31 and he is wiser than all men, than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, sons of Mahol, and his name is in all the nations round about.
An instruction, by Ethan the Ezrahite. Of the kind acts of Jehovah, to the age I sing, To all generations I make known Thy faithfulness with my mouth, For I said, `To the age is kindness built, The heavens! Thou dost establish Thy faithfulness in them.' I have made a covenant for My chosen, I have sworn to David My servant: `Even to the age do I establish thy seed, And have built to generation and generation thy throne. Selah. and the heavens confess Thy wonders, O Jehovah, Thy faithfulness also `is' in an assembly of holy ones. For who in the sky, Compareth himself to Jehovah? Is like to Jehovah among sons of the mighty? God is very terrible, In the secret counsel of His holy ones, And fearful over all surrounding Him. O Jehovah, God of Hosts, Who `is' like Thee -- a strong Jah? And Thy faithfulness `is' round about Thee. Thou `art' ruler over the pride of the sea, In the lifting up of its billows Thou dost restrain them. Thou hast bruised Rahab, as one wounded. With the arm of Thy strength Thou hast scattered Thine enemies. Thine `are' the heavens -- the earth also `is' Thine, The habitable world and its fulness, Thou hast founded them. North and south Thou hast appointed them, Tabor and Hermon in Thy name do sing. Thou hast an arm with might, Strong is Thy hand -- high Thy right hand. Righteousness and judgment `Are' the fixed place of Thy throne, Kindness and truth go before Thy face. O the happiness of the people knowing the shout, O Jehovah, in the light of Thy face they walk habitually. In Thy name they rejoice all the day, And in Thy righteousness they are exalted, For the beauty of their strength `art' Thou, And in Thy good will is our horn exalted, For of Jehovah `is' our shield, And of the Holy One of Israel our king. Then Thou hast spoken in vision, To Thy saint, yea, Thou sayest, I have placed help upon a mighty one, Exalted a chosen one out of the people, I have found David My servant, With My holy oil I have anointed him. With whom My hand is established, My arm also doth strengthen him. An enemy exacteth not upon him, And a son of perverseness afflicteth him not. And I have beaten down before him his adversaries, And those hating him I plague, And My faithfulness and kindness `are' with him, And in My name is his horn exalted. And I have set on the sea his hand, And on the rivers his right hand. He proclaimeth me: `Thou `art' my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.' I also first-born do appoint him, Highest of the kings of the earth. To the age I keep for him My kindness, And My covenant `is' stedfast with him. And I have set his seed for ever, And his throne as the days of the heavens. If his sons forsake My law, And in My judgments do not walk; If My statutes they pollute, And My commands do not keep, I have looked after with a rod their transgression, And with strokes their iniquity, And My kindness I break not from him, Nor do I deal falsely in My faithfulness. I profane not My covenant, And that which is going forth from My lips I change not. Once I have sworn by My holiness, I lie not to David, His seed is to the age, And his throne `is' as the sun before Me, As the moon it is established -- to the age, And the witness in the sky is stedfast. Selah. And Thou, Thou hast cast off, and dost reject, Thou hast shown Thyself wroth With Thine anointed, Hast rejected the covenant of Thy servant, Thou hast polluted to the earth his crown, Thou hast broken down all his hedges, Thou hast made his fenced places a ruin. Spoiled him have all passing by the way, He hath been a reproach to his neighbours, Thou hast exalted the right hand of his adversaries, Thou hast caused all his enemies to rejoice. Also -- Thou turnest back the sharpness of his sword, And hast not established him in battle, Hast caused `him' to cease from his brightness, And his throne to the earth hast cast down. Thou hast shortened the days of his youth, Hast covered him over `with' shame. Selah. Till when, O Jehovah, art Thou hidden? For ever doth Thy fury burn as fire? Remember, I pray Thee, what `is' life-time? Wherefore in vain hast Thou created All the sons of men? Who `is' the man that liveth, and doth not see death? He delivereth his soul from the hand of Sheol. Selah. Where `are' Thy former kindnesses, O Lord. Thou hast sworn to David in Thy faithfulness, Remember, O Lord, the reproach of Thy servants, I have borne in my bosom all the strivings of the peoples, Wherewith Thine enemies reproached, O Jehovah, Wherewith they have reproached The steps of Thine anointed. Blessed `is' Jehovah to the age. Amen, and amen!
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Kings 4
Commentary on 1 Kings 4 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 4
1Ki 4:1-6. Solomon's Princes.
1. So King Solomon was king over all Israel—This chapter contains a general description of the state and glory of the Hebrew kingdom during the more flourishing or later years of his reign.
2. these were the princes—or chief officers, as is evident from two of them marrying Solomon's daughters.
Azariah the son of Zadok the priest—rather, "the prince," as the Hebrew word frequently signifies (Ge 41:45; Ex 2:16; 2Sa 8:18); so that from the precedency given to his person in the list, he seems to have been prime minister, the highest in office next the king.
3. scribes—that is, secretaries of state. Under David, there had been only one [2Sa 8:17; 20:25]. The employment of three functionaries in this department indicates either improved regulations by the division of labor, or a great increase of business, occasioned by the growing prosperity of the kingdom, or a more extensive correspondence with foreign countries.
recorder—that is, historiographer, or annalist—an office of great importance in Oriental courts, and the duties of which consisted in chronicling the occurrences of every day.
4. Benaiah … was over the host—formerly captain of the guard. He had succeeded Joab as commander of the forces.
Zadok and Abiathar were the priests—Only the first discharged the sacred functions; the latter had been banished to his country seat and retained nothing more than the name of high priest.
5. over the officers—that is, the provincial governors enumerated in 1Ki 4:17-19.
principal officer, and the king's friend—perhaps president of the privy council, and Solomon's confidential friend or favorite. This high functionary had probably been reared along with Solomon. That he should heap those honors on the sons of Nathan was most natural, considering the close intimacy of the father with the late king, and the deep obligations under which Solomon personally lay to the prophet.
6. Ahishar was over the household—steward or chamberlain of the palace.
Adoniram—or Adoram (2Sa 20:24; 1Ki 12:18), or Hadoram (2Ch 10:18),
was over the tribute—not the collection of money or goods, but the levy of compulsory laborers (compare 1Ki 5:13, 14).
1Ki 4:7-21. His Twelve Officers.
7. Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel—The royal revenues were raised according to the ancient, and still, in many parts, existing usage of the East, not in money payments, but in the produce of the soil. There would be always a considerable difficulty in the collection and transmission of these tithes (1Sa 8:15). Therefore, to facilitate the work, Solomon appointed twelve officers, who had each the charge of a tribe or particular district of country, from which, in monthly rotation, the supplies for the maintenance of the king's household were drawn, having first been deposited in "the store cities" which were erected for their reception (1Ki 9:19; 2Ch 8:4, 6).
8. The son of Hur—or, as the Margin has it, Benhur, Bendekar. In the rural parts of Syria, and among the Arabs, it is still common to designate persons not by their own names, but as the sons of their fathers.
21. Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river—All the petty kingdoms between the Euphrates and the Mediterranean were tributary to him. Similar is the statement in 1Ki 4:24.
22, 23. Solomon's provision for one day—not for the king's table only, but for all connected with the court, including, besides the royal establishment, those of his royal consorts, his principal officers, his bodyguards, his foreign visitors, &c. The quantity of fine floor used is estimated at two hundred forty bushels; that of meal or common flour at four hundred eighty. The number of cattle required for consumption, besides poultry and several kinds of game (which were abundant on the mountains) did not exceed in proportion what is needed in other courts of the East.
24. from Tiphsah—that is, Thapsacus, a large and flourishing town on the west bank of the Euphrates, the name of which was derived from a celebrated ford near it, the lowest on that river.
even to Azzah—that is, Gaza, on the southwestern extremity, not far from the Mediterranean.
25. every man under his vine and … fig tree—This is a common and beautiful metaphor for peace and security (Mic 4:4; Zec 3:10), founded on the practice, still common in modern Syria, of training these fruit trees up the walls and stairs of houses, so as to make a shady arbor, beneath which the people sit and relax.
26. forty thousand stalls—for the royal mews (see on 2Ch 9:25).
28. Barley … and straw—Straw is not used for litter, but barley mixed with chopped straw is the usual fodder of horses.
dromedaries—one-humped camels, distinguished for their great fleetness.
1Ki 4:29-34. His Wisdom.
29. God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart—that is, high powers of mind, great capacity for receieving, as well as aptitude for communicating knowledge.
30. Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country—that is, the Arabians, Chaldeans, and Persians (Ge 25:6).
all the wisdom of Egypt—Egypt was renowned as the seat of learning and sciences, and the existing monuments, which so clearly describe the ancient state of society and the arts, show the high culture of the Egyptian people.
31. wiser than all men—that is, all his contemporaries, either at home or abroad.
than Ethan—or Jeduthun, of the family of Merari (1Ch 6:44).
Heman—(1Ch 15:17-19)—the chief of the temple musicians and the king's seers (1Ch 25:5); the other two are not known.
the sons of Mahol—either another name for Zerah (1Ch 2:6); or taking it as a common noun, signifying a dance, a chorus, "the sons of Mahol" signify persons eminently skilled in poetry and music.
32. he spake three thousand proverbs—embodying his moral sentiments and sage observations on human life and character.
songs … a thousand and five—Psalm 72, 127, 132, and the Song of Songs are his.
33. he spake of trees, from the cedar … to the hyssop—all plants, from the greatest to the least. The Spirit of God has seen fit to preserve comparatively few memorials of the fruits of his gigantic mind. The greater part of those here ascribed to him have long since fallen a prey to the ravages of time, or perished in the Babylonish captivity, probably because they were not inspired.