Old Testament · History

1 Kings chapter 4

King Solomon over all of Israel.These were his top : Azariah son of Zadok was the ;Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha, were the ; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the ;Benaiah son of Jehoiada was ; Zadok and Abiathar were priests;Azariah son of Nathan was over the ; Zabud son of Nathan was a priest and the king’s ;Ahishar ; and Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of the .Solomon had twelve over all Israel who supplied provisions for the king and the royal household. Each one was responsible for providing supplies for one month of the year.These were their names: Ben-Hur, in the ;Ben-Deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-Shemesh, and Elon-Beth-Hanan;Ben-Hesed, in Arubboth (Socoh and the entire land of Hepher were under him);Ben-Abinadab, in all of (he was married to Taphath, Solomon’s daughter);Baana son of Ahilud, in Taanach, , and all of Beth-Shean — which is next to Zarethan below Jezreel — from Beth-Shean to Abel-Meholah and on past Jokmeam;Ben-Geber, in Ramoth-Gilead (the villages of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead were under him, as well as the region of Argob in — sixty large towns with walls and bronze gate-bars);Ahinadab son of Iddo, in ;Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he too had married a daughter of Solomon — Basemath);Baana son of Hushai, in Asher and in Aloth;Jehoshaphat son of Paruah, in Issachar;Shimei son of Ela, in Benjamin;Geber son of Uri, in the land of — the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan. He was the only governor over that entire region.The people of Judah and Israel were . They ate, they drank, and they .Solomon from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, all the way down to the border of Egypt. They brought and served Solomon for his entire life.Solomon’s daily provisions were: thirty of fine flour, sixty cors of meal,ten , twenty pasture-fed cattle, and a hundred sheep — not counting deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened poultry.He controlled everything west of the Euphrates — from Tiphsah all the way to Gaza, over all the kings west of the Euphrates — and he had around him.Judah and Israel lived in safety, everyone , , for the whole time Solomon was alive.Solomon had for his chariot horses, and twelve thousand horsemen.The district governors each supplied provisions for King Solomon and everyone who came to his table, each during their assigned month. They made sure nothing was lacking.They also brought barley and straw for the chariot horses and workhorses to the designated places — each governor providing their share.God gave Solomon and beyond measure, and a breadth of mind .Solomon’s wisdom surpassed all the wisdom of the and all the .He was wiser than anyone — wiser than , and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. His fame spread to all the surrounding nations.He composed three thousand , and his songs numbered one thousand and five.He spoke about plant life — from the down to the that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish.People came from to hear Solomon’s wisdom — sent by all the who had heard of it.