1 And king Solomon was king over all Israel. 2 And these were the princes whom he had: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest; 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, 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 priests; 5 and Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; and Zabud the son of Nathan was chief minister, [and] the king’s friend; 6 and Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the men subject to taskwork. 7 And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided victuals for the king and his household: each man had to make provision for a month in the year. 8 And these are their names: Ben-hur, in the hill-country of Ephraim; 9 Ben-deker, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan; 10 Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (to him [pertained] Socoh, and all the land of Hepher); 11 Ben-abinadab, in all the height of Dor (he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife); 12 Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean which is beside Zarethan, beneath Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, as far as beyond Jokmeam; 13 Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (to him [pertained] the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; [even] to him [pertained] the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brazen bars); 14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; 15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon to wife); 16 Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; 17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18 Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin; 19 Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan; and [he was] the only officer that 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 ruled over all the kingdoms from the River unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought tribute, 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 a hundred sheep, besides harts, and gazelles, and roebucks, and fatted fowl. 24 For he had dominion over all [the region] on this side the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, 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 victuals for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon’s table, every man in his month; they let nothing be lacking. 28 Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds 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, and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all the 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 that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall; he spake also of beasts, and of birds, and of creeping things, and of fishes. 34 And there came of all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.
1 Kings · American Standard Version (1901)
1 Kings 4 American Standard Version (1901)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Abda
Named as the father of Adoniram, who was in charge of the forced labor.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:6
Adoniram
Son of Abda, in charge of the forced labor, who oversaw the monthly shifts of 30,000 sent to Lebanon.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:6; 1 Kings 5:14
Ahijah
One of the two sons of Shisha listed among Solomon's chief officials as a secretary.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:3
Ahilud
Named as the father of Jehoshaphat, David's recorder.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 8:16; 2 Samuel 20:24; 1 Kings 4:3
Ahimaaz
One of Solomon's twelve governors, over Naphtali, who married Basemath, a daughter of Solomon.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:15
Ahinadab
Son of Iddo, one of Solomon's twelve governors, over Mahanaim.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:14
Ahishar
Listed among Solomon's chief officials as being in charge of the palace.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:6
Azariah
Son of Nathan (the text does not say which Nathan), in charge of the governors.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:5
Azariah
Son of Zadok, listed first among Solomon's chief officials as the priest.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:2
Baana
Son of Ahilud, one of Solomon's twelve governors, over Taanach, Megiddo and Beth-shean.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:12
Baana
Son of Hushai, one of Solomon's twelve governors, over Asher and Aloth.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:16
Basemath
A daughter of Solomon, wife of the governor Ahimaaz.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:15
Ben-abinadab
One of Solomon's twelve governors, over Naphath-dor, who was married to Taphath, a daughter of Solomon.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:11
Ben-deker
One of Solomon's twelve governors, over Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh and Elon-beth-hanan.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:9
Ben-geber
One of Solomon's twelve governors, over Ramoth-gilead, the villages of Jair, and the region of Argob in Bashan.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:13
Ben-hesed
One of Solomon's twelve governors, over Arubboth, including Socoh and the land of Hepher.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:10
Ben-hur
One of Solomon's twelve governors, over the hill country of Ephraim.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:8
Calcol
One of the sons of Mahol, a wise man whom Solomon's wisdom surpassed.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:31
Darda
One of the sons of Mahol, a wise man whom Solomon's wisdom surpassed.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:31
Ela
Named as the father of Shimei, Solomon's governor in Benjamin.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:18
Elihoreph
One of the two sons of Shisha listed among Solomon's chief officials as a secretary.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:3
Ethan the Ezrahite
A wise man whom Solomon's wisdom surpassed.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:31; Psalm 89:1
Geber
Son of Uri, one of Solomon's governors, over the land of Gilead including the territories of Sihon and Og.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:19
Heman
One of the sons of Mahol, a wise man whom Solomon's wisdom surpassed.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:31
Hushai
Named as the father of Baana, Solomon's governor in Asher.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:16
Iddo
Named as the father of Ahinadab, Solomon's governor at Mahanaim.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:14
Jehoshaphat
Son of Ahilud, listed as the recorder in David's administration.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 8:16; 2 Samuel 20:24; 1 Kings 4:3
Jehoshaphat
Son of Paruah, one of Solomon's twelve governors, over Issachar.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:17
Mahol
Named as the father of the wise men Heman, Calcol and Darda.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:31
Paruah
Named as the father of Jehoshaphat, Solomon's governor in Issachar.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:17
Shimei
Son of Ela, one of Solomon's twelve governors, over Benjamin.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:18
Shisha
Named as the father of Elihoreph and Ahijah, Solomon's secretaries.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:3
Sihon
King of the Amorites, whose former territory lay within the district of Solomon's governor in Gilead.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:19
Solomon
David's son who built the temple and became famous for God-given wisdom.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 1-11; 1 Chron. 3:5; Matt. 1:6-7
Taphath
A daughter of Solomon, wife of the governor Ben-abinadab.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:11
Uri
Named as the father of Geber, Solomon's governor in Gilead.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:19
Zabud
Son of Nathan (the text does not say which Nathan), called a priest and adviser to the king.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 4:5
Cross references (31)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Chronicles 9:30; 1 Kings 12:19–20; 1 Chronicles 12:38; Ecclesiastes 1:12; 1 Kings 11:35–36
- 2 1 Corinthians 12:28; Exodus 18:21; 2 Samuel 20:23–26; 2 Samuel 8:15–18; 1 Chronicles 6:8–10
- 3 2 Samuel 8:16; Isaiah 62:6; 1 Chronicles 18:15; 1 Chronicles 18:6; 2 Samuel 20:24–25
- 4 1 Kings 2:35; 1 Kings 2:26–27
- 5 2 Samuel 15:37; 1 Chronicles 27:33; 2 Samuel 16:16; John 15:14–15; 2 Samuel 12:25
- 6 2 Samuel 20:24; 1 Kings 12:18; 1 Kings 9:15; 1 Kings 5:13–14
- 7 1 Chronicles 27:1–15
- 8 Joshua 24:33; Judges 19:1; Judges 17:1
- 9 Joshua 19:42; 1 Samuel 6:12; Judges 1:35; Joshua 21:16; 1 Samuel 6:20
- 10 Joshua 12:17; Joshua 15:35; Joshua 17:2
- 11 Joshua 11:2; Joshua 17:11; Joshua 12:23; Judges 1:27
- 12 Joshua 17:11; Joshua 3:16; 1 Kings 19:16; Judges 5:19; 1 Kings 7:46
- 13 Deuteronomy 3:4; Numbers 32:41; 1 Kings 22:3; 2 Kings 9:14; Deuteronomy 4:43
- 14 Genesis 32:2; 2 Samuel 2:8; Joshua 13:26; 2 Samuel 17:24; 2 Samuel 17:27
- 15 1 Samuel 18:18; Joshua 19:32–39; 2 Samuel 15:27; 1 Kings 4:11
- 16 Joshua 19:24–31; 2 Samuel 15:32
- 17 Joshua 19:17–23
- 18 1 Kings 1:8; Zechariah 12:13; Joshua 18:20–28
- 19 Deuteronomy 2:26–3:17; Joshua 13:9–12; Numbers 21:21–35
- 20 1 Kings 3:8; Genesis 22:17; Genesis 32:12; 1 Chronicles 12:39; Genesis 15:5
- 21 Genesis 15:18; Joshua 1:4; Psalm 68:29; 2 Chronicles 9:26–31; 1 Kings 4:24
- 23 Nehemiah 5:17–18
- 24 1 Chronicles 22:9; Psalm 72:11; Genesis 10:19; 1 Kings 5:4; Isaiah 9:7
- 25 Micah 4:4; Zechariah 3:10; Jeremiah 33:15–16; Jeremiah 23:5–6; 2 Kings 18:31
- 26 2 Chronicles 1:14; 2 Chronicles 9:25; 2 Samuel 8:4; Psalm 20:7; 1 Kings 10:25–26
- 28 Esther 8:10; Esther 8:14; Micah 1:13
- 29 1 Kings 3:12; James 3:17; James 1:5; 1 Kings 4:20; Ecclesiastes 2:26
- 30 Daniel 5:11–12; Genesis 25:6; Acts 7:22; Daniel 1:20; Job 1:3
- 31 1 Chronicles 15:19; 1 Chronicles 2:6; 1 Kings 3:12; 1 Chronicles 6:33; Psalm 89:1–52
- 33 2 Kings 19:23; Psalm 51:7; Psalm 92:12; Numbers 19:18; Numbers 24:6
- 34 2 Chronicles 9:23; 1 Kings 10:1; 2 Chronicles 9:1; Isaiah 2:2; Zechariah 8:23
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… cannot contain, really dwell with men upon the earth?" And he pleased God, and was the admiration of all; and all kings of the earth sought an interview with him (quærebant faciem ejus) that they might hear the wisdom which God had conferred upon him. The queen of the south, too, came to him from the ends of the earth, …