The administrator (1 Kings 4:1–28)

David was a gifted administrator and his son inherited some of that ability. Even though Solomon had great wisdom and authority, he couldn’t handle the affairs of the kingdom alone. A good leader chooses capable associates and allows them to use their own gifts and thereby serve the Lord and the people.

I. Special officers (vv. 1–6).

1 So King Solomon was king over all Israel. 2 And these were his officials: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest; 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder; 4 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, over the army; Zadok and Abiathar, the priests; 5 Azariah the son of Nathan, over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan, a priest and the king’s friend; 6 Ahishar, over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda, over the labor force.

A. Azariah was the high priest.

He was the son of Ahimaaz and the grandson of Zadok, the priest who had served David so faithfully. It appears that Ahimaaz had died and therefore his son was given the office.

While David had only one scribe, Solomon had two, and they were the sons of David’s scribe, Shisha. Solomon’s kingdom was much larger and more complex than that over which his father ruled, so the keeping of records would have been more demanding.

B. Benaiah was commander in chief of the whole army.

Benaiah had been appointed head of the army by Solomon. He was born into a priestly family but chose a military life instead. Abiathar had been exiled because of his part in the plot involving Adonijah.

Zadok and Abiathar had served as co-high priests under David. Abiathar is listed here as one of Solomon’s officials because even though he was fired from being high priest he retained the title and honor after he was deposed. Perhaps Azariah and Zadok then served together as Abiathar and Zadok had done previously. Zabud was a priest who served as special adviser to the king; Ahishar managed the complex affairs of the king’s household; and Adoniram was in charge of the men who were drafted to labor in the public works of the kingdom.

II. Special commissioners (vv. 7–19).

7 And Solomon had twelve governors over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household; each one made provision for one month of the year. 8 These are their names: Ben-Hur, in the mountains of Ephraim; 9 Ben-Deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan; 10 Ben-Hesed, in Arubboth; to him belonged Sochoh and all the land of Hepher; 11 Ben-Abinadab, in all the regions of Dor; he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as wife; 12 Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth Shean, which is beside Zaretan below Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah, as far as the other side of Jokneam; 13 Ben-Geber, in Ramoth Gilead; to him belonged the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, in Gilead; to him also belonged the region of Argob in Bashan—sixty large cities with walls and bronze gate-bars; 14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; 15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali; he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon as wife; 16 Baanah the son of Hushai, in Asher and Aloth; 17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18 Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin; 19 Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan. He was the only governor who was in the land.

A. Solomon marked out twelve “districts” of various sizes and put a commissioner over each district.

The boundaries of the districts ignored the traditional boundaries of the tribes and even incorporated territory that David had taken in battle, and each district was to provide food for the king’s household for one month. It’s likely that the commissioners also collected taxes and supervised the recruiting of soldiers and laborers for the temple and Solomon’s other building projects.

By establishing new districts that crossed over old boundaries, Solomon may have hoped to minimize tribal loyalty and eliminate some of the tension between Judah and the northern tribes. Instead, the plan only aggravated the tension, particularly since Judah wasn’t included in the redistricting program. Being the royal tribe that contained the royal city, Judah was administered separately.

B. Five of the commissioners are identified by their fathers.

The son of Abinadab may have been a son of David’s own brother and therefore a cousin to Solomon. He also married one of Solomon’s daughters, as also did Ahimaaz.

It’s likely that Solomon instituted this supply system several years into his reign since he didn’t have adult children when he was crowned. Baana was probably a brother to Jehoshaphat the recorder. These twelve men had great power in the land and were a part of the corrupt bureaucracy that Solomon wrote about in Ecclesiastes 5:8–12.

III. Special disctinctions (vv. 20–28).

20 Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing. 21 So Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life. 22 Now Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty kors of fine flour, sixty kors of meal, 23 ten fatted oxen, twenty oxen from the pastures, and one hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowl. 24 For he had dominion over all the region on this side of the River from Tiphsah even to Gaza, namely over all the kings on this side of the River; and he had peace on every side all around him. 25 And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, each man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan as far as Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. 26 Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. 27 And these governors, each man in his month, provided food for King Solomon and for all who came to King Solomon’s table. There was no lack in their supply. 28 They also brought barley and straw to the proper place, for the horses and steeds, each man according to his charge.

A. The nation of Israel became famous.

Israel became famous for its large population, its peace and security, its buildings, its wise king, and its satisfying lifestyle, “eating, and drinking, and making merry”. Of course, the population grew because of God’s promise to the patriarchs and His promises in the covenant.

The enlarged territory was also a part of God’s promise. The tributary nations submitted to Solomon’s rule and brought him gifts and tribute annually, and Solomon enjoyed great blessing because of God’s covenant with David. Contrary to God’s law, Solomon multiplied horses in the land and built special cities for housing them.