1 Now king Solomon was reigning over all of Israel. 2 And these were the leaders that he had: Azariah, the son of Zadok, the priest; 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, the scribes; Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, the keeper of records; 4 Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, over the army; and Zadok, and Abiathar, priests; 5 Azariah, the son of Nathan, over those who were assisting the king; Zabud, the son of Nathan, the priest, the friend of the king; 6 and Ahishar, first ruler of the house; and Adoniram, the son of Abda, over the tribute. 7 And Solomon had twelve commanders over all of Israel, who offered yearly provisions for the king and his house. For each was ministering the necessities, by each month of the year. 8 And these are their names: Benhur, on mount Ephraim; 9 Bendeker, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and in Beth-shemesh, and in Elon, and in Beth-hanan; 10 Benhesed, in Arubboth: his was Socoh and the entire land of Hepher; 11 Benabinadab, to whom was all of Naphath-Dor, who had Taphath, the daughter of Solomon, as wife; 12 Baana, the son of Ahilud, who was reigning in Taanach, and Megiddo, and all of Bethshean, which is beside Zarethan and below Jezreel, from Bethshean as far as Abelmeholah, opposite Jokmeam; 13 Bengeber, in Ramoth Gilead, who had the town of Jair, the son of Manasseh, in Gilead; the same was first in the entire region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls that had bronze bars; 14 Ahinadab, the son of Iddo, who was first in Mahanaim; 15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali, and he also had Basemath, the daughter of Solomon, in marriage; 16 Baana, the son of Hushai, in Asher and in 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, in the land of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and of Og, king of Bashan, over all who were in that land. 20 Judah and Israel were innumerable, like the sand of the sea in multitude: eating and drinking, and rejoicing. 21 Now Solomon had, in his dominion, all the kingdoms, from the river to the land of the Philistines, even to the border of Egypt. And they offered gifts to him, and they served him all the days of his life. 22 And the provisions of Solomon, for each day, were thirty cor of fine wheat flour, and sixty cor of meal, 23 ten fattened oxen, and twenty oxen from the pastures, and one hundred rams, aside from the venison of stags, roe deer, and gazelles, and fattened poultry. 24 For he had obtained the entire region which was beyond the river, from Tiphsah as far as Gaza, and all the kings of those regions. And he had peace on every side all around. 25 And so, Judah and Israel were living without any fear, each one under his own vine and under his own fig tree, from Dan as far as Beersheba, during all the days of Solomon. 26 And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of chariot horses, and twelve thousand riding horses. 27 And the above-stated commanders of the king nourished these. And they also offered the necessities for the table of king Solomon, with immense diligence, each in his time. 28 Also, they brought barley and straw for the horses and beasts of burden, to the place where the king was, just as it was appointed to them. 29 And God gave wisdom to Solomon, and an exceedingly great prudence, and a spacious heart, like the sand which is on the shore of the sea. 30 And the wisdom of Solomon surpassed the wisdom of all the East, and of the Egyptians. 31 And he was wiser than all men: wiser than Ethan, the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And he was renowned in all the nations on every side. 32 Solomon also spoke three thousand parables. And his verses were one thousand and five. 33 And he discoursed about trees, from the cedar which is in Lebanon, to the hyssop which grows out from the wall. And he explained about beasts, and birds, and reptiles, and fish. 34 And they came from all the peoples in order to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who were hearing about his wisdom.
1 Kings · Catholic Public Domain Version
1 Kings 4 Catholic Public Domain Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
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
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, …