1 Kings 4:1-34 - The Wise King’s Wisdom and Rule

1 Kings 4:1-34

Solomon’s Administration

1 So King Solomon was king over all Israel. 2 And these were his officials: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest; 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder; 4 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, over the army; Zadok and Abiathar, the priests; 5 Azariah the son of Nathan, over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan, a priest and the king’s friend; 6 Ahishar, over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda, over the labor force.

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. 8 These are their names: Ben-Hur, in the mountains of Ephraim; 9 Ben-Deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan; 10 Ben-Hesed, in Arubboth; to him belonged Sochoh and all the land of Hepher; 11 Ben-Abinadab, in all the regions of Dor; he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as wife; 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; 13 Ben-Geber, 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; 14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; 15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali; he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon as wife; 16 Baanah the son of Hushai, in Asher and Aloth; 17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18 Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin; 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.

Prosperity and Wisdom of Solomon’s Reign

20 Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing. 21 So Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the River 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.

22 Now Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty kors of fine flour, sixty kors of meal, 23 ten fatted oxen, twenty oxen from the pastures, and one hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowl.

24 For he had dominion over all the region on this side of the River 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. 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.

26 Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. 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. 28 They also brought barley and straw to the proper place, for the horses and steeds, each man according to his charge.

29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. 30 Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. 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. 32 He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five. 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. 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.

Solomon ruled Israel in an ordered manner with the officials appointed by name here as well as twelve governors over all Israel who also provided the king and his household with much food (1 Kings 4:22-23) as 1 Samuel 8:9, 15 warned them when they wanted to have a king like other nations instead of the King of kings alone.  Fortunately, Solomon was a wise and good king after the example of his father David, for he provided wise and caring safety and prosperity for the people.  Under his rule, the nation prospered greatly and expanded as promised through Abraham’s (Genesis 22:17) faith in Him long ago to become as seemingly innumerable as the sand along all the beaches of the sea.  They all ate, drank, and were merry in their peaceful prosperity under the good and wise king who found his wisdom in God and fruitfulness in His promises of grace.  This dominion under Solomon extended peace throughout the kingdom and on ever side of it, a far cry from the wars and conflicts they experienced before him.  Not only did the people multiply like the sand of the seashore, but his heart was enlarged to care for the people as the sand of the seas as well.  He also was gifted such wisdom and understanding that would not be exceeded until the Seed (Luke 11:31, Galatians 3:19) appeared later according to promise at the set and proper (Galatians 4:4) time in God’s promised plan to give us true wisdom and lasting peace (Romans 5:1) in the love of His infinite heart for His children whom He called by faith like Abraham to increase and multiply in the kingdom of God from the root of Israel to the branches (Ephesians 1:10, 2:14-15, 16-18) out of all the nations by that same faith in the Seed, the Son of God and Man, Jesus Christ our true and rightful King.  The wisdom of the wisest Man ever to walk the earth is now imparted by the Spirit of God in us (1 Corinthians 2:12, 16) to give understanding and wisdom as He rules in our hearts, minds, and lives for His glory (Romans 8:28) and our good.  This is the wise King’s wisdom and rule with understanding in us as we gaze into (2 Corinthians 3:18, 4:6) His wonderful face and are transformed day by day in sitting under His teaching and sovereign rule over us in the goodness of His grace and merciful providence and protection.