UBF Daily Bread

WISE KING, HAPPY PEOPLE

Passage: 1Kings 4:1~34

Key verse: 25,34

Solomon’s Officials and Governors

4 So King Solomon ruled over all Israel. ²And these were his chief officials:^(A)

Azariah^(B) son of Zadok—the priest;

³Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha—secretaries;^(C)

Jehoshaphat^(D) son of Ahilud—recorder;

⁴Benaiah^(E) son of Jehoiada—commander in chief;

Zadok^(F) and Abiathar—priests;

⁵Azariah son of Nathan—in charge of the district governors;

Zabud son of Nathan—a priest and adviser to the king;

⁶Ahishar—palace administrator;^(G)

Adoniram^(H) son of Abda—in charge of forced labor.^(I)

⁷Solomon had twelve district governors^(J) over all Israel, who supplied provisions for the king and the royal household. Each one had to provide supplies for one month in the year. ⁸These are their names:

Ben-Hur—in the hill country^(K) of Ephraim;

⁹Ben-Deker—in Makaz, Shaalbim,^(L) Beth Shemesh^(M) and Elon Bethhanan;

¹⁰Ben-Hesed—in Arubboth (Sokoh^(N) and all the land of Hepher^(O) were his);

¹¹Ben-Abinadab—in Naphoth Dor^(P) (he was married to Taphath daughter of Solomon);

¹²Baana son of Ahilud—in Taanach and Megiddo, and in all of Beth Shan^(Q) next to Zarethan^(R) below Jezreel, from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah^(S) across to Jokmeam;^(T)

¹³Ben-Geber—in Ramoth Gilead (the settlements of Jair^(U) son of Manasseh in Gilead^(V) were his, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan and its sixty large walled cities^(W) with bronze gate bars);

¹⁴Ahinadab son of Iddo—in Mahanaim;^(X)

¹⁵Ahimaaz^(Y)—in Naphtali (he had married Basemath daughter of Solomon);

¹⁶Baana son of Hushai^(Z)—in Asher and in Aloth;

¹⁷Jehoshaphat son of Paruah—in Issachar;

¹⁸Shimei^(AA) son of Ela—in Benjamin;

¹⁹Geber son of Uri—in Gilead (the country of Sihon^(AB) king of the Amorites and the country of Og^(AC) king of Bashan). He was the only governor over the district.

Solomon’s Daily Provisions

²⁰The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand^(AD) on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy.^(AE) ²¹And Solomon ruled^(AF) over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River^(AG) to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.^(AH) These countries brought tribute^(AI) and were Solomon’s subjects all his life.

²²Solomon’s daily provisions^(AJ) were thirty cors^[a] of the finest flour and sixty cors^[b] of meal, ²³ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed cattle and a hundred sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks and choice fowl.^(AK) ²⁴For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah^(AL) to Gaza, and had peace^(AM) on all sides. ²⁵During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba,^(AN) lived in safety,^(AO) everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree.^(AP)

²⁶Solomon had four^[c] thousand stalls for chariot horses,^(AQ) and twelve thousand horses.^[d]

²⁷The district governors,^(AR) each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon and all who came to the king’s table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking. ²⁸They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses.

Solomon’s Wisdom

²⁹God gave Solomon wisdom^(AS) and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand^(AT) on the seashore. ³⁰Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East,^(AU) and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.^(AV) ³¹He was wiser^(AW) than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. ³²He spoke three thousand proverbs^(AX) and his songs^(AY) numbered a thousand and five. ³³He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop^(AZ) that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. ³⁴From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings^(BA) of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.^[e]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

1 Kings 4:22 That is, probably about 5 1/2 tons or about 5 metric tons
1 Kings 4:22 That is, probably about 11 tons or about 10 metric tons
1 Kings 4:26 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 2 Chron. 9:25); Hebrew forty
1 Kings 4:26 Or charioteers
1 Kings 4:34 In Hebrew texts 4:21-34 is numbered 5:1-14.

1. Each under his own vine and fig tree (1-28)

King Solomon ruled over all Israel. He was an excellent administrator. His chief officials are listed 4:1-19. During Solomon's lifetime the people of Israel and Judah were happy. They were free from fear, for their country was secure. They were free from poverty. Each man had his own property. The surrounding nations were Solomon's vassals, but they too lived in peace and happiness. Solomon was personally wealthy. His life-style, however, reflected an ignorance of God's word (Dt 17:14-20). He accumulated horses, wives and gold, and sowed seeds of corruption.

2. A wise and just shepherd (29-34)

Solomon had asked for wisdom to govern God's people, and God gave him great wisdom. Also, he wrote many proverbs; he studied the flora and fauna of his country until he became an expert. God's best gift to his people is a wise and just shepherd.

Prayer: Lord, raise up leaders who can rule with wisdom and justice. Grant us spiritual leaders who can shepherd your flock.

One Word: Good shepherds = happy people