1 Kings 4

Solomon's Officials

1 So King Solomon was king over all Israel. 2 And these were his officials: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest; 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, 1 scribes; a Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder; 4 b Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, over the army; Zadok and c Abiathar, the priests; 5 Azariah the son of Nathan, over d the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan, e a priest and f the king's friend; 6 Ahishar, over the household; and g Adoniram the son of Abda, over the labor force.

7 And Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household; each one made provision for one month of the year. 8 These are their names: 2 Ben-Hur, in the mountains of Ephraim; 9 3 BenDeker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan; 10 4 BenHesed, in Arubboth; to him belonged Sochoh and all the land of Hepher; 11 5 BenAbinadab, in all the regions of Dor; he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as wife; 12 Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth Shean, which is beside Zaretan below Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah, as far as the other side of Jokneam; 13 6 BenGeber, in Ramoth Gilead; to him belonged h the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, in Gilead; to him also belonged i the region of Argob in Bashan - sixty large cities with walls and bronze gate-bars; 14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; 15 j Ahimaaz, in Naphtali; he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon as wife; 16 Baanah the son of k Hushai, in Asher and Aloth; 17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18 l Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin; 19 Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, in m the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan. He was the only governor who was in the land.

Solomon's Wealth and Wisdom

20 Judah and Israel were as numerous n as the sand by the sea in multitude, o eating and drinking and rejoicing. 21 So p Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from q the 7 River 8 to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. r They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.

22 s Now Solomon's 9 provision for one day was thirty 10 kors of fine flour, sixty kors of meal, 23 ten fatted oxen, twenty oxen from the pastures, and one hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowl. 24 For he had dominion over all the region on this side of 11 the River 12 from Tiphsah even to Gaza, namely over t all the kings on this side of the River; and u he had peace on every side all around him. 25 And Judah and Israel v dwelt 13 safely, w each man under his vine and his fig tree, x from Dan as far as Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. 26 y Solomon had 14 forty thousand stalls of z horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. 27 And a these governors, each man in his month, provided food for King Solomon and for all who came to King Solomon's table. There was no lack in their supply. 28 They also brought barley and straw to the proper place, for the horses and steeds, each man according to his charge.

29 And b God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. 30 Thus Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men c of the East and all d the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was e wiser than all men - f than Ethan the Ezrahite, g and Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. 32 h He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his i songs were one thousand and five. 33 Also he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. 34 And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, j came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.

  1. Cross References
    2 Samuel 8:16
    Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder.
    2 Samuel 20:24
    Adoram was in charge of revenue; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder.
  2. Cross References
    1 Kings 2:35
    The king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his place over the army, and the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar.
  3. Cross References
    1 Kings 2:27
    So Solomon removed Abiathar from being priest to the LORD, that he might fulfill the word of the LORD which He spoke concerning the house of Eli at Shiloh.
  4. Cross References
    1 Kings 4:7
    And Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household; each one made provision for one month of the year.
  5. Cross References
    2 Samuel 8:18
    Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief ministers.
    2 Samuel 20:26
    And Ira the Jairite was a chief minister under David.
  6. Cross References
    2 Samuel 15:37
    So Hushai, David's friend, went into the city. And Absalom came into Jerusalem.
    2 Samuel 16:16
    And so it was, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, " Long live the king! Long live the king!
    1 Chronicles 27:33
    Ahithophel was the king's counselor, and Hushai the Archite was the king's companion.
  7. Cross References
    1 Kings 5:14
    And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month in shifts: they were one month in Lebanon and two months at home; Adoniram was in charge of the labor force.
  8. Cross References
    Numbers 32:41
    Also Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its small towns, and called them Havoth Jair.
    1 Chronicles 2:22
    Segub begot Jair, who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead.
  9. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 3:4
    And we took all his cities at that time; there was not a city which we did not take from them: sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.
  10. Cross References
    2 Samuel 15:27
    The king also said to Zadok the priest, " Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.
  11. Cross References
    2 Samuel 15:32
    Now it happened when David had come to the top of the mountain, where he worshiped God - there was Hushai the Archite coming to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head.
    1 Chronicles 27:33
    Ahithophel was the king's counselor, and Hushai the Archite was the king's companion.
  12. Cross References
    1 Kings 1:8
    But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David were not with Adonijah.
  13. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 3:8 - 10
    And at that time we took the land from the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were on this side of the Jordan, from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon
  14. Cross References
    Genesis 22:17
    Blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.
    Genesis 32:12
    "For You said, 'I will surely treat you well, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude."'
    1 Kings 3:8
    And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted.
    Proverbs 14:28
    In a multitude of people is a king's honor, But in the lack of people is the downfall of a prince.
  15. Cross References
    Psalms 72:3
    The mountains will bring peace to the people, And the little hills, by righteousness.
    Psalms 72:7
    In His days the righteous shall flourish, And abundance of peace, Until the moon is no more.
    Micah 4:4
    But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, And no one shall make them afraid; For the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.
  16. Cross References
    Exodus 34:24
    For I will cast out the nations before you and enlarge your borders; neither will any man covet your land when you go up to appear before the LORD your God three times in the year.
    2 Chronicles 9:26
    So he reigned over all the kings from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.
    Psalms 72:8
    He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.
  17. Cross References
    Genesis 15:18
    On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates -
    Joshua 1:4
    From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.
  18. Cross References
    Psalms 68:29
    Because of Your temple at Jerusalem, Kings will bring presents to You.
  19. Cross References
    Nehemiah 5:18
    Now that which was prepared daily was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine. Yet in spite of this I did not demand the governor's provisions, because the bondage was heavy on this people.
  20. Cross References
    Psalms 72:11
    Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; All nations shall serve Him.
  21. Cross References
    1 Kings 5:4
    But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor evil occurrence.
    1 Chronicles 22:9
    Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around. His name shall be Solomon, for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days.
  22. Cross References
    Jeremiah 23:6
    In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
  23. Cross References
    Micah 4:4
    But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, And no one shall make them afraid; For the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.
    Zechariah 3:10
    In that day,' says the LORD of hosts, 'Everyone will invite his neighbor Under his vine and under his fig tree.'
  24. Cross References
    Judges 20:1
    So all the children of Israel came out, from Dan to Beersheba, as well as from the land of Gilead, and the congregation gathered together as one man before the LORD at Mizpah.
  25. Cross References
    1 Kings 10:26
    And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.
    2 Chronicles 1:14
    And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.
  26. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 17:16
    "But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, 'You shall not return that way again.'
  27. Cross References
    1 Kings 4:7
    And Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household; each one made provision for one month of the year.
  28. Cross References
    1 Kings 3:12
    Behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.
  29. Cross References
    Genesis 25:6
    But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the east.
  30. Cross References
    Isaiah 19:11
    Surely the princes of Zoan are fools; Pharaoh's wise counselors give foolish counsel. How do you say to Pharaoh, "I am the son of the wise, The son of ancient kings?
    Isaiah 19:12
    Where are they? Where are your wise men? Let them tell you now, And let them know what the LORD of hosts has purposed against Egypt.
    Acts 7:22
    And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.
  31. Cross References
    1 Kings 3:12
    Behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.
  32. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 15:19
    The singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to sound the cymbals of bronze.
    Psalms 89:1
    I WILL sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.
  33. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 2:6
    The sons of Zerah were Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara - five of them in all.
    Psalms 88:1
    O LORD, God of my salvation, I have cried out day and night before You.
  34. Cross References
    Proverbs 1:1
    The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
    Proverbs 10:1
    The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son makes a glad father, But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.
    Proverbs 25:1
    These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied:
    Ecclesiastes 12:9
    And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and set in order many proverbs.
  35. Cross References
    Song of Solomon 1:1
    The song of songs, which is Solomon's.
  36. Cross References
    1 Kings 10:1
    Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions.
    2 Chronicles 9:1
    Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions, having a very great retinue, camels that bore spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart.
    2 Chronicles 9:23
    And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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