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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - 1 Kings 4:1 - 4:19
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The Chief officers
v. 1. So King Solomon was king over all Israel, having come into the full inheritance of his father David.
v. 2. And these were the princes, the dignitaries, the chief officers and commanders, which he had: Azariah, the son of Zadok, the priest; he held the first place among the most trusted counselors of the king;
v. 3. Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes, the highest civil officers, secretaries of state; Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, the recorder, chancellor, 2Sa_8:16; 2Sa_20:24.
v. 4. And Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was over the host, 1Ki_2:35; and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests, the latter, although deposed, still bearing the title, as in the New Testament;
v. 5. and Azariah, the son of Nathan, was over the officers, those whose names are given below; and Zabud, the son of Nathan, was principal officer and the king's friend, his confidential adviser, these two being nephews of the king;
v. 6. and Ahishar was over the household, master of the entire palace, having charge of the entire household; and Adoniram, the son of Abda, was over the tribute, overseer of the public works, 2Sa_20:24.
v. 7. And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his household, chiefs or prefects, whose main duty consisted in delivering the allotted food-products from their districts for the maintenance of the king's household; each man his month in a year made provision.
v. 8. And these are their names: The son of Hur, Ben-hur, in Mount Ephraim;
v. 9. the son of Dekar, Ben-dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan, within the territory of Dan, near the Mediterranean;
v. 10. the son of Hesed, Ben-hesed, in Aruboth; to him pertained Sochoh and all the land of Hepher, within the territory of Judah;
v. 11. the son of Abinadab, Ben-abinadab, in all the region of Dor, along the coast of the Mediterranean below Carmel, which had Taphath, the daughter of Solomon, to wife;
v. 12. Baana, the son of Ahilud, probably a brother of the chancellor Jehoshaphat; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo and all Beth-shean, which is by Zartanah, beneath Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, even unto the place that is beyond Jokneam, along the southern border of the Plain of Jezreel, as far east as Jordan;
v. 13. the son of Geber, in Ramoth-gilead; to him pertained the towns of Jair, the son of Manasseh, Num_32:41, which are in Gilead, in the central district east of Jordan; to him also pertained the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brazen bars, in the northern territory, east of Jordan;
v. 14. Ahinadab, the son of Iddo, had Mahanaim, an important city on the north side of the Jabbok, within the territory of Gad;
v. 15. Ahimaaz was in Naphtali, in the north, in the lower ranges of the Lebanon; he also took Basmath, the daughter of Solomon, to wife;
v. 16. Baanah, the son of Hushai, was in Asher and in Aloth, also in the north;
v. 17. Jehoshaphat, the son of Paruah, in Issachar, practically the entire Plain of Jezreel;
v. 18. Shimei, the son of Elah, in Benjamin, just north of the territory of Judah;
v. 19. Geber, the son of Uri, was in the country of Gilead, in the country of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and of Og, king of Bashan, all the territory east of Jordan which was not in charge of Ben-geber and Ahinadab; and he was the only officer which was in the land, in spite of the great extent of the district it had only this one chief officer. The prosperity of the country was in a large measure due to the careful system worked out by Solomon as here outlined. Haphazard and sluggish work does not please the Lord, for He is a God of order.