1 Kings 4:21

1 Kings 4:21 in Multiple Translations

Berean Standard Bible BSB

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.

King James Version KJV

And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.

American Standard Version ASV

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.

Bible in Basic English BBE

And Solomon was ruler over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, and as far as the edge of Egypt; men gave him offerings and were his servants all the days of his life.

Free Bible Version FBV

Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, right up to the border of Egypt. They presented tribute to Solomon and served him during his lifetime.

Geneva Bible 1599 GNV

And Salomon reigned ouer all kingdomes, from the Riuer vnto the lande of the Philistims, and vnto the border of Egypt, and they brought presents, and serued Salomon all the dayes of his life.

Young's Literal Translation YLT

And Solomon hath been ruling over all the kingdoms, from the River [to] the land of the Philistines and unto the border of Egypt: they are bringing nigh a present, and serving Solomon, all days of his life.

World English Bible WEB

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.

Noah Webster Bible WBS

And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.

Douay-Rheims 1899 DRV

And Solomon had under him all the kingdoms from the river to the land of the Philistines, even to the border of Egypt: and they brought him presents, and served him, all the days of his life.

Translation for Translators T4T

Solomon’s kingdom extended from the Euphrates River in the northeast to the Philistia area in the west and to the border of Egypt in the south. The conquered people in those areas paid taxes and were under Solomon’s control for the rest of his life.

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Berean Amplified Bible — 1 Kings 4:21

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Study Notes — 1 Kings 4:21

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Context
Cross References
1 Kings 4:21 Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
Reflection Questions
Gill's Exposition on 1 Kings 4:21
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Kings 4:21
Matthew Poole's Commentary on 1 Kings 4:21
Trapp's Commentary on 1 Kings 4:21
Ellicott's Commentary on 1 Kings 4:21
Adam Clarke's Commentary on 1 Kings 4:21
Cambridge Bible on 1 Kings 4:21
Barnes' Notes on 1 Kings 4:21
Whedon's Commentary on 1 Kings 4:21
Sermons on 1 Kings 4:21

Context — Solomon’s Prosperity

19Geber 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. 20The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore, and they were eating and drinking and rejoicing.

21And 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.

22Solomon’s provisions for a single day were thirty cors of fine flour, sixty cors of meal, 23ten fat oxen, twenty range oxen, and a hundred sheep, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened poultry.

Cross References

	Reference	Text (BSB)
1	Genesis 15:18	On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—
2	Joshua 1:4	Your territory shall extend from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great River Euphrates—all the land of the Hittites—and west as far as the Great Sea.
3	Psalms 68:29	Because of Your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring You gifts.
4	1 Kings 4:24	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.
5	2 Chronicles 9:26–31	He reigned over all the kings from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills. Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from all the lands. As for the rest of the acts of Solomon, from beginning to end, are they not written in the Records of Nathan the Prophet, in the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the Visions of Iddo the Seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat? Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. And Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. And his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.
6	Exodus 23:31	And I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the Euphrates. For I will deliver the inhabitants into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.
7	Deuteronomy 11:24	Every place where the sole of your foot treads will be yours. Your territory will extend from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Western Sea.
8	2 Chronicles 32:23	Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the LORD and valuable gifts for Hezekiah king of Judah, and from then on he was exalted in the eyes of all nations.
9	Psalms 72:8–11	May he rule from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth. May the nomads bow before him, and his enemies lick the dust. May the kings of Tarshish and distant shores bring tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts. May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him.
10	2 Chronicles 17:5	So the LORD established the kingdom in his hand, and all Judah brought him tribute, so that he had an abundance of riches and honor.

1 Kings 4:21 Summary

[This verse means that Solomon was a very powerful king who ruled over a huge area of land, from the Euphrates River to the border of Egypt. He was blessed by God and had many kingdoms serving him and bringing him tribute, as promised in Deuteronomy 1:7 and Joshua 1:4. This shows us that when we submit to God and follow His ways, He can give us great wisdom and influence, just like He did with Solomon (1 Kings 3:7-14). We can learn from Solomon's example to trust God with our circumstances and use our own influence to serve and bless others.]

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean that Solomon reigned over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt?

This means that Solomon's kingdom was very large and powerful, stretching from the Euphrates River in the north to the land of the Philistines and the border of Egypt in the south, as promised by God in Deuteronomy 1:7 and Joshua 1:4.

Why did these kingdoms offer tribute and serve Solomon all the days of his life?

These kingdoms offered tribute and served Solomon because they recognized his power and authority, and they wanted to maintain peace and avoid conflict, as seen in the example of the queen of Sheba in 1 Kings 10:1-13.

How does this verse relate to God's promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 and Genesis 15:18-21?

This verse is a fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham that his descendants would be blessed and would rule over many nations, and that God would give them a large territory, as seen in Genesis 15:18-21 and reiterated in Genesis 17:4-8 and Genesis 22:17-18.

What can we learn from Solomon's example about leadership and authority?

We can learn from Solomon's example that true leadership and authority come from God, and that when we submit to Him and follow His ways, He can give us great wisdom and influence, as seen in Proverbs 8:15-16 and 1 Kings 3:7-14.

Reflection Questions

What does it mean for me to submit to God's authority in my life, and how can I trust Him with my circumstances?
How can I use my own influence and authority to serve and bless others, just as Solomon used his to bring peace and prosperity to his kingdom?
What are some ways that I can recognize and respond to God's promise and plan for my life, just as Solomon did in his reign?
How can I cultivate a heart of humility and dependence on God, even in times of great success or prosperity, as Solomon did in 1 Kings 3:7-14?

Gill's Exposition on 1 Kings 4:21

And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms,.... Not only over Judah and Israel, but all people round about him, they standing in fear of him; or who brought him presents, or paid tribute to him, which was

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Kings 4:21

And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.

Matthew Poole's Commentary on 1 Kings 4:21

From the river Euphrates; for so far David, having conquered the Syrians, extended his empire, which Solomon also maintained in that extent. And so God’ s promise concerning the giving of the whole land, as far as Euphrates, to the Israelites, was fulfilled. And if the Israelites had multiplied so much that the land of Canaan would not suffice them, having God’ s grant of all the land as far as Euphrates, they might have seized upon it whensoever occasion required. Unto the land of the Philistines, which is to be understood inclusively; for it is unreasonable to think that the Philistines were not within Solomon’ s dominion. Unto the border of Egypt; unto the river Sihor, which was the border between Egypt and Canaan, . Compare . Served Solomon, by tribute, or other ways, as he needed and required.

Trapp's Commentary on 1 Kings 4:21

1 Kings 4:21 And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.Ver. 21. And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms.] Not all the kingdoms of the world, a κοσμοκρατωρ, - as some Hebrews make him, - but over all kingdoms thereabout. He was a most potent and flourishing monarch. All the days of his life.] Notwithstanding his apostasy, through God’ s longsufferance: so that his reign represented the church triumphant, as David’ s reign had done the church militant.

Ellicott's Commentary on 1 Kings 4:21

(21) And Solomon reigned.—His dominion is described as extending on the south to the land of the Philistines and the border of Egypt, including what we call Arabia (see Psalms 72:10, and comp. 1 Kings 10:15); on the east to “the river” Euphrates, as far north as Tiphsah (the Greek Thapsacus); on the west it would, of course, be bounded by the sea; and on the north it extended far beyond Damascus, probably up to the borders of the Assyrian Empire. It seems also clear that the Syrian Kingdoms (like the kingdom of Tyre), were allies on a footing of some dependence, though not exactly tributaries. This extension of dominion was the fruit of the warlike energy of the two preceding reigns. As in all ancient Eastern empires, it represented, not an organised monarchy, but the supremacy of a dominant kingdom’ over tributaries gathered round—“the kings on this side the river” who “brought presents”—apparently at that time numerous, and ruling over small territories. Such an empire would rise rapidly, and as rapidly fall to pieces; and in Solomon’s case it was sustained less by military power than by the peaceful forces of wealth and policy, and was largely dependent on his own personal ascendancy.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on 1 Kings 4:21

Verse 21. Solomon reigned over all kingdoms] The meaning of this verse appears to be, that Solomon reigned over all the provinces from the river Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, even to the frontiers of Egypt. The Euphrates was on the east of Solomon's dominions; the Philistines were westward on the Mediterranean sea; and Egypt was on the south. Solomon had, therefore, as tributaries, the kingdoms of Syria, Damascus, Moab, and Ammon, which lay between the Euphrates and the Mediterranean. See Calmet. Thus he appears to have possessed all the land that God covenanted with Abraham to give to his posterity.

Cambridge Bible on 1 Kings 4:21

21–28. Extent of Solomon’s Kingdom, the provision for his table, his stud (Not in Chronicles) 21. This verse in the Hebrew is the beginning of Chapter 5, which has therefore 32 verses instead of 18 as in the English division. The LXX. and the Vulgate divide as in the A.V., but the former has a different order of the verses, putting after 1 Kings 4:19, the other verses as follows 27, 28, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34. Of 1 Kings 4:20-21; 1 Kings 4:25-26 the LXX. has no notice, and adds a passage after 34, on which see note there. over all kingdoms] The country was governed by a number of petty kings who all owned Solomon as their lord superior. from the river] i.e. The River par excellence, viz. the Euphrates. unto the land of the Philistines] There is no word for ‘unto’ in the sentence. It would seem best therefore to repeat the previous preposition, and render ‘over the land of the Philistines.’ The first section of the verse will thus embrace the kingdoms to the north and east of Israel and Judah, the second those to the south and west. It should be mentioned that in 2 Chronicles 9:26 the preposition ‘unto’ is expressed in the Hebrew. The Vulgate here, in consequence of the absence of any preposition, translates ‘a flumine terræ Philistiim.’ they brought presents] The noun is singular, and comprehends all that sort of offerings which tributaries rendered to their chief lord, but to which the more euphemious name of ‘gift’ or ‘present’ was assigned. Cp. for the character of these gifts 2 Samuel 8:2; 2 Samuel 8:6, where they are described as tribute from nations who became servants to king David; and in 2 Kings 17:4, we learn that they were presented year by year, and the failure in such service was ground enough for suspicion of conspiracy and for commencing war against the defaulter.

Barnes' Notes on 1 Kings 4:21

Solomon’s empire, like all the great empires of Asia down to the time of the Persians, consisted of a congeries of small kingdoms, all ruled by their own kings 1 Kings 4:24, who admitted the

Whedon's Commentary on 1 Kings 4:21

21. The river — The great Euphrates, far to the east. Compare Genesis 15:18. Land of the Philistines — On the Mediterranean coast to the west of Judea. Border of Egypt — At the south.

Sermons on 1 Kings 4:21

	Sermon	Description
	Genesis #13 Ch. 14-15 Contrast of Abraham and Lot by Chuck Missler	In this sermon on Genesis chapters 14 and 15, Chuck Misler explores the relationship between Abraham and Lot. He introduces the concept of the law of first mention, which suggests
	Abraham - Only God Matters by A.W. Tozer	In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the weight and responsibility of preaching the word of God. He expresses the need for prayers and acknowledges the challenges and effort tha
	(Exodus) Exodus 32:30-35 by J. Vernon McGee	In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the story of Moses and the Israelites in the book of Exodus. He highlights the concept of atonement, which was a way to cover up sin before
	(Exodus) Exodus 2:25 by J. Vernon McGee	In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes that God's love and grace are the reasons for our salvation. He explains that God didn't save us because of our attractiveness or goodness,
	(Genesis) Genesis 48:4-6 by J. Vernon McGee	In this sermon, the speaker focuses on the promises made by God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God promised to make them fruitful and multiply them, and to give them the land as an
	I Can't Take It by Jim Cymbala	In this sermon, Pastor Symbol emphasizes the importance of shining as believers by doing everything without complaining or arguing. He acknowledges that this is not an easy task, b
	Person of the Covenant by Bill Stafford	In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of understanding God as a covenant-keeping God. He explains that God's covenant with His people is unconditional and based on