Chapter 4

1 Solomon’s princes. 7 His twelve officers for provision. 20, 24 The peace and largeness of his kingdom. 22 His daily provision. 26 His stables. 29 His wisdom.

1. King over all Israel. The emphasis here upon the word “all” suggests that the writer compiled his material after the disruption of the kingdom.

2. The princes. The list is that of the royal cabinet, the high counselors and officers of the state. They were not “princes” in the sense of being members of the royal family, but were officers of the first rank, deriving their station from Solomon, and holding it during his pleasure.

Azariah. It is significant that whereas in the lists of David’s officers, the captain of the host stands first (2 Sam. 8:16–18; 2 Sam. 20:23–26), that officer in Solomon’s list is preceded by those holding the peaceful offices of the priest, scribes, and recorder. The title “priest” seems properly to belong to Azariah, not to Zadok. The term “priest,” Heb. kohen, is sometimes thought to refer to a civil officer. In 2 Sam. 8:18, this title is given to the sons of David (translated “chief rulers”), whereas the parallel passage in 1 Chron. 18:17 has the explanation that these sons were “chief about the king.” In 1 Chron. 6:8–13, three Azariahs are listed in the line of descent: Ahitub, Zadok, Ahimaaz Azariah, Johanan, Azariah, Amariah, Ahitub, Zadok, Shallum, Hilkiah, Azariah. The first Zadok, son of Ahitub, was high priest at the time of David (2 Sam. 8:17). According to Chronicles, Azariah was thus the grandson rather than the son of Zadok. Azariah, listed first among the “princes,” may have been one of the privy counselors of Solomon and later a high priest (see on 1 Chron. 6:8–13).

3. Sons of Shisha, scribes. In 2 Sam. 20:25, “Sheva,” and in 1 Chron. 18:16, “Shavsha,” is mentioned as the scribe of David. These names are probably variations of “Shisha,” and the scribes of Solomon may have inherited their office from their father. The “scribe” was one of the high officers of the realm, issuing the king’s edicts, taking care of his correspondence, and probably also managing the royal purse (2 Kings 12:10).

The recorder. Jehoshaphat had filled this office under David (1 Chron. 18:15). The recorder was the court annalist, an officer whose duty it was to chronicle events as they occurred, and whose work formed a part of the official archives of the realm. He was an important officer of the state (see 2 Kings 18:18, 37; 2 Chron. 34:8).

4. Zadok and Abiathar. See on 2 Sam. 8:17.

5. The king’s friend. This seems to have been a recognized office in Solomon’s time (see 2 Sam. 15:37; 16:16; 1 Chron. 27:33). In Egypt, to be the “friend” or “confidant” of the king placed a man in the enviable position of being a royal counselor.

6. Over the household.Director of the household, or steward. At the time of Hezekiah this office seems to have been one of great importance, above that of scribe, for when Shebna was to be demoted, the implication is that he was reduced from his position “over the house” to that of scribe (Isa. 22:15–25; 2 Kings 18:18).

The tribute. The marginal reading, “levy,” is to be preferred. The reference is to the forced laborers employed by Solomon for his great public works (see ch. 5:13, 14). In the enumeration of David’s officers in the early part of his reign, no such officer is found (2 Sam. 8:16–18); but it occurs in the list from the latter part of his reign (2 Sam. 20:24). The holder of this unpopular office was stoned to death in the insurrection against Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:18). Excavations at Ezion-geber provide clear evidence of the use of forced labor.

7. Provided victuals. This denotes the collection of revenue, either in money or in kind, for the maintenance of the court and the royal household. The office must have been one of importance, for in two cases (vs. 11, 15) the holders were married into the royal house. The districts over which the officers had jurisdiction were not in alignment with the twelve tribes, owing no doubt in part to the fact that by this time much of the early tribal division of the land had become obsolete. Their number, twelve, has no relationship to the twelve tribes, but to the twelve months of the year, in each of which one of the officers was responsible for supplying his quota of the royal dues.

8. Mount Ephraim. The higher part of the territory of Ephraim, one of the most fertile parts of Palestine, surrounding the city of Shechem.

9. Makaz. The towns here mentioned place the territory of the son of Dekar to the northwest of Judah, in the territory originally assigned to Dan (Joshua 19:40–43), but in the early history of Israel, held largely by the Philistines.

10. Socho (or Socoh). A place 10 1/4 mi. (16.3 km.) west-northwest of Samaria known as eshРShuweikeh; not the city near which David fought Goliath (1 Sam. 17:1, 2), nor that southwest of Hebron (Joshua 15:48).

Hepher. A district of Judah, unknown.

11. Region of Dor. This district was along the coast, under Mt. Carmel, in the territory assigned to Manasseh. The king of Dor is mentioned in Joshua 11:2 as being aligned with Jabin in the confederacy of the north, and as subsequently conquered (Joshua 12:23), and his land given to Manasseh (Joshua 17:11). Abinadab, whose son had charge of this region, may have been David’s elder brother (1 Sam. 16:8; 17:13).

12. To him pertained Taanach. This was an important division, including most of the plain of Esdraelon. It was one of the most fertile sections of Palestine. Because of its location, crossed by vital highways from north to south and east to west, it was protected by fortresses. Taanach, Megiddo, and Beth-shan were among the most important strongholds in all of Palestine, and were assigned to Manasseh. They were not conquered, but were under tribute when Israel was strong (Joshua 17:11–13; Judges 1:27, 28). The cities, though assigned to Manasseh, were within the territory of Issachar (Joshua 17:11). Megiddo is the site of the death of Ahaziah (2 Kings 9:27) and of Josiah (2 Kings 23:29). Beth-shan is the fortress commanding the eastern approaches to the valley and is the city where the body of Saul was exposed in triumph (1 Sam. 31:8–10).

13. The towns of Jair. This was a large division in Transjordan, and included much of the territory of Manasseh and Gad. Ramoth-gilead was in the territory of Gad, and was one of the cities of refuge (Deut. 4:43; Joshua 20:8; 21:38).

Region of Argob. A territory once belonging to the kingdom of Og, but seized by Jair (Deut. 3:4, 13, 14).

Great cities with walls. This description is similar to that in Deut. 3:4, 5.

14. Mahanaim. This division was likewise in Transjordan, in the territory of Gad (Joshua 13:26; 21:38). It was the scene of Jacob’s meeting with the angels on his return to Canaan (Gen. 32:2). It later became an important center, for it was the seat of Ish-bosheth’s government (2 Sam. 2:8, 12, 29), and the place where David established himself on his flight from Absalom (2 Sam. 17:24, 27).

15. Naphtali. This was a northern district, in Galilee, south of Mt. Hermon, and included the northwest coast of the Sea of Galilee (Joshua 19:32–39). In it was Kedesh-naphtali, one of the cities of refuge (Joshua 19:37; 20:7; Judges 4:6).

16. In Asher and in Aloth. This division was in the north, along the Mediterranean coast (Joshua 19:24–31). The Asherites were not able to expel the Canaanites from their territory, but settled among them (Judges 1:31, 32).

17. Issachar. The territory of Issachar was south of Naphtali and north of Manasseh, and included the northern part of the plain of Esdraelon (Joshua 19:17–23). This district seems to have been to the north of the district mentioned in 1 Kings 4:12.

18. Benjamin. The territory of Benjamin was small but important. It included Jericho, Gibeah, Gibeon, Ramah, and originally Jerusalem itself (Joshua 18:11–28).

19. Gilead. A district east of Jordan, including parts of the territory of Reuben, Manasseh, and Gad (see on vs. 13, 14).

The only officer. The meaning of these words is not clear, since each district had no more than one officer. The LXX here reads, “one officer in the land of Judah.” This may be the correct reading, for it will be noticed that otherwise the territory of Judah is omitted from the list of districts paying tribute to the royal court. As a special favor to Judah, there may have been one officer over that district who was over and above the twelve other officers. Since Judah was the home province, it was under no other government than that of the king’s officers at Jerusalem; but it is hardly likely that for purposes of revenue Judah would have been excluded from the general system.

20. Were many. The description of the condition of the people here and in v. 25, as multiplied in numbers and living in a condition of prosperity and peace, is evidently designed to point to the fact that Israel had now reached a place where she was strong and secure, no longer at the mercy of troublesome neighbors, and able to take advantage of the land granted them.

21. Over all kingdoms. Solomon’s empire consisted, in part, of a group of small, semi-independent vassal states that were ruled by their own kings but acknowledged the suzerainty of the Hebrew king and paid him an annual tribute. The fact that Israel’s neighbors had now been destroyed or reduced to servitude is further emphasized in ch. 9:20, 21.

The river. The Euphrates (Gen. 15:18; Joshua 1:4). The writer is drawing attention to the fact that the kingdom of Solomon had reached an extent in accord with the promises made to Abraham, Moses, and Joshua. See The Empire of David and Solomon.

All the days. It was only during the lifetime of Solomon that this empire endured. States such as the one over which Solomon reigned, composed in part of a number of kingdoms loosely held together, often rose rapidly, and as rapidly fell to pieces.

22. Solomon’s provision. The exact quantity of grain in a “measure,” Heb. kor, is not known, but has been estimated at 50 gal. (6.24 bu.). Solomon’s court has been estimated to have contained from 10,000 to 15,000 people.

24. Tiphsah. Generally taken to be a place on the Euphrates called Thapsacus by the Greeks.

Azzah. Gaza, at the extreme south of the Philistine plain.

He had peace. At least for the time being. Everything seemed under control, quiet within and no attacks from without. But lasting peace must rest upon a firmer foundation than that provided by Solomon’s rule, as subsequent events were soon to show.

25. Under his vine. This phrase was common among the Hebrews (Micah 4:4; Zech. 3:10), and was also employed by the Assyrians (2 Kings 18:31). It is descriptive of an ideal period of peace and prosperity.

From Dan even to Beer-sheba. This phrase came into use during the judges period, and was employed from there on through the days of Samuel, Saul, David, and Solomon (see Judges 20:1; 1 Sam. 3:20; 2 Sam. 3:10; 17:11; 24:2, 15; 1 Chron. 21:2), to indicate a united nation that extended from the northern limit of Dan, to Beersheba in the extreme south. After Solomon’s reign the term is not used again till Hezekiah issued his decree calling the people “from Beer-sheba even to Dan,” to come to the Passover at Jerusalem (2 Chron. 30:5).

26. Forty thousand stalls. In 2 Chron. 9:25 the number is given as “four thousand.” The difference may be explained as a copyist’s error, the Hebrew words for “four” and “forty” being very similar. The multiplication of horses and horsemen—forbidden to the future king in Deut. 17:16, but foretold by Samuel at Saul’s inauguration (1 Sam. 8:11, 12)—is an indication of the growth of the empire by the use of military force. At the time of the conquest by Joshua, horses and chariots captured from the enemy were destroyed (Joshua 11:9).

27. Those officers. The officers mentioned in vs. 7–19. Some Greek translations place this verse after v. 19.

28. Barley. Barley was then, and still is, the common food of horses in the East. It was at times made into cakes or loaves (Judges 7:13; John 6:9). Wheat was the usual grain for human consumption.

Dromedaries. A more correct translation is, “swift beasts” (see margin). Probably swift horses, for the royal messenger service are here referred to (see on Esther 8:10).

29. Wisdom. In its fullest sense, especially as used in the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, wisdom is properly an attribute of God and is imparted by Him to man (James 1:5). Such wisdom has to do with character as well as the intellect. The word is used in a more restricted sense in vs. 30 and 31.

30. Children of the east country. The tribal people living between Palestine and Mesopotamia (see Gen. 29:1; Judges 6:3, 33; 7:12; 8:10). They are spoken of as dwelling in tents (Jer. 49:28, 29). Job was one of them (Job 1:3).

Wisdom of Egypt. The wisdom of Egypt was famous throughout the East. It included such fields as astronomy, medicine, architecture, mathematics, music, painting, embalming, and mystic philosophy. A wealth of the so-called wisdom literature of Egypt has survived.

31. Wiser than all men. Some of Solomon’s rivals in wisdom are known only from this passage. Some think Heman and Ethan are the tabernacle musicians appointed by David (1 Chron. 6:33, 44), who may also be the Ezrahites in the titles of Ps. 88 and 89. A “Heman” is designated as “the king’s seer in the words of God” (1 Chron. 25:5). However, the identity of these names is not definitely established.

32. Three thousand proverbs. His words of moral and practical wisdom, containing sound counsel, sage observations, exhortations to virtue, principles of holy living, and helpful precepts leading to godliness, happiness, and prosperity. Only a few of his proverbs have been preserved.

His songs. That Solomon was a writer of songs is known from the fact that some of them have been preserved, including the Song of Songs and possibly Ps. 72 and 127.

33. He spake of trees. The writings of Solomon reveal him to have had a deep appreciation for the beauties of nature. He was a keen observer, and undoubtedly made a habit of recording many of his observations for the benefit of those about him. None of these purely secular treatises of Solomon in the field of natural history have been preserved.

34. There came. It is only natural that Solomon’s reputation for wisdom should be carried afar and that many would come to him from distant nations to share of his wisdom.

All kings. Not all kings in person, for many would send messengers; though some rulers, such as the queen of Sheba, would choose to come in person.

Ellen G. White comments

21, 24, 25      PK 51

29–31PK 32; 2T 305

32, 33  PK 33