic version, that is, in Jerusalem; nor
where [the officers] were; in their respective jurisdictions, as our version supplies it, which would be bringing them to themselves; but to the place where the beasts were, whether in Jerusalem, or in any, other parts of the kingdom:
every man according to his charge: which he was monthly to perform.
{h} Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 2. c. 9. col. 158, 159. Vid. Homer. Iliad. 4. ver. 196. and Iliad. 8. ver. 560. {i} Sotah, c. 2. sect. 1. {k} Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 10. 2. {l} Vid. Valtrinum de re Militar. Roman. l. 3. c. 15. p. 236.
1 Kings 4:29
Ver. 29. And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much,.... In things natural, moral, divine, and spiritual, and that not slight and superficial, but exceeding deep, and large beyond expression; and this he had not from the acuteness of his genius merely, nor from his industry and diligence; but by the gift of God, as whatsoever solid wisdom and understanding is in any man, it is from the liberal hand of God, the fountain of wisdom, Jas 1:5;
and largeness of heart, even as sand that [is] on the seashore; he had a genius and capacity to receive anything; his knowledge was vast and comprehensive; it reached to and included things innumerable, as the sand of the sea; there was scarce anything under the heavens, or on the earth, and in the sea, but came within the compass of it, as what are later mentioned show.
1 Kings 4:30
Ver. 30. And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east,.... The Arabians, and Persians, famous for wisdom, and who lay to the east of the land of Judea; whose wisdom lay in the knowledge of the stars, in divination by birds, and soothsaying {m}:
and all the wisdom of Egypt; which it was eminent for in the times of Moses, and in which he was learned and well-skilled, Ac 7:22; and hence in later times the philosophers of the Gentiles travelled to get knowledge, as Pherecydes, Pythagoras, Anaxagoras, Plato, and others to Egypt, said to be the mother of arts and sciences {n}.
{m} Midrash Kohelet. fol. 76. 3. {n} Macrob. in Som. Scip. c. 19. 21. & Saturnal l. 1. c. 15.
1 Kings 4:31
Ver. 31. For he was wiser than all men,.... Not only that lived in his time, but in ages past since the fall of Adam, and in times to come, especially in natural wisdom and knowledge, in all the branches of it; for though some men excel in some part of knowledge, yet not in all, as Solomon did:
than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; men of the same names are said to be sons of Zerah, grandson of Judah, 1Ch 2:6; wherefore these are either other men, or their father had two names; or Mahol here may be an appellative, and describe the character of these then, and point at what they were famous for, as that they were sons of music, piping, and dancing, as Mahol may signify; the Jews have a tradition {o}, that Ethan is Abraham, and Heman Moses, and Chalcol Joseph:
and his fame was in all nations round about; not for his riches and grandeur only, but chiefly for his wisdom.
{o} Hieron. Trad. Heb. in 2 Reg. fol. 80. 1.
1 Kings 4:32
Ver. 32. And he spake three thousand proverbs,.... Wise sayings, short and pithy sentences, instructive in morality and civil life; these were not written as the book of Proverbs, but spoken only, and were taken from his lips, and spread by those that heard them for the use of others, but in process of time were lost; whereas the above book, being written under divine inspiration, is preserved: and
his songs were a thousand and five; some things that were useful to improve the minds and morals of men he delivered in verse, to make them more pleasant and agreeable, that they might be the more easily received and retained in memory; but of all his songs, the most: excellent is the book of Canticles, called "the Song of Songs", being divine and spiritual, and dictated by the inspiration of the Spirit of God: he was both a moral philosopher and poet, as well as a botanist and naturalist, and well-skilled in medicine, as the following words suggest, 1Ki 4:33.
1 Kings 4:33
Ver. 33. And he spake of trees,.... Of all trees, herbs, and plants, of the nature, virtues, and use them:
from the cedar tree that [is] in Lebanon: a mountain on the northern border of Judea, famous for cedars, the tallest and largest of trees:
even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall; which grew about Jerusalem, and in the mountains of it, as an Arabic writes testifies {p}, the lowest and least herb; so that what is between the cedar and hyssop include trees and plants of every kind and sort: whether the same herb we call hyssop is meant, is not certain; some take it to be mint; others marjoram; some houseleek; others the wallflower; Levinus Lemnius {q} supposes it to be Adiantum, or maiden hair: the Targum interprets it allegorically, that he prophesied of the kings of the house of David in this world, and in the world to come of the Messiah:
he spake also of beasts, and of fowls, and of creeping things, and of fishes; he understood the nature of all sorts of animals in the earth, air, and sea, and discoursed of their names, kinds, qualities, and use, with the greatest ease and perspicuity; the Jews fancy that Aristotle's History of Animals is his, which that philosopher came upon, and published it in his own name. Suidas {r} says it was reported that Solomon wrote a book of medicines for all diseases, which was fixed to the entrance of the temple, which Hezekiah took away, because sick people applied to that for cure of their disorders, and neglected to pray to God.
{p} Isaac Ben Omram apud Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 2. c. 50. col. 590. {q} Herb. Bibl. Explicat. c. 26. {r} In voce ezekiav.
1 Kings 4:34
Ver. 34. And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
from all kings of the earth,.... Who sent their ambassadors to his court to know the truth of what was reported, and bring them some proofs and specimens, by which they might judge of the truth of the relations that had been told them; which perhaps might seem to them to be beyond all belief:
which had heard of his wisdom; for the fame of it was spread everywhere by merchants and travellers, and such sort of persons, who had been at Jerusalem, and were masters of various anecdotes relating to Solomon; which they industriously spread in the several parts of the world they had dealings in.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.
In the choice of the great officers of Solomon's court,
no doubt, his wisdom appeared. Several are the same that were in
his father's time. A plan was settled by which no part of the country
was exhausted to supply his court, though each sent _ its
portion.
In the choice of the great officers of Solomon's court,
no doubt, his wisdom appeared.
A plan was settled by which no part of the country
was exhausted to supply his court, though each sent _ its
portion.
Sources: Matthew Henry; Gill's Exposition; Matthew Henry Concise
Commentary
Commentary