1 Kings 4

The Twelve Officers of Israel 1 Kings 4:8–19

⁸Verse 8. These are their names: Ben Hur, in the hill country of Ephraim; ⁹Verse 9. Ben Deker, in Makaz, in Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan; ¹⁰Verse 10. Ben Hesed, in Arubboth (Socoh and all the land of Hepher belonged to him); ¹¹Verse 11. Ben Abinadab, in all the height of Dor (he had Taphath, Solomon’s daughter, as wife); ¹²Verse 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; ¹³Verse 13. Ben Geber, in Ramoth Gilead (the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead, belonged to him; and the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars, belonged to him);

¹⁴Verse 14. Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; ¹⁵Verse 15. Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon as wife); ¹⁶Verse 16. Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; ¹⁷Verse 17. Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; ¹⁸Verse 18. Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin; ¹⁹Verse 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 who was in the land.

Peace and Prosperity Under Solomon 1 Kings 4:20–25

²⁰Verse 20. Judah and Israel were numerous as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry. ²¹Verse 21. Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life. ²²Verse 22. Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty cors of fine flour, sixty measures of meal, ²³Verse 23. ten head of fat cattle, twenty head of cattle out of the pastures, and one hundred sheep, besides deer, and gazelles, and roebucks, and fattened fowl. ²⁴Verse 24. For he had dominion over all 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 around him.

²⁵Verse 25. Judah and Israel lived safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.

Provision for Solomon's Household 1 Kings 4:26–28

²⁶Verse 26. Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. ²⁷Verse 27. Those officers provided food for king Solomon, and for all who came to king Solomon’s table, every man in his month. They let nothing be lacking. ²⁸Verse 28. They also brought Barley and straw for the horses and swift steeds to the place where the officers were, each man according to his duty.

Solomon's Wisdom and Fame 1 Kings 4:29–34

²⁹Verse 29. God gave Solomon abundant wisdom and understanding, and very great understanding, even as the sand that is on the seashore. ³⁰Verse 30. Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. ³¹Verse 31. For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all the nations all around. ³²Verse 32. He spoke three thousand proverbs; and his songs numbered one thousand five. ³³Verse 33. He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that grows out of the wall; he also spoke of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish.

³⁴Verse 34. People of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, sent by all kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.