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:
Nathan. Probably David's son. Compare Luke 3:31 .
principle officer = priest. See Hebrew (2 Samuel 8:18 ). the king's friend, as Hushai had been David's (2 Samuel 15:37 ).
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.
twelve officers. Compare David's twelve captains (lChron. 1Ki 27:2-15 ).
8.
And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim:
mount = hill country.
9.
The son of Dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan:
Elon-beth-hanan. Some codices, with three early printed editions, read "Elon-ben-hanan". Other codices read "Elon and Beth-han. an". Septuagint reads "Elon as far as 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:
Dor. Compare Joshua 11:2 ; Joshua 12:23 ; Joshua 17:11 .
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:
Abel-meholah. The country of Elisha (1 Kings 19:16 , 1 Kings 19:21 ). Compare Judges 7:22 .
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:
Ramoth-gilead. In the tribe of Gad. Famous for Ahab's last battle (1 Kings 22:20 ). Compare Joshua 20:8 . Judges 11:29 .
region. A sharply defined border, defining the rocky rampart encircling the "Lejah" as it is called to-day.
Argob = Edrei, one of "the giant cities of Bashan". See App-23 and App-25 .
14.
Ahinadab the son of Iddo had Mahanaim:
Mahanaim. Compare Genesis 32:2 .Joshua 13:26 .
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:
Hushai. See note on 1 Kings 4:5 ,
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.
he = Geber.
officer. Not the same word as in 1 Kings 4:7 .
in the land = in the land [of Bashan].
20.
Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.
as the sand. Figure of speech Paroemia . App-6 . Compare Genesis 13:16 .
sea. Some codices, with Syriac, read "sea shore".
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.
the river = the Euphrates. Compare Genesis 15:18 , &c.
unto = even unto. Compare 2 Chronicles 9:26 .
brought presents. Compare Psalms 72:10 , Psalms 72:11 .
22.
And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,
provision. Hebrew bread, put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of the Species) for all kinds of food. App-6 .
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.
on this side , or beyond.
safely = confidently,
Dan even to Beer-sheba. The two extremities. Compare Judges 20:1 and 1 Samuel 3:20 , &c.
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.
forty thousand. In 2 Chronicles 9:25 it Isaiah 4 , which is much more likely to be correct. The 12,000 are the same in both places. The ancient Hebrew characters were Phoenician, and may be seen on the Moabite Stone. These were in current use till about 140 B. C, and were gradually replaced by the modern Hebrew "square" characters. Mistakes in copying occurred through the similarity of certain letters. See notes on 2 Samuel 24:10 . Jeremiah 3:8 . Ezekiel 6:4 ; Ezekiel 22:20 .
horses. A breach of Deuteronomy 17:16 . It began by breeding mules (1 Kings 1:33 , 1 Kings 1:38 , 1 Kings 1:44 ), which was a breach of Leviticus 19:19 ).
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.
exceeding great = very great.
30.
And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
children = sons.
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.
all men = any man.
men. Hebrew. 'adam, with Art. ( App-14 ) = any human being.
Ethan. The same four names occur among the sons of Zerah the son of Judah (1 Chronicles 2:6 ), except Dara for Darda; but compare 1 Chronicles 6:44 and 1 Chronicles 6:33 .
fame = name.
32.
And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.
proverbs. Some included in the book of that name. songs. Compare Psalms 72 and Psalms 127 .
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.
people = peoples. Compare 1 Kings 10 .