| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
1 Kings Chapter
Four
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)