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1 Kings Chapter Four

 

1 Kings 4 Outlines

Solomon’s Administration (v.1~19)

Prosperity and Wisdom of Solomon’s Reign (v.20~34)

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 4

As in the preceding chapter we have a proof of the wisdom and understanding which the Lord gave to Solomon as promised so in this an account is given of the riches and honour he was possessed of; of him as king over all Israel and of his princes 1 Kings 4:1; of the providers of food for his household in the several parts of the land 1 Kings 4:7; of the largeness and extent of his dominions and of the peace and prosperity thereof 1 Kings 4:20; of his daily provisions for his household and for his cattle 1 Kings 4:22; and of his superior wisdom and knowledge to all others in all nations which brought some out of all to hear it 1 Kings 4:29.

 

1 Kings 4:1   So King Solomon was king over all Israel.

   YLT  1And king Solomon is king over all Israel

So King Solomon was king over all Israel. As David his father was not at first only over Judah and as Solomon's successors were not after the division of the kingdom under his son Rehoboam; though this seems to have a particular respect to what is related in the preceding chapter concerning the wisdom of Solomon for which he was so famous that he reigned by the consent of all and in the hearts of all the people of Israel.

 

1 Kings 4:2   2 And these were his officials: Azariah the son of Zadok the priest;

   YLT  2and these [are] the heads whom he hath: Azariah son of Zadok [is] the priest;

And these were the princes which he had .... That were in office about him in the highest posts of honour and trust:

Azariah the son of Zadok the priest: or rather his grandson since Ahimaaz was the son of Zadok and Azariah the son of Ahimaaz 1 Chronicles 6:8; though another Zadok may be meant and his son not a priest but a prince as the word may be rendered and was Solomon's prime minister of state and the rather since he is mentioned first.

 

1 Kings 4:3   3 Elihoreph and Ahijah the sons of Shisha scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud the recorder;

   YLT  3Elihoreph and Ahiah sons of Shisha [are] scribes; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud [is] remembrancer;

Elihoreph and Ahiah the sons of Shisha scribes .... Their father Shisha the same with Sheva was scribe only in David's time; and he being dead very probably both his sons were continued in the office as secretaries of state Solomon having more business for such an office see 2 Samuel 20:25;

Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud the recorder; who was in the same office in the times of David and now held it under Solomon 2 Samuel 8:16.

 

1 Kings 4:4   4 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army; Zadok and Abiathar the priests;

   YLT  4and Benaiah son of Jehoiada [is] over the host; and Zadok and Abiathar [are] priests;

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host .... General of the army in the room of Joab 1 Kings 2:35;

and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests; so they were when Solomon came to the throne; but Abiathar was deposed by him after some time though he might retain the name afterwards and be employed as Ben Gersom thinks in case of necessity in the room of Zadok or however be employed as a common priest at Jerusalem upon a reconciliation with Solomon; though Kimchi thinks another Abiathar is meant which is not so likely.

 

1 Kings 4:5   5 Azariah the son of Nathan over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan a priest and the king’s friend;

   YLT  5and Azariah son of Nathan [is] over the officers; and Zabud son of Nathan [is] minister friend of the king;

And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers .... The twelve officers who provided food for Solomon's household after mentioned:

and Zabud the son of Nathan; another of the sons of Nathan the prophet: for he being a principal instrument of settling Solomon on the throne had interest enough to promote his sons to the chief places of honour and trust: and this here

was principal officer and the king's friend; a chief minister about him very intimate with him that kept him company privately conversed with him was in his secrets and admitted to great privacy and nearness to him.

 

1 Kings 4:6   6 Ahishar over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda over the labor force.

   YLT  6And Ahishar [is] over the household and Adoniram son of Abda [is] over the tribute.

And Abiathar was over the household .... Steward of the household:

and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute over those that collected the tribute as the Targum whether from the people of Israel or other nations or both; this man was in the same post in David's time 2 Samuel 20:24.

 

1 Kings 4:7   7 And Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel who provided food for the king and his household; each one made provision for one month of the year.

   YLT  7And Solomon hath twelve officers over all Israel and they have sustained the king and his household -- a month in the year is on each one for sustenance;

And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel .... Not with respect to the twelve tribes of Israel for it does not appear that they had each of them a tribe under them but some particular places in a tribe; but with respect to the twelve months of the year in which each took his turn:

which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision; furnished food of all sorts out of the country in which they presided for the space of one month in a year; by which means there was always a plenty of provisions at court for the king's family and for all strangers that came and went and no one part of the land was burdened or drained nor the price of provisions raised; these seem to be the twelve "phylarchi" or governors of tribes EupolemusF18Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 30. an Heathen writer speaks of before whom and the high priest David delivered the kingdom to Solomon; though in that he was mistaken that they were in being then since these were officers of Solomon's creating.

 

1 Kings 4:8   8 These are their names: Ben-Hur [a] in the mountains of Ephraim;

   YLT  8and these [are] their names: Ben-Hur in the hill-country of Ephraim;

And these are their names .... Or rather the names of their fathers; for of many of them not their own names but their fathers' names are given as being well known:

the son of Hur in Mount Ephraim; a fruitful country in the tribe of Ephraim from whence this officer was to furnish the king with provisions for one month in the year.

 

1 Kings 4:9   9 Ben-Deker [b] in Makaz Shaalbim Beth Shemesh and Elon Beth Hanan;

   YLT  9Ben-Dekar in Makaz and Shaalbim and Beth-Shemesh and Elon-Beth-Hanan.

The son of Dekar in Makaz .... A place in the tribe of Dan on the borders of it:

and in Shaalbim and Bethshemesh and Elonbethhanan; all in the same tribe see Joshua 19:41.

 

1 Kings 4:10   10 Ben-Hesed [c] in Arubboth; to him belonged Sochoh and all the land of Hepher;

   YLT  10Ben-Hesed [is] in Aruboth hath Sochoh and all the land of Hepher;

The son of Hesed in Aruboth .... Which seems to have been in the tribe of Judah by the places that follow:

to him pertained Sochoh; there were two places of this name in that tribe Joshua 15:35;

and all the land of Hepher: there was an Hepher in the land of Canaan which was a royal city in the times of the Canaanites Joshua 12:17; and there was an Hepher the name of a man a descendant of Judah to whom very probably this land belonged 1 Chronicles 4:6; unless it can be thought to be the portion of land given to the daughters of Hepher Joshua 17:3.

 

1 Kings 4:11   11 Ben-Abinadab [d] in all the regions of Dor; he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as wife;

   YLT  11Ben-Abinadab [hath] all the elevation of Dor Taphath daughter of Solomon became his wife.

The son of Abinadab in all the region of Dor .... The same with Dor and her towns belonged to the half tribe of Manasseh on this side Jordan Joshua 17:11;

which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife; not when he was first put into this office when in all probability Solomon had not a daughter marriageable; but behaving well in it in process of time he bestowed a daughter of his on him.

 

1 Kings 4:12   12 Baana the son of Ahilud in Taanach Megiddo and all Beth Shean which is beside Zaretan below Jezreel from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah as far as the other side of Jokneam;

   YLT  12Baana Ben-Ahilud [hath] Taanach and Megiddo and all Beth-Shean which [is] by Zartanah beneath Jezreel from Beth-Shean unto Abel-Meholah unto beyond Jokneam.

Baana the son of Ahilud to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo and all Bethshean .... All which were places in the tribe of Manasseh Joshua 17:11;

which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel; so described to distinguish it as is thought from Zaretan in Joshua 3:16; and the country this officer presided over reached also

from Bethshean to Abelmeholah even unto the place that is beyond Jokneam; the two first of these were in the tribe of Manasseh and the last in the tribe of Zebulun Joshua 19:11.

 

1 Kings 4:13   13 Ben-Geber [e] in Ramoth Gilead; to him belonged the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh in Gilead; to him also belonged the region of Argob in Bashan—sixty large cities with walls and bronze gate-bars;

   YLT  13Ben-Geber in Ramoth-Gilead hath the small towns of Jair son of Manasseh which [are] in Gilead; he hath a portion of Argob that [is] in Bashan sixty great cities [with] wall and brazen bar.

The son of Geber in Ramothgilead .... A city in the tribe of Gad and was a city of refuge Joshua 20:8;

to him pertained the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh which are in Gilead; of which see Numbers 32:41;

to him also pertained the region of Argob which is in Bashan

threescore great cities with walls and brasen bars; called by JosephusF19Antiqu. l. 13. c. 15. sect. 5. Ragaba beyond Jordan; See Gill on Deuteronomy 3:4.

 

1 Kings 4:14   14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo in Mahanaim;

   YLT  14Ahinadab son of Iddo [hath] Mahanaim.

Ahinadab the son of Iddo had Mahanaim. Another city on the other side Jordan where both Ishbosheth and David sometimes dwelt 2 Samuel 2:8; this and the places adjacent must be very fruitful since this officer was to furnish the king with provisions for a month once a year from hence

 

1 Kings 4:15   15 Ahimaaz in Naphtali; he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon as wife;

   YLT  15Ahimaaz [is] in Naphtali; he also hath taken Basemath daughter of Solomon for a wife.

Ahimaaz was in Naphtali .... Out of that tribe he made a monthly provision annually:

he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife; another daughter of Solomon's in course of time; See Gill on 1 Kings 4:11.

 

1 Kings 4:16   16 Baanah the son of Hushai in Asher and Aloth;

   YLT  16Baanah Ben-Hushai [is] in Asher and in Aloth.

Baanah the son of Hushai was in Asher .... In the tribe of Asher; a very plentiful tribe particularly for oil; this officer was perhaps the son of Hushai the Archite David's friend and it may be promoted for his sake:

and in Aloth; which signifies ascensions mountains went upon by steps; near to this place was an high mountain called the ladder of TyreF20Vid. Joseph. de Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 10. sect. 2. ; perhaps that and the parts adjacent may be meant here.

 

1 Kings 4:17   17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah in Issachar;

   YLT  17Jehoshaphat Ben-Paruah [is] in Issachar.

Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah in Issachar. In the tribe of Issachar; he had the whole tribe at his command to make a monthly provision out of for the king once a year as had the preceding officer and the following one.

 

1 Kings 4:18   18 Shimei the son of Elah in Benjamin;

   YLT  18Shimei Ben-Elah [is] in Benjamin.

Shimei the son of Elah in Benjamin. So described to distinguish him from that Shimei that cursed David who was of the same tribe; See Gill on 2 Samuel 16:5.

 

1 Kings 4:19   19 Geber the son of Uri in the land of Gilead in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan. He was the only governor who was in the land.

   YLT  19Geber Ben-Uri [is] in the land of Gilead the land of Sihon king of the Amorite and of Og king of Bashan: and one officer who [is] in the land.

Geber the son of Uri was in the country of Gilead .... Which was beyond Jordan and inhabited by the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh; this must be understood of all the country excepting what was under the jurisdiction of the son of Geber 1 Kings 4:13; and which had been

the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan; until it was taken from them by Moses Numbers 21:25;

and he was the only officer which was in the land; which is not true of Geber; for there was another officer in the land of Gilead besides him the son of Geber before observed unless it should be rendered "in that land" in that part of the land he had; but then the same might have been observed of all the rest of the officers: the words may be rendered best "and there was one officer in the land"; which some understand of one officer over all the rest Azariah the son of Nathan 1 Kings 4:5; but it seems best what other Jewish writers sayF21T. Bab. Sanhedrin fol. 12. 1. that this was another officer appointed for the intercalated month; when there were thirteen months in the year there was an officer in the land fixed for that month to make provision out of the land; perhaps any where where he pleased being not limited to any certain place. These twelve providers for Solomon's family were emblems of the twelve apostles of Christ appointed to provide food for his family the church; and if you add to them the Apostle Paul it will make thirteen as this officer did.

 

1 Kings 4:20   20 Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea in multitude eating and drinking and rejoicing.

   YLT  20Judah and Israel [are] many as the sand that [is] by the sea for multitude eating and drinking and rejoicing.

Judah and Israel were many as the sand which is by the sea in multitude .... Being blessed with great fruitfulness in their families and having no pestilential disease among them nor wars to lessen their number and so the promise to Abraham was fulfilled Genesis 22:17; and which was an emblem of Christ's spiritual subjects especially in the latter day whom Solomon was a type of see Hosea 1:10;

eating and drinking and making merry; having a large increase of the fruits of the earth and in no fear of any enemies; expressive of the spiritual joy of believers in the kingdom of Christ and under the word and ordinances Song of Solomon 2:3.

 

1 Kings 4:21   21 So Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the River[f] to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.

   YLT  21And 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.

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 an acknowledgment of superiority over them and doing homage to him:

from the river unto the land of the Philistines and unto the border of Egypt; that is from the river Euphrates as the Targum which was the border of his proper domains to the east to Palestine inhabited by the Philistines which lay to the west and as far as the border of Egypt which was the southern boundary; a like and larger extent of Christ's kingdom is given Psalm 72:8;

and they brought presents and served Solomon all the days of his life; this explains in what sense other kingdoms besides were ruled by Solomon and subject to him; of Christ his antitype see Psalm 72:10.

 

1 Kings 4:22   22 Now Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty kors of fine flour sixty kors of meal

   YLT  22And the provision of Solomon for one day is thirty cors of flour and sixty cors of meal;

And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour .... The measure here used was the "corus" or "cor" the same with the homer which was equal to ten ephahs and according to Bishop CumberlandF23Scripture Weights and Measures ch. 3. p. 86. held seventy five wine gallons and five pints and somewhat more; by which may be known how many gallons of fine flour these thirty measures held which were all consumed in one day:

and threescore measures of meal: sixty measures of a coarser sort for the servants not so finely dressed; the same measure is here used as before; and it is observed by some that one cor is equivalent to six hundred forty eight Roman pounds and allowing to one man two pounds a day for his food there would be food enough for 29 160 men out of 90 times 648 or 58 320 poundsF24Vid. Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. p. 516. . Others exaggerate the account; Vilalpandus says it would have sufficed 48 600 persons; Seth Calvisius 54 000 and Salianus 70 000F25Vid. Witsii Miscellan. tom. 2. exercit. 10. sect. 26. ; the Jews sayF26Shalshalet Hakabala fol. 8. 2. that he had 60 000 that ate at his table; that is who were maintained at his court.

 

1 Kings 4:23   23 ten fatted oxen twenty oxen from the pastures and one hundred sheep besides deer gazelles roebucks and fatted fowl.

   YLT  23ten fat oxen and twenty feeding oxen and a hundred sheep apart from hart and roe and fallow-deer and fatted beasts of the stalls

Ten fat oxen .... Such as were kept up in the stall and fatted:

and twenty oxen out of the pastures; which were killed as they were taken from thence and not put up to be fed:

and an hundred sheep; out of the folds:

beside harts and roebucks and fallow deer; which were clean creatures according to the Levitical law Deuteronomy 14:5; these were hunted in fields or taken out of the park or were presents from other countries; so that here was plenty of beef mutton and venison: for the spiritual application of this to the antitypical Solomon and his provisions see Matthew 22:4;

and fatted fowl; such as we call caponsF1So David de Pomis Tzemach David fol. 12. 3. and some in Kimchi in loc. ; some Jewish writersF2Baal Aruch & R. Elias Levit. Tishbi in voce ברבר. because of the likeness of sound in the word here used take them to be Barbary fowls or such as were brought from that country: there is a sort of birds called βαρβαροι which were without a voice that neither heard men nor knew their voiceF3Scholia in Aristoph. Aves p. 550. .

 

1 Kings 4:24   24 For he had dominion over all the region on this side of the River[g] from Tiphsah even to Gaza namely over all the kings on this side of the River; and he had peace on every side all around him.

   YLT  24for he is ruling over all beyond the river from Tiphsah and unto Gaza over all the kings beyond the river and he hath peace from all his servants round about.

For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river .... Or beyond the river Euphrates in the sense before given 1 Kings 4:21; which accounts for the plenty of provisions he had and the revenue with which he supported such a table he kept:

from Tiphsah even to Azzah; or Gaza one of the five principalities of the Philistines. Tiphsah is thought to be the Thapsacus of PlinyF4Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 24. which both he and PtolemyF5Geograph. l. 5. c. 19. place near the river Euphrates since called Amphipolis; the former places it in Syria the latter in Arabia Deserta; and which StraboF6Geograph. l. 16. p. 514. from Eratosthenes describes as 4800 furlongs or six hundred miles from Babylon and from the place where Mesopotamia begins not less than two thousand furlongs or two hundred and fifty miles:

over all the kings on this side the river; the river Euphrates or beyond it in the sense before explained as the kings of Syria Arabia &c.

and he had peace on all sides round about him; in which he was a type of Christ the Prince of peace.

 

1 Kings 4:25   25 And Judah and Israel dwelt safely each man under his vine and his fig tree from Dan as far as Beersheba all the days of Solomon.

   YLT  25And Judah dwelleth -- and Israel -- in confidence each under his vine and under his fig-tree from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba all the days of Solomon.

And Judah and Israel dwelt safely .... Without fear of any injury done to their persons or properties by any enemy; which is and will be more abundantly fulfilled in Christ the antitype of Solomon Jeremiah 23:5;

every man under his vine and under his fig tree; which were principal trees in the land of Judea put for all the rest; and the phrase denotes the happy safe quiet full and peaceable enjoyment of all outward blessings and is used of the times of the Messiah Micah 4:4;

from Dan even to Beersheba; which were the two extremities of the land of Israel north and south:

all the days of Solomon; so long this peace and safety continued there being no wars in his time.

 

1 Kings 4:26   26 Solomon had forty[h] thousand stalls of horses for his chariots and twelve thousand horsemen.

   YLT  26And Solomon hath forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots and twelve thousand horsemen.

And Solomon had forty thousand stalls for horses .... In 2 Chronicles 9:25; it is only four thousand; and therefore some think that here is a mistake of the copier of "arbaim" forty for "arbah" four; which it is thought might be through divine permission in such lesser matters without any prejudice to the authority of the Scriptures in matters of faith and practice; but without supposing this a reconciliation may be made by observing that here the writer as Ben Gersom notes gives the number of the horses that were in the stables which were forty thousand there the stables themselves which were four thousand ten horses in a stable; or here he numbers the stalls which were forty thousand and there the stables which were four thousand there being ten stalls in each; and the word there has the letter "yod" in it more than here which is the numerical letter for "ten" and may point thereunto; or here the writer speaks of all the stalls for horses Solomon had throughout the kingdom there of those only he had in Jerusalem. Benjamin of TudelaF7Itinerar. p. 43. affirms that these stalls or stables which Solomon built very strong of large stones are still in being in Jerusalem and that there is no building to be seen like it any where; but no other writer speaks of them; nor is it at all probable that they should remain:

for his chariots and twelve thousand horsemen; some of the said stalls of horses were for his chariots to draw in them for various uses of which had 1400 1 Kings 10:26; and others to mount twelve thousand horsemen who were placed in various parts to defend kingdom.

 

1 Kings 4:27   27 And these governors each man in his month provided food for King Solomon and for all who came to King Solomon’s table. There was no lack in their supply.

   YLT  27And these officers have sustained king Solomon and every one drawing near unto the table of king Solomon each [in] his month; they let nothing be lacking.

And these officers provided victuals for King Solomon .... The twelve before mentioned; and this is repeated here after the account of his horses to observe that they provided for them also as well as for the sake of what follows; that the large provision made by them was not only for Solomon's family and domestic servants but for strangers from different arts who came upon messages to him or to visit him and to behold the splendour of his court:

and for all that came to Solomon's table; which was an open table for all comers as there were some from all parts of the earth 1 Kings 4:34;

every man in his month; each of the twelve officers provided food in the month assigned to him:

they lacked nothing; they always had enough to supply the king with and they failed not in the performance of their duty nor came short of their salaries being fully and punctually paid them.

 

1 Kings 4:28   28 They also brought barley and straw to the proper place for the horses and steeds each man according to his charge.

   YLT  28And the barley and the straw for horses and for dromedaries they bring in unto the place where they are each according to his ordinance.

Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries .... Or rather mules by comparing the passage with 2 Chronicles 9:24; the particular kind of creatures meant is not agreed on; though all take them to be a swifter sort of creatures than horses; or the swifter of horses as race horses or posts horses: barley was for their provender that being the common food of horses in those times and countries and in others as BochartF8Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 2. c. 9. col. 158 159. Vid. Homer. Iliad. 4. ver. 196. and Iliad. 8. ver. 560. has shown from various writers; and in the MisnahF9Sotah c. 2. sect. 1. it is called the food of beasts; and Solomon is said to have every day his own horses two hundred thousand Neapolitan measures of called "tomboli"F11Shalshalet Hakabala fol. 10. 2. ; so the Roman soldiers the horse were allowed a certain quantity of barley for their horses every morning and sometimes they had money instead of it which they therefore called "hordiarium"F12Vid. Valtrinum de re Militar. Roman. l. 3. c. 15. p. 236. and the "straw" was for the litter of them: these

brought they unto the place; where the officers were; not where the king was as the Vulgate Latin version; where Solomon was as the Arabic version that is in Jerusalem; nor

where the officers were; in their respective jurisdictions as our version supplies it which would be bringing them to themselves; but to the place where the beasts were whether in Jerusalem or in any other parts of the kingdom:

every man according to his charge: which he was monthly to perform.

 

1 Kings 4:29   29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore.

   YLT  29And God giveth wisdom to Solomon and understanding very much and breadth of heart as the sand that [is] on the edge of the sea;

And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much .... In things natural moral divine and spiritual and that not slight and superficial but exceeding deep and large beyond expression; and this he had not from the acuteness of his genius merely nor from his industry and diligence; but by the gift of God as whatsoever solid wisdom and understanding is in any man it is from the liberal hand of God the fountain of wisdom James 1:5;

and largeness of heart even as sand that is on the seashore; he had a genius and capacity to receive anything; his knowledge was vast and comprehensive; it reached to and included things innumerable as the sand of the sea; there was scarce anything under the heavens or on the earth and in the sea but came within the compass of it as what are later mentioned show.

 

1 Kings 4:30   30 Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt.

   YLT  30and the wisdom of Solomon is greater than the wisdom of any of the sons of the east and than all the wisdom of Egypt;

And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east .... The Arabians and Persians famous for wisdom and who lay to the east of the land of Judea; whose wisdom lay in the knowledge of the stars in divination by birds and soothsayingF13Midrash Kohelet. fol. 76. 3. :

and all the wisdom of Egypt; which it was eminent for in the times of Moses and in which he was learned and well-skilled Acts 7:22; and hence in later times the philosophers of the Gentiles travelled to get knowledge as Pherecydes Pythagoras Anaxagoras Plato and others to Egypt said to be the mother of arts and sciencesF14Macrob. in Som. Scip. c. 19. 21. & Saturnal l. 1. c. 15. .

 

1 Kings 4:31   31 For he was wiser than all men—than Ethan the Ezrahite and Heman Chalcol and Darda the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the surrounding nations.

   YLT  31and he is wiser than all men than Ethan the Ezrahite and Heman and Chalcol and Darda sons of Mahol and his name is in all the nations round about.

For he was wiser than all men .... Not only that lived in his time but in ages past since the fall of Adam and in times to come especially in natural wisdom and knowledge in all the branches of it; for though some men excel in some part of knowledge yet not in all as Solomon did:

than Ethan the Ezrahite and Heman and Chalcol and Darda the sons of Mahol; men of the same names are said to be sons of Zerah grandson of Judah 1 Chronicles 2:6; wherefore these are either other men or their father had two names; or Mahol here may be an appellative and describe the character of these then and point at what they were famous for as that they were sons of music piping and dancing as Mahol may signify; the Jews have a traditionF15Hieron. Trad. Heb. in 2 Reg. fol. 80. 1. that Ethan is Abraham and Heman Moses and Chalcol Joseph:

and his fame was in all nations round about; not for his riches and grandeur only but chiefly for his wisdom.

 

1 Kings 4:32   32 He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs were one thousand and five.

   YLT  32And he speaketh three thousand similes and his songs [are] five and the chief one;

And he spake three thousand proverbs .... Wise sayings short and pithy sentences instructive in morality and civil life; these were not written as the book of Proverbs but spoken only and were taken from his lips and spread by those that heard them for the use of others but in process of time were lost; whereas the above book being written under divine inspiration is preserved: and

his songs were a thousand and five; some things that were useful to improve the minds and morals of men he delivered in verse to make them more pleasant and agreeable that they might be the more easily received and retained in memory; but of all his songs the most: excellent is the book of Canticles called "the Song of Songs" being divine and spiritual and dictated by the inspiration of the Spirit of God: he was both a moral philosopher and poet as well as a botanist and naturalist and well-skilled in medicine as the following words suggest 1 Kings 4:33.

 

1 Kings 4:33   33 Also he spoke of trees from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals of birds of creeping things and of fish.

   YLT  33and he speaketh concerning the trees from the cedar that [is] in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that is coming out in the wall and he speaketh concerning the cattle and concerning the fowl and concerning the creeping things and concerning the fishes

And he spake of trees .... Of all trees herbs and plants of the nature virtues and use them:

from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon: a mountain on the northern border of Judea famous for cedars the tallest and largest of trees:

even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall; which grew about Jerusalem and in the mountains of it as an Arabic writes testifiesF16Isaac Ben Omram apud Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 2. c. 50. Colossians 590. the lowest and least herb; so that what is between the cedar and hyssop include trees and plants of every kind and sort: whether the same herb we call hyssop is meant is not certain; some take it to be mint; others marjoram; some houseleek; others the wallflower; Levinus LemniusF17Herb. Bibl. Explicat. c. 26. supposes it to be Adiantum or maiden hair: the Targum interprets it allegorically that he prophesied of the kings of the house of David in this world and in the world to come of the Messiah:

he spake also of beasts and of fowls and of creeping things and of fishes; he understood the nature of all sorts of animals in the earth air and sea and discoursed of their names kinds qualities and use with the greatest ease and perspicuity; the Jews fancy that Aristotle's History of Animals is his which that philosopher came upon and published it in his own name. SuidasF18In voce εζεκιας. says it was reported that Solomon wrote a book of medicines for all diseases which was fixed to the entrance of the temple which Hezekiah took away because sick people applied to that for cure of their disorders and neglected to pray to God.

 

1 Kings 4:34   34 And men of all nations from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.

   YLT  34and there come out of all the peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon from all kings of the earth who have heard of his wisdom.

And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon

from all kings of the earth .... Who sent their ambassadors to his court to know the truth of what was reported and bring them some proofs and specimens by which they might judge of the truth of the relations that had been told them; which perhaps might seem to them to be beyond all belief:

which had heard of his wisdom; for the fame of it was spread everywhere by merchants and travellers and such sort of persons who had been at Jerusalem and were masters of various anecdotes relating to Solomon; which they industriously spread in the several parts of the world they had dealings in.

 

──John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible

 

New King James Version (NKJV)

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Kings 4:8 Literally Son of Hur
  2. 1 Kings 4:9 Literally Son of Deker
  3. 1 Kings 4:10 Literally Son of Hesed
  4. 1 Kings 4:11 Literally Son of Abinadab
  5. 1 Kings 4:13 Literally Son of Geber
  6. 1 Kings 4:21 That is the Euphrates
  7. 1 Kings 4:24 That is the Euphrates
  8. 1 Kings 4:26 Following Masoretic Text and most other authorities; some manuscripts of the Septuagint read four (compare 2 Chronicles 9:25).