How are Solomon’s household and horses supplied across the year?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Twelve governors supply the king and his household, each for one month of the year. They also feed the horses, provide for his table carefully in their turn, and bring barley and straw where the king is, as assigned.

Chapter breakdown

Solomon reigns over all Israel. His princes include Azarias, the son of Sadoc the priest; the scribes Elihoreph and Ahia, sons of Sisa; Josaphat, Ahilud’s son, the recorder; Banaias, Joiada’s son, over the army; and the priests Sadoc and Abiathar.

Challoner’s separate note says that by this it appears Abiathar was not altogether deposed from the high priesthood, but was banished to his country house and thereby excluded from exercising his functions.

Azarias, Nathan’s son, is over those about the king. Zabud, Nathan’s son, is a priest and the king’s friend. Ahisar governs the house, and Adoniram, Abda’s son, is over the tribute. Solomon has twelve governors over all Israel who supply food for him and his household, each providing what is needed for one month in the year.

Benhur is in mount Ephraim. Bendecar is in Macces, Salebim, Bethsames, Elon and Bethanan. Benhesed is in Aruboth, with Socho and all Epher’s land belonging to him. Benabinadab has all Nephath-Dor and is married to Solomon’s daughter Tapheth. Bana, Ahilud’s son, governs Thanac, Mageddo and all Bethsan by Sarthana beneath Jezrael, from Bethsan to Abelmehula opposite Jecmaan. Bengaber is in Ramoth Galaad; he has Jair’s town in Galaad—Jair being Manasses’s son—and is chief over all Argob in Basan, with sixty great cities having walls and brazen bolts.

Ahinadab, Addo’s son, is chief in Manaim. Achimaas is in Nephthali and is married to Solomon’s daughter Basemath. Baana, Husi’s son, is in Aser and Baloth. Josaphat, Pharue’s son, is in Issachar. Semei, Ela’s son, is in Benjamin. Gaber, Uri’s son, governs all who are in the land of Galaad, the land of Sehon, king of the Amorrhites, and of Og, king of Basan.

Juda and Israel are innumerable like the sand of the sea, eating, drinking and rejoicing. Solomon has under him all the kingdoms from the river to the Philistines’ land and Egypt’s border. They bring him presents and serve him throughout his life.

Challoner identifies the river as the Euphrates.

Solomon’s daily provision is thirty measures of fine flour and sixty measures of meal, ten fat oxen, twenty oxen from the pastures and a hundred rams, besides venison of harts, roes and buffles, and fatted fowls. He has all the country beyond the river from Thaphsa to Gazan, with all its kings, and peace on every side. Juda and Israel live without fear, each under his vine and fig tree, from Dan to Bersabee throughout Solomon’s days.

Solomon has forty thousand stalls of chariot horses and twelve thousand for the saddle. The governors feed them and carefully supply what is needed for Solomon’s table in their turn. They also bring barley and straw for the horses and beasts to the place where the king is, as assigned to them.

God gives Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. His wisdom surpasses that of all the Orientals and Egyptians. He is wiser than all men, including Ethan the Ezrahite and Heman, Chalcol and Dorda, the sons of Mahol, and is renowned in the nations around him. Solomon speaks three thousand parables, and his poems number one thousand and five.

Challoner’s separate note says these works are all lost except some parables preserved in Proverbs and Solomon’s chief poem, the Canticle of Canticles.

Solomon treats of trees from the cedar in Libanus to the hyssop growing out of the wall, and speaks of beasts, fowls, creeping things and fishes. People come from all nations and from all the kings of the earth who hear of his wisdom to listen to him.

The story inside

The chapter moves from named officers and supply districts to the amounts supplied, the breadth of Solomon’s rule and his wisdom. The twelve governors have a specified monthly duty, and the later account returns to their care for the table, horses and beasts. Alongside daily quantities, the chapter records kingdoms bringing presents and Juda and Israel living without fear. It then names God as the giver of Solomon’s wisdom, gives comparisons and totals for his works, and lists the subjects on which he speaks. Those who hear of his wisdom come to listen. The three separate notes explain Abiathar’s listed position, the river’s name and the works said to remain.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The long list explains who performs the supply duty. Each governor has a named territory, and two are identified as husbands of Solomon’s daughters. The later verses connect that monthly arrangement to the table and the barley and straw, without stating that every district carried an equal burden.
2
The account of abundance contains exact limits and amounts. Presents and service from the kingdoms continue through Solomon’s life, and the safety under vines and fig trees is stated for his days. The daily flour, meal and animal figures remain separate rather than being reduced to a general claim of wealth.
3
The account names both the range of wisdom and the works. The three thousand parables and one thousand and five poems are followed by subjects from cedar to hyssop and several kinds of creatures. Challoner’s note about lost works and the two exceptions should remain separate from the verse’s totals.

Test your recall

How do the governors’ monthly assignments connect to the later description of supplies for Solomon’s table and horses?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 35078–35091
3 Kings Chapter 4 Solomon’s chief officers. His riches and wisdom. 4:1. And king Solomon reigned over all Israel: 4:2. And these were the princes which he had: Azarias, the son of Sadoc, the priest: 4:3. Elihoreph, and Ahia, the sons of Sisa, scribes: Josaphat, the son of Ahilud, recorder: 4:4. Banaias, the son of Joiada, over the army: and Sadoc, and Abiathar, priests.
Lines 35093–35095
Abiathar.... By this it appears that Abiathar was not altogether deposed from the high priesthood; but only banished to his country house, and by that means excluded from the exercise of his functions.
Lines 35097–35105
4:5. Azarias, the son of Nathan, over them that were about the king: Zabud, the son of Nathan, the priest, the king’s friend: 4:6. And Ahisar, governor of the house: and Adoniram, the son of Abda, over the tribute. 4:7. And Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel, who provided victuals for the king and for his house hold: for every one provided necessaries, each man his month in the year.
Lines 35107–35123
4:8. And these are their names: Benhur, in mount Ephraim. 4:9. Bendecar, in Macces, and in Salebim, and in Bethsames, and in Elon, and in Bethanan. 4:10. Benhesed, in Aruboth: his was Socho, and all the land of Epher. 4:11. Benabinadab, to whom belonged all Nephath-Dor: he had Tapheth, the daughter of Solomon, to wife. 4:12. Bana, the son of Ahilud, who governed Thanac, and Mageddo, and all Bethsan, which is by Sarthana, beneath Jezrael, from Bethsan unto Abelmehula, over against Jecmaan. 4:13. Bengaber, in Ramoth Galaad: he had the town of Jair, the son of Manasses, in Galaad: he was chief in all the country of Argob, which is in Basan, threescore great cities with walls, and brazen bolts.
Lines 35125–35138
4:14. Ahinadab, the son of Addo, was chief in Manaim. 4:15. Achimaas, in Nephthali: he also had Basemath, the daughter of Solomon, to wife. 4:16. Baana, the son of Husi, in Aser, and in Baloth. 4:17. Josaphat, the son of Pharue, in Issachar. 4:18. Semei, the son of Ela, in Benjamin. 4:19. Gaber, the son of Uri, in the land of Galaad, in the land of Sehon, the king of the Amorrhites, and of Og, the king of Basan, over all that were in that land.
Lines 35140–35145
4:20. Juda and Israel were innumerable, as the sand of the sea in multitude; eating and drinking, and rejoicing. 4:21. And Solomon had under him all the kingdoms, from the river to the land of the Philistines, even to the border of Egypt: and they brought him presents, and served him all the days of his life.
Lines 35147–35147
The river.... Euphrates.
Lines 35149–35161
4:22. And the provision of Solomon, for each day, was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal; 4:23. Ten fat oxen, and twenty out of the pastures, and a hundred rams; besides venison of harts, roes, and buffles, and fatted fowls. 4:24. For he had all the country which was beyond the river, from Thaphsa to Gazan, and all the kings of those countries: and he had peace on every side round about. 4:25. And Juda, and Israel, dwelt without any fear, every one under his vine, and under his fig tree, from Dan to Bersabee, all the days of Solomon.
Lines 35163–35171
4:26. And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of chariot horses, and twelve thousand for the saddle. 4:27. And the foresaid governors of the king fed them; and they furnished the necessaries also for king Solomon’s table, with great care, in their time. 4:28. They brought barley also, and straw for the horses and beasts, to the place where the king was, according as it was appointed them.
Lines 35173–35184
4:29. And God gave to Solomon wisdom, and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, as the sand that is on the sea shore. 4:30. And the wisdom of Solomon surpassed the wisdom of all the Orientals, and of the Egyptians; 4:31. And he was wiser than all men: wiser than Ethan, the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Dorda, the sons of Mahol, and he was renowned in all nations round about. 4:32. Solomon also spoke three thousand parables: and his poems were a thousand and five.
Lines 35186–35188
Three thousand parables, etc.... These works are all lost, excepting some part of the parables extant in the book of Proverbs; and his chief poem called the Canticle of Canticles.
Lines 35190–35195
4:33. And he treated about trees, from the cedar that is in Libanus, unto the hyssop that cometh out of the wall: and he discoursed of beasts, and of fowls, and of creeping things, and of fishes. 4:34. And they came from all nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who heard of his wisdom.