1 Kings 4:1

_SO KING SOLOMON WAS KING OVER ALL ISRAEL._ So king Solomon was king. This chapter contains a general description of the state and glory of the Hebrew kingdom during the flourishing and advanced years of his reign, as is evident from two of the officers mentioned marrying Solomon's daughters....

1-19 In the choice of the great officers of Solomon's court, no doubt, his wisdom appeared. Several are the same that were in his father's time. A plan was settled by which no part of the country was exhausted to supply his court, though each sent its portion....

CHAPTER IV _An account of Solomon's chief officers_, 1-6. _Names of the twelve officers that were over twelve districts,_ _to provide victuals for the king's household monthly_, 7-19. _Judah and Israel are very populous; and Solomon reigns over_ _many provinces_, 20, 21. _The daily provision for his family_, 22, 23. _The extent and peace of his dominions_, 24, 25. _His horses, chariots, and dromedaries; with the provision made_ _for them_, 26-28. _His wisdom and understanding_, 29-31. Th

Solomon, that is, was king over “all Israel” from the first; not like David, who for seven and a half years reigned over Judah only. This feature well introduces the glory of Solomon and the organisation of the court, of which the historian in this chapter intends to give us a general sketch. Solomon constitutes certain “princes” or officers of the first rank, deriving their station from him, and probably holding it during pleasure....

EXPOSITION SOLOMON'S STATE AND COURT OFFICIALS.—The account of Solomon's marriage and entry upon his religious and judicious functions is appropriately followed by a description of his court, of the great functionaries of the realm, of his royal state and magnificence, and, lastly, of his varied and unprecedented wisdom. It must not be supposed, however, from the occurrence of the lists in this particular place, that they necessarily represent the appointments of the early part of Solomon's reign. The mention of two of the married daughters of the king (1 Kings 4:11, 1 Kings 4:15) has been generally thought to prove that the record belongs to a much later period, and it certainly affords a powerful presumption

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....

3. SOLOMON'S PRINCES AND OFFICERS THE PROSPEROUS KINGDOM AND THE KING'S GREAT WISDOM CHAPTER 4 _ 1. The Princes (1 Kings 4:1)_ 2. The Officers (1 Kings 4:7) 3. The prosperous kingdom (1 Kings 4:20) 4. Solomon's great wisdom (1 Kings 4:29) “So King Solomon was king over all Israel.” A list of the princes and the twelve officers is given first. Their names fit in perfectly with the character of the kingdom, foreshadowing the coming and better kingdom of our Lord. We give the names of the princes with their meaning. Azariah, “Jehovah is help”; Elihoreph, “my God is reward”; Ahiah, “Brother of Jeho

1 KINGS 3:1 TO 1 KINGS 4:34. EARLY DAYS, REIGN, AND WISDOM OF SOLOMON. The sources of this section are various, and the arrangement of the narrative in the LXX should be noticed. There are (_a_) a statistical account of Solomon s reign, referred to, apparently in 1 Kings 11:41, as the book of the acts of Solomon; (_b_) a number of narratives about this reign; (_c_) several Deuteronomic additions_ e.g._ 1 Kings 3:6; 1 Kings 3:14, etc.: and (_d_) some very late passages, possibly originally explanatory notes. The history of Solomon's reign

1 Kings 4:1-20. Lists of Solomon's officers (Not in Chronicles) 1. _over all Israel_ The whole land yielded him willing obedience, the people were contented and happy (see below, 1 Kings 4:20) and the enemies of the king were removed....

II. THE MANAGEMENT OF THIS KINGDOM 4:1-20 In this section of Kings in which the author has been discussing the commencement of Solomon's reign, it is natural to find a description of his court and some intimation as to how he organized the government of the realm. The list of officials in 1 Kings 4:1-20 does not, however, necessarily represent the appointments of Solomon's early years. The mention of the king's two married daughters (1 Kings 4:11; 1 Kings 4:15) would seem to necessitate assigning this list to a later date in his reign.[141] The list is in two parts containing (1) Solomon's ministers of state (1 Kings 4:1-6); and (2) h