Solomon’s Power, Wealth, and Wisdom

20 (A)Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand that is on the [a]seashore in abundance; they were eating, drinking, and rejoicing.

21 [b](B)Now Solomon was ruling over all the kingdoms (C)from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt; (D)they brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.

22 Solomon’s [c]provision for one day was [d]thirty kors of fine flour and [e]sixty kors of meal, 23 ten fat oxen, twenty [f]pasture-fed oxen, and a hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened geese. 24 For he was ruling over everything [g]west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah even to (E)Gaza, (F)over all the kings [h]west of the River; and (G)he had peace on all sides surrounding him. 25 (H)So Judah and Israel lived securely, everyone under his vine and his fig tree, (I)from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. 26 (J)Solomon had [i]forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. 27 And those deputies provided food for King Solomon and all who came to King Solomon’s table, each in his month; they allowed nothing to be lacking. 28 They also brought barley and straw for the war horses and (K)baggage horses to the place where it was required, each deputy according to his duty.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 4:20 Lit sea
  2. 1 Kings 4:21 Ch 5:1 in Heb
  3. 1 Kings 4:22 Lit bread
  4. 1 Kings 4:22 About 231 cubic feet or 6.5 cubic meters
  5. 1 Kings 4:22 About 462 cubic feet or 13 cubic meters
  6. 1 Kings 4:23 Lit oxen of the pasture
  7. 1 Kings 4:24 Lit beyond
  8. 1 Kings 4:24 Lit beyond
  9. 1 Kings 4:26 One LXX ms reads 4,000, cf. 2 Chr 9:25

20 Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.

21 And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the 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.

22 And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,

23 Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl.

24 For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him.

25 And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.

26 And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.

27 And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon's table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing.

28 Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.

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20 Israel and Judah were a wealthy, populous, contented nation at this time. 21 King Solomon ruled the whole area from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and down to the borders of Egypt. The conquered peoples of those lands sent taxes to Solomon and continued to serve him throughout his lifetime.

22 The daily food requirements for the palace were 195 bushels of fine flour, 390 bushels of meal, 23 10 oxen from the fattening pens, 20 pasture-fed cattle, 100 sheep, and, from time to time, deer, gazelles, roebucks, and plump fowl.

24 His dominion extended over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza. And there was peace throughout the land.

25 Throughout the lifetime of Solomon, all of Judah and Israel lived in peace and safety; and each family had its own home and garden.

26 Solomon owned forty thousand chariot horses and employed twelve thousand charioteers. 27 Each month the tax officials provided food for King Solomon and his court, 28 also the barley and straw for the royal horses in the stables.

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Solomon’s Daily Provisions

20 The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand(A) on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy.(B) 21 And Solomon ruled(C) over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River(D) to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.(E) These countries brought tribute(F) and were Solomon’s subjects all his life.

22 Solomon’s daily provisions(G) were thirty cors[a] of the finest flour and sixty cors[b] of meal, 23 ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed cattle and a hundred sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks and choice fowl.(H) 24 For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah(I) to Gaza, and had peace(J) on all sides. 25 During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba,(K) lived in safety,(L) everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree.(M)

26 Solomon had four[c] thousand stalls for chariot horses,(N) and twelve thousand horses.[d]

27 The district governors,(O) each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon and all who came to the king’s table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking. 28 They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 4:22 That is, probably about 5 1/2 tons or about 5 metric tons
  2. 1 Kings 4:22 That is, probably about 11 tons or about 10 metric tons
  3. 1 Kings 4:26 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 2 Chron. 9:25); Hebrew forty
  4. 1 Kings 4:26 Or charioteers