1 Kings 4

1 Kings 4:29-34

It’s love here, 1. The magnificence of Solomon’s court, (1.) His misifiers of flute, ver. 1—6. (2.) The purveyors of his houshold, ver. 7—19. (3.) Their office, ver. 27, 28. (4.) The pronglen for his table, ver. 22, 23. 2. The recon of his dominion, ver. 21—24. 3. The number and peace of his subject, ver. 20—25. 4. His fables, ver. 26. 5. His great reputation for wisdom and learning, ver. 29—34.

1. O king Solomon was ‘king over all Israel. 2. And these were ’the princes which he had, Azariah the son of Zadok the ‘priest: 3. Elihoteph and Ahlab, the sons of Shifha, & Icnbes: ‘Jehohaphat the son of Ahlab, the 5 recorder. 4. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the both: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests. 5. And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: and Zabad the son of Nathan, was principal officer, and the king’s friend. 6. And Ahlbar was over the houshold: and Adoniram the son of Ahda was over the 1 tribute. 7. And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his houshold: each man his month in a year made provision. 8. And these are their names: The son of Hur in mount Ephraim. 9. The son of Dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalibim, and Beth-shemeh, and Ekon-beth-hanan. 10. The son of Heled, in Aruboth: to him pertained Sochob, and all the land of Hepher. 11. The son of Ahiadad, in all the region of Dor, which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife. 12. Bana the son of Ahlad, to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean, which is by Zarranah beneath Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-mehlah, were unto the place that is beyond Joknram. 13. The son of Geber, in Ramoth-gilead: to him pertained the towns of Jair the son of Manaffeh, which are in Gilead: to him also pertained the region of Argoh, which is in Bafhan, threescore great cities with walls, and brazen bars. 14. Ahiadad the son of Iddo had Mahanaim. 15. Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he also took Bafmath the daughter of Solomon to wife. 16. Baanah the son of Hufhai was in Ather and in Aloth. 17. Jehohaphat the son of Paruah, in Ilfachar. 18. Shimes the son of Elah, in Benjamin. 19. Geber the son of Urt was in the country of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bafhan; and 5 he was the only officer which was in the land.

2. 1—19. In greatness as wisdom diffinguifhed, Solomon’s magnificence begins to appear. His kingdom now was firmly established, and his court and houshold are here described.

3. His chief officers. They are, for the most part, such as his father had appointed, or their children. Solomon was so well divided in their abilities and integrity, that he defend no better servants. Zadok had now the precedence of Abiathar, who had been degraded, yet perhaps not totally excluded from Vol. I.

the priest’s office. Note, Old servants in a family, if proved faithful, are valuable possessions, and not to be parted with.

2. His purveyors: twelve, dispersed through the land, each in his month to supply the king’s court and family; by which regulation no part was burdened, and plenty of all things provided. Geber, the last of those mentioned, who was in the country of Sihon and Og, is said to be the only officer in the land, because his son and Ahiadad were subord-nate to him; or, as it may be rendered, there was no officer in the land. The Jews interpret it of the officer, who, in the interrelated month, provided, and was not limited to any place. Note, (1.) They who are great, may appear great. He who allotted men their flations, allows they should live according to them. (2.) Wife management, and good economy, is needed even for kings: the greatest revenues without it are easily squandered.

3. ¶ Judah and Israel were many, as the fands, which is by the sea in multitude, ’eating and drinking, and making mercy. 21. And Solomon ‘reigned over all kingdoms, from the river unto the land of the Philifines, and unto the border of Egypt: ’they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life. 22. ¶ And Solomon’s ‘provision for one day was thirty measures of ’tine flour, and threescore measures of meat. 23. Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pailures, and an hundred flory, besides harts and roe-bucke, and fallow-deer, and fatted fowl. 24. For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphlah even to Azrah, ‘over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him. 25. And Judah and Israel’ dwelt safely, every man under his vine, and under his fig-tree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon. 26. ¶ And Solomon had ‘forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. 27. And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon’s table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing. 28. Barley also and straw for the horses, and dromedaries, brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.

4. 20—28. Happy art thou, O Israel, may we say, under such a king, and blessed with such prosperity.

5. Solomon’s kingdom was prodigiously extensive: not only Israel submitted to his gentle sway, but the nations, which his father had conquered by arms, from Egypt to Euphrates, cheerfully served the son, and brought him presents in token of their subject; nor thought of struggling under an administration so wise and equitable. Note, More extensive is the dominion of the Prince of Peace, even from pain to pain; and they who know the blessings of his government, count their service perfect freedom.

6. The people of Israel and Judah were immensely numerous, and lived in affluence. Their families grew like flocks, according to the promise, Gen. xxiii. 17. Safe and secure from all their enemies, they far every man under his vine and his fig-tree, their property secure, their plenty abundant, and their hearts filled with joy and gladness, in the enjoyment of the blessings God had bestowed upon them. Note, More numerous for the God’s spiritual Israel, more secure: their position, more substantially abiding their joys; their kingdom is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghetto.

7. Vail was the daily provision for Solomon’s table, sufficient to serve, at two pounds of bread each, besides meat, no less than 20,160 men. One greater Solomon supplies a more numerous family with daily bread, and this not that bread which perisheth, but which endureth to everlasting life.

8. His chariots, horses, and horsemen, were such as became his other magnificence, and these all amply and regularly supplied by the same purveyors as furnished his table.

9. ¶ And ‘God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding, exceeding much, and ’largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. 30. And Solomon’s wisdom exceeded the wisdom of all the children of the evil country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31. For ’the Cinn. in, 5, was with the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land of the land

Before Christ man Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom. Væft were his dominions, prodigious his revenues, but greater than both were his treasures of wisdom. 1. God gave him an understanding deep as the great abys of waters, and large as the sand on the shore, capacious, diffich, and comprehensive. Chaldea and Egypt afforded none equal or like him, and the wisest of his contemporaries acknowledged his ingenuity. Note, (1.) Every good gift cometh from above. God teacheth man knowledge. (2.) Uncommon abilities are a greater obligation to use them with uncommon diligence to the glory of the giver. 2. His productions were a proof of the wisdom he possessed. As a sign, he spake three thousand proverbs, wife sayings, and observations, for moral conduct. As a poet, his compositions were numerous as exquisite, amounting to a thousand and five. As a philosopher, he dived into the secrets of nature, described all herbs, birds, beasts, with their nature, use, and qualities. Note, (1.) That is valuable wisdom which communicates in discoveries for general usefulness. (2.) A poetic genius is a bleffing, when, like Solomon’s, our songs speak of the beauties of our Immanuel. 3. The fame of such wisdom could not but spread abroad, and, curious to hear, or desirous to learn, people from all regions stocked to his court; and distant kings sent their embatsdom, by personal converse to bring them spousmen of his superfactive understanding. Note, They who would be wise to salvation, must go to Jesus to learn, and they will find a greater than Solomon is here.