4:2 And
these [were] the a princes which he had;
b Azariah the son of Zadok the priest,
(a) That is, his chief officers.
(b) He was the son of Achimais and Zadok's
nephew.
4:4 And Benaiah the son
of Jehoiada [was] over the host: and Zadok and c
Abiathar [were] the priests:
(c) Not Abiathar whom Solomon had put from his
office, (1 Kings
2:27) but another of that name.
4:13
The son of Geber, in Ramothgilead; to him [pertained] the towns of d
Jair the son of Manasseh, which [are] in Gilead; to him [also pertained] the
region of Argob, which [is] in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and
brasen bars:
(d) Which bore Jair's name, because he took
them from the Canaanites, (Numbers
32:41).
4:17
Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in e
Issachar:
(e) Solomon did not observe the division that
Joshua made, but divided it as might best serve his purposes.
4:20
Judah and Israel [were] many, as the sand which [is] by the sea in multitude, f
eating and drinking, and making merry.
(f) They lived in all peace and security.
4:21 And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from
the g river unto the land of the
Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served
Solomon all the days of his life.
(g) Which is the Euphrates.
4:24
For he had dominion over all [the region] on this side the river, from Tiphsah
even to Azzah, over all the h kings on
this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him.
(h) For they were all tributaries to him.
4:25 And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every
man under his vine and under his fig tree, from i
Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.
(i) Throughout all Israel.
4:29
And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and k
largeness of heart, even as the sand that [is] on the sea shore.
(k) Meaning, great understanding and able to
comprehend all things.
4:30 And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom
of all the children of the l east
country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
(l) That is, the philosophers and astronomers who
were judged most wise.
4:32 And he spake
three thousand m proverbs: and his songs
were a thousand and five.
(m) Which for the most part are thought to have
perished in the captivity of Babylon.
4:33 And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree
that [is] in Lebanon even unto the n
hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and
of creeping things, and of fishes.
1 Kings 4 Bible Commentary
The Geneva Study Bible
(a) That is, his chief officers.
(b) He was the son of Achimais and Zadok's nephew.
4:4 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was] over the host: and Zadok and c Abiathar [were] the priests:
(c) Not Abiathar whom Solomon had put from his office, (1 Kings 2:27) but another of that name.
4:13 The son of Geber, in Ramothgilead; to him [pertained] the towns of d Jair the son of Manasseh, which [are] in Gilead; to him [also pertained] the region of Argob, which [is] in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brasen bars:
(d) Which bore Jair's name, because he took them from the Canaanites, (Numbers 32:41).
4:17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in e Issachar:
(e) Solomon did not observe the division that Joshua made, but divided it as might best serve his purposes.
4:20 Judah and Israel [were] many, as the sand which [is] by the sea in multitude, f eating and drinking, and making merry.
(f) They lived in all peace and security.
4:21 And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the g river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.
(g) Which is the Euphrates.
4:24 For he had dominion over all [the region] on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the h kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him.
(h) For they were all tributaries to him.
4:25 And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from i Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.
(i) Throughout all Israel.
4:29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and k largeness of heart, even as the sand that [is] on the sea shore.
(k) Meaning, great understanding and able to comprehend all things.
4:30 And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the l east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
(l) That is, the philosophers and astronomers who were judged most wise.
4:32 And he spake three thousand m proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.
(m) Which for the most part are thought to have perished in the captivity of Babylon.
4:33 And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that [is] in Lebanon even unto the n hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.
(n) From the highest to the lowest.