Bible Commentaries
1 Kings 4

Verse 2

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.

Verse 4

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.

Verse 13

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.

Verse 17

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.

Verse 20

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.

Verse 21

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.

Verse 24

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.

Verse 25

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.

Verse 29

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.

Verse 30

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.

Verse 32

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.

Verse 33

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.