1 So King Solomon ruled over Israel, 2 and these were his chief officials: Azariah son of Zadok was the priest; 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, were secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder; 4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was in charge of the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 5 Azariah son of Nathan was in charge of the governors; Zabud son of Nathan was a priest and adviser to the king; 6 Ahishar was in charge of the palace; and Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of the forced labor. 7 Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel to provide food for the king and his household. Each one would arrange provisions for one month of the year, 8 and these were their names: Ben-hur in the hill country of Ephraim; 9 Ben-deker in Makaz, in Shaalbim, in Beth-shemesh, and in Elon-beth-hanan; 10 Ben-hesed in Arubboth (Socoh and all the land of Hepher belonged to him); 11 Ben-abinadab in Naphath-dor (Taphath, a daughter of Solomon, was his wife); 12 Baana son of Ahilud in Taanach, in Megiddo, and in all of Beth-shean next to Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah and on past Jokmeam; 13 Ben-geber in Ramoth-gilead (the villages of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead belonged to him, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan with its sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars); 14 Ahinadab son of Iddo in Mahanaim; 15 Ahimaaz in Naphtali (he had married Basemath, a daughter of Solomon); 16 Baana son of Hushai in Asher and in Aloth; 17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah in Issachar; 18 Shimei son of Ela in Benjamin; 19 Geber son of Uri in the land of Gilead, including the territories of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan. There was also one governor in the land of Judah. 20 The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore, and they were eating and drinking and rejoicing. 21 And Solomon reigned over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These kingdoms offered tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life. 22 Solomon’s provisions for a single day were thirty cors of fine flour, sixty cors of meal, 23 ten fat oxen, twenty range oxen, and a hundred sheep, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened poultry. 24 For Solomon had dominion over everything west of the Euphrates—over all the kingdoms from Tiphsah to Gaza—and he had peace on all sides. 25 Throughout the days of Solomon, Judah and Israel dwelt securely from Dan to Beersheba, each man under his own vine and his own fig tree. 26 Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses. 27 Each month the governors in turn provided food for King Solomon and all who came to his table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking. 28 Each one also brought to the required place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and other horses. 29 And God gave Solomon wisdom, exceedingly deep insight, and understanding beyond measure, like the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than that of all the men of the East, greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than all men—wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and wiser than Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread throughout the surrounding nations. 32 Solomon composed three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered a thousand and five. 33 He spoke of trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop growing in the wall, and he taught about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish. 34 So men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.
1 Kings · Majority Standard Bible
1 Kings 4 Majority Standard Bible
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, …