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Selected Verse: 1 Kings 4:21 - Strong Concordance
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
1Ki 4:21 |
Strong Concordance |
And Solomon [08010] reigned [04910] over all kingdoms [04467] from the river [05104] unto the land [0776] of the Philistines [06430], and unto the border [01366] of Egypt [04714]: they brought [05066] presents [04503], and served [05647] Solomon [08010] all the days [03117] of his life [02416]. |
|
King James |
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. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
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 Kg1 4:24. |
Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Solomon's empire, like all the great empires of Asia down to the time of the Persians, consisted of a congeries of small kingdoms, all ruled by their own kings Kg1 4:24, who admitted the suzerainty of the Jewish monarch, and paid him "presents," i. e., an annual tribute (see Kg1 10:25).
Unto the land of the Philistines - There is no word corresponding to "unto" in the Hebrew. The construction should be, "Solomon reigned over all the kingdoms from the river (i. e., the Euphrates: see the marginal references), over the land of the Philistines," etc. The writer draws attention to the fact that the extent of Solomon's kingdom was in accordance with the promises made to Abraham, Moses, and Joshua. |
Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
Solomon's Regal Splendour. - Kg1 4:21. "Solomon was ruler over all the kingdoms from the river (Euphrates) onwards, over the land of the Philistines to the border of Egypt, who brought presents and were subject to Solomon his whole life long." Most of the commentators supply ועד before פלשׁתּים ארץ (even to the land of the Philistines) after the parallel passage Ch2 9:26, so that the following גּבוּל ועד would give a more precise definition of the terminus ad quem. But it is by no means probable that ועד, which appears to be indispensable, should have dropped out through the oversight of a copyist, and it is not absolutely necessary to supply it, inasmuch as בּ may be repeated in thought before ארץ פ from the preceding clause. The participle מגּשׁים is construed ad sensum with ממלכות. Bringing presents is equivalent to paying tribute, as in Sa2 8:2, etc.
Vv. 22-28. The splendour of the court, the consumption in the royal kitchen (Kg1 4:22-25), and the well-filled stables (Kg1 4:26-28), were such as befitted the ruler of so large a kingdom.
Kg1 4:22-23
The daily consumption of לחם (food or provisions) amounted to thirty cors of fine meal (סלת = חטּים סלת, fine sifted meal, Exo 29:2; for סלת see also Lev 2:2), and sixty cors of קמח, ordinary meal, ten fattened oxen, twenty pasture oxen, which were brought directly from the pasture and slaughtered, and a hundred sheep, beside different kinds of game. כּר, κορός, the later name for חמר, the largest dry and also liquid (Kg1 5:11), measure of capacity, contained ten ephahs or baths, i.e., according to the calculation made by Thenius, 15,300 cubic inches (Dresden) = about 1 7/8 scheffel;
(Note: The scheffel is about an English sack (vid., Flgel's Dict.). - Tr.)
so that ninety cors would amount to 171 scheffel, from which 28,000 lbs. of bread could be baked (Theol. Stud. und Krit. 1846, pp. 132,133). And "if we reckon 2 lbs. of bread to each person, there would be 14,000 persons in Solomon's court," The consumption of flesh would be quite in proportion to that of bread; for ten fattened oxen, twenty oxen from the pasture, and a hundred sheep, yield more than 21,000 lbs. of meat, that is to say, a pound and a half for each person, "assuming, according to the statements of those who are acquainted with the matter, that the edible meat of a fat ox amounts to 600 lbs., that of an ox from the pasture to 400 lbs., and that of a sheep to 70 lbs." (Thenius ut sup.). This daily consumption of Solomon's court will not appear too great, if, on the one hand, we compare it with the quantity consumed at other oriental courts both of ancient and modern times,
(Note: According to Athen. Deipnos. iv. 10, the kings of Persia required a thousand oxen a day; and according to Tavernier, in Rosenmller's A. u. N. Morgenland, iii. pp. 166,167, five hundred sheep and lambs were slaughtered daily for the Sultan's court.)
and if, on the other hand, we bear in mind that not only the numerous attendants upon the king and his harem, but also the royal adjutants and the large number of officers employed about the court, were supplied from the king's table, and that their families had also to be fed, inasmuch as the wages in oriental courts are all paid in kind. In addition to this, game was also supplied to the king's table: viz., איּל stags, צבי gazelles, יחמוּר fallow-deer, and אבוּסים בּרבּרים "fattened fowl." The meaning of אבוּסים is doubtful. The earlier translators render it birds or fowl. Kimchi adopts the rendering "capons;" Tanch. Hieroz. "geese," so called from their pure (בּרר) white feathers; and both Gesenius and Dietrich (Lex.) decide in favour of the latter. The word must denote some special kind of fowl, since edible birds in general were called צפּרים (Neh 5:18).
Kg1 4:24-25
Solomon was able to appropriate all this to his court, because (כּי) he had dominion, etc.;...and (Kg1 4:25) Israel and Judah enjoyed the blessings of peace during the whole of his reign. הנּהר בּכל־עבר, "over all the other side of the river (Euphrates)," i.e., not the land on the east, but that on the west of the river. This usage of speech is to be explained from the fact that the author of our books, who was living in exile on the other side of the Euphrates, describes the extent of Solomon's kingdom taking that as his starting-point. Solomon's power only extended to the Euphrates, from Tiphsach in the north-east to Gaza in the south-west. תּפסח (crossing, from פּסח) is Thapsacus, a large and wealthy city on the western bank of the Euphrates, at which the armies of the younger Cyrus and Alexander crossed the river (Xen. Anab. i. 4; Arrian, Exped. Alex. iii. 7). Gaza, the southernmost city of the Philistines, the present Guzzeh; see at Jos 13:3. The הנּהר עבר מלכי are the kings of Syria who were subjugated by David (Sa2 8:6 and Sa2 10:19), and of the Philistines (Sa2 8:1). "And he had peace on all sides round about." This statement does not "most decidedly contradict Kg1 11:23.," as Thenius maintains; for it cannot be proved that according to this passage the revolt of Damascus had taken place before Solomon's reign (Ewald and others; see at Kg1 11:23.).
Kg1 4:25
"Judah and Israel sat in safety, every one under his vine and his fig-tree." This expresses the undisturbed enjoyment of the costly productions of the land (Kg2 18:31), and is therefore used by the prophets as a figure denoting the happiness of the Messianic age (Mic 4:4; Zac 3:10). "From Dan to Beersheba," as in Jdg 20:1, etc.
Kg1 4:26
This verse is not to be regarded "as a parenthesis according to the intention of the editor," but gives a further proof of the peace and prosperity which the kingdom and people enjoyed under Solomon. Solomon had a strong force of war chariots and cavalry, that he might be able to suppress every attempt on the part of the tributary kings of Syria and Philistia to revolt and disturb the peace. "Solomon had 4000 racks of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 riding horses," which were kept partly in Jerusalem and partly in cities specially built for the purpose (Kg1 9:19; Kg1 10:26; Ch2 1:14; Ch2 9:25). ארבּעים (40) is an old copyist's error for ארבּעה (4), which we find in the parallel passage Ch2 9:25, and as we may also infer from Kg1 10:26 and Ch2 1:14, since according to these passages Solomon had 1400 רכב or war chariots. For 4000 horses are a very suitable number for 1400 chariots, though not 40,000, since two draught horses were required for every war chariot, and one horse may have been kept as a reserve. ארוה does not mean a team (Ges.), but a rack or box in a stable, from ארה, carpere. According to Vegetius, i. 56, in Bochart (Hieroz. i. p. 112, ed. Ros.), even in ancient times every horse had it own crib in the stable just as it has now. Bttcher (n. ex. Krit. Aehrenl. ii. p. 27) is wrong in supposing that there were several horses, say at least ten, to one rack. מרכּב is used collectively for "chariots."
Kg1 4:27-28
"And" = a still further proof of the blessings of peace - "those prefects (Kg1 4:7.) provided for king Solomon, and all who came to the king's table, i.e., who were fed from the royal table, every one his month (see at Kg1 4:7), so that nothing was wanting (Kg1 4:28), and conveyed the barley (the ordinary food of cattle in Palestine and the southern lands, where oats are not cultivated) and the straw for the horses and coursers to the place where it ought to be. To שׁם יהיה אשׁר the lxx, Vulg., and others supply המּלך as the subject: wherever the king might stay. This is certainly more in harmony with the imperfect יהיה than it would be to supply הרכשׁ, as Bochart and others propose; still it is hardly correct. For in that case ולרכשׁ לסּוּסים could only be understood as referring to the chariot horses and riding horses, which Solomon kept for the necessities of his court, and not to the whole of the cavalry; since we cannot possibly assume that even if Solomon changed his residence according to the season and to suit his pleasure, or on political grounds, as Thenius supposes, though this cannot by any means be inferred from Kg1 9:18 and Kg1 9:19, he took 16,000 horses about with him. But this limitation of the clause is evidently at variance with the context, since ולרכב לסּוּסים too plainly refer back to Kg1 4:6. Moreover, "if the king were intended, he would certainly have been mentioned by name, as so many other subjects and objects have come between." For these reasons we agree with Bttcher in taking יהיה indefinitely: "where it (barley and straw) was wanted, according to the distribution of the horses." רכשׁ probably denotes a very superior kind of horse, like the German Renner (a courser or race-horse). כּמשׁפּטו אישׁ, every one according to his right, i.e., whatever was appointed for him as right. |
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
The river - Euphrates: for so far David, having conquered the Syrians, extended his empire, which Solomon also maintained in that extent. And so God's promise concerning the giving the whole land, as far as Euphrates, to the Israelites, was fulfilled. And, if the Israelites had multiplied so much that the land of Canaan would not suffice them, having God's grant of all the land as far as Euphrates, they might have seized upon it whensoever occasion required. The land of the Philistines - Which is to be understood inclusively; for the Philistines were within Solomon's dominion. The border of Egypt - Unto the river Sihor, which was the border between Egypt and Canaan. And served - By tribute, or other ways, as he needed and required. |
Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
Solomon reigned over all kingdoms - The meaning of this verse appears to be, that Solomon reigned over all the provinces from the river Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, even to the frontiers of Egypt. The Euphrates was on the east of Solomon's dominions; the Philistines were westward on the Mediterranean sea; and Egypt was on the south. Solomon had, therefore, as tributaries, the kingdoms of Syria, Damascus, Moab, and Ammon, which lay between the Euphrates and the Mediterranean. See Calmet. Thus he appears to have possessed all the land that God covenanted with Abraham to give to his posterity. |
24 For he had dominion [07287] over all the region on this side [05676] the river [05104], from Tiphsah [08607] even to Azzah [05804], over all the kings [04428] on this side [05676] the river [05104]: and he had peace [07965] on all sides [05650] [05676] round about [05439] him.
25 And they brought [0935] every man [0376] his present [04503], vessels [03627] of silver [03701], and vessels [03627] of gold [02091], and garments [08008], and armour [05402], and spices [01314], horses [05483], and mules [06505], a rate [01697] year [08141] by year [08141].
24 For he had dominion [07287] over all the region on this side [05676] the river [05104], from Tiphsah [08607] even to Azzah [05804], over all the kings [04428] on this side [05676] the river [05104]: and he had peace [07965] on all sides [05650] [05676] round about [05439] him.
6 And Ahishar [0301] was over the household [01004]: and Adoniram [0141] the son [01121] of Abda [05653] was over the tribute [04522].
19 And all the cities [05892] of store [04543] that Solomon [08010] had, and cities [05892] for his chariots [07393], and cities [05892] for his horsemen [06571], and that [02837] which Solomon [08010] desired [02836] to build [01129] in Jerusalem [03389], and in Lebanon [03844], and in all the land [0776] of his dominion [04475].
18 And Baalath [01191], and Tadmor [08412] in the wilderness [04057], in the land [0776],
28 Barley [08184] also and straw [08401] for the horses [05483] and dromedaries [07409] brought [0935] they unto the place [04725] where the officers were, every man [0376] according to his charge [04941].
7 And Solomon [08010] had twelve [08147] [06240] officers [05324] over all Israel [03478], which provided victuals [03557] for the king [04428] and his household [01004]: each man [0259] his month [02320] in a year [08141] made provision [03557].
7 And Solomon [08010] had twelve [08147] [06240] officers [05324] over all Israel [03478], which provided victuals [03557] for the king [04428] and his household [01004]: each man [0259] his month [02320] in a year [08141] made provision [03557].
27 And those officers [05324] provided victual [03557] for king [04428] Solomon [08010], and for all that came [07131] unto king [04428] Solomon's [08010] table [07979], every man [0376] in his month [02320]: they lacked [05737] nothing [01697].
28 Barley [08184] also and straw [08401] for the horses [05483] and dromedaries [07409] brought [0935] they unto the place [04725] where the officers were, every man [0376] according to his charge [04941].
14 And Solomon [08010] gathered [0622] chariots [07393] and horsemen [06571]: and he had a thousand [0505] and four [0702] hundred [03967] chariots [07393], and twelve [08147] [06240] thousand [0505] horsemen [06571], which he placed [03240] in the chariot [07393] cities [05892], and with the king [04428] at Jerusalem [03389].
26 And Solomon [08010] gathered together [0622] chariots [07393] and horsemen [06571]: and he had a thousand [0505] and four [0702] hundred [03967] chariots [07393], and twelve [08147] [06240] thousand [0505] horsemen [06571], whom he bestowed [05148] in the cities [05892] for chariots [07393], and with the king [04428] at Jerusalem [03389].
25 And Solomon [08010] had four [0702] thousand [0505] stalls [0723] for horses [05483] and chariots [04818], and twelve [08147] [06240] thousand [0505] horsemen [06571]; whom he bestowed [03240] in the chariot [07393] cities [05892], and with the king [04428] at Jerusalem [03389].
25 And Solomon [08010] had four [0702] thousand [0505] stalls [0723] for horses [05483] and chariots [04818], and twelve [08147] [06240] thousand [0505] horsemen [06571]; whom he bestowed [03240] in the chariot [07393] cities [05892], and with the king [04428] at Jerusalem [03389].
14 And Solomon [08010] gathered [0622] chariots [07393] and horsemen [06571]: and he had a thousand [0505] and four [0702] hundred [03967] chariots [07393], and twelve [08147] [06240] thousand [0505] horsemen [06571], which he placed [03240] in the chariot [07393] cities [05892], and with the king [04428] at Jerusalem [03389].
26 And Solomon [08010] gathered together [0622] chariots [07393] and horsemen [06571]: and he had a thousand [0505] and four [0702] hundred [03967] chariots [07393], and twelve [08147] [06240] thousand [0505] horsemen [06571], whom he bestowed [05148] in the cities [05892] for chariots [07393], and with the king [04428] at Jerusalem [03389].
19 And all the cities [05892] of store [04543] that Solomon [08010] had, and cities [05892] for his chariots [07393], and cities [05892] for his horsemen [06571], and that [02837] which Solomon [08010] desired [02836] to build [01129] in Jerusalem [03389], and in Lebanon [03844], and in all the land [0776] of his dominion [04475].
26 And Solomon [08010] had forty [0705] thousand [0505] stalls [0723] of horses [05483] for his chariots [04817], and twelve [08147] [06240] thousand [0505] horsemen [06571].
1 Then all the children [01121] of Israel [03478] went out [03318], and the congregation [05712] was gathered together [06950] as one [0259] man [0376], from Dan [01835] even to Beersheba [0884], with the land [0776] of Gilead [01568], unto the LORD [03068] in Mizpeh [04709].
10 In that day [03117], saith [05002] the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635], shall ye call [07121] every man [0376] his neighbour [07453] under the vine [01612] and under the fig tree [08384].
4 But they shall sit [03427] every man [0376] under his vine [01612] and under his fig tree [08384]; and none shall make them afraid [02729]: for the mouth [06310] of the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635] hath spoken [01696] it.
31 Hearken [08085] not to Hezekiah [02396]: for thus saith [0559] the king [04428] of Assyria [0804], Make [06213] an agreement with me by a present [01293], and come out [03318] to me, and then eat [0398] ye every man [0376] of his own vine [01612], and every one [0376] of his fig tree [08384], and drink [08354] ye every one [0376] the waters [04325] of his cistern [0953]:
25 And Judah [03063] and Israel [03478] dwelt [03427] safely [0983], every man [0376] under his vine [01612] and under his fig tree [08384], from Dan [01835] even to Beersheba [0884], all the days [03117] of Solomon [08010].
23 And God [0430] stirred him up [06965] another adversary [07854], Rezon [07331] the son [01121] of Eliadah [0450], which fled [01272] from his lord [0113] Hadadezer [01909] king [04428] of Zobah [06678]:
23 And God [0430] stirred him up [06965] another adversary [07854], Rezon [07331] the son [01121] of Eliadah [0450], which fled [01272] from his lord [0113] Hadadezer [01909] king [04428] of Zobah [06678]:
1 And after [0310] this it came to pass, that David [01732] smote [05221] the Philistines [06430], and subdued [03665] them: and David [01732] took [03947] Methegammah [04965] out of the hand [03027] of the Philistines [06430].
19 And when all the kings [04428] that were servants [05650] to Hadarezer [01928] saw [07200] that they were smitten [05062] before [06440] Israel [03478], they made peace [07999] with Israel [03478], and served [05647] them. So the Syrians [0758] feared [03372] to help [03467] the children [01121] of Ammon [05983] any more.
6 Then David [01732] put [07760] garrisons [05333] in Syria [0758] of Damascus [01834]: and the Syrians [0758] became servants [05650] to David [01732], and brought [05375] gifts [04503]. And the LORD [03068] preserved [03467] David [01732] whithersoever he went [01980].
3 From Sihor [07883], which is before [06440] Egypt [04714], even unto the borders [01366] of Ekron [06138] northward [06828], which is counted [02803] to the Canaanite [03669]: five [02568] lords [05633] of the Philistines [06430]; the Gazathites [05841], and the Ashdothites [0796], the Eshkalonites [0832], the Gittites [01663], and the Ekronites [06139]; also the Avites [05761]:
25 And Judah [03063] and Israel [03478] dwelt [03427] safely [0983], every man [0376] under his vine [01612] and under his fig tree [08384], from Dan [01835] even to Beersheba [0884], all the days [03117] of Solomon [08010].
24 For he had dominion [07287] over all the region on this side [05676] the river [05104], from Tiphsah [08607] even to Azzah [05804], over all the kings [04428] on this side [05676] the river [05104]: and he had peace [07965] on all sides [05650] [05676] round about [05439] him.
25 And Judah [03063] and Israel [03478] dwelt [03427] safely [0983], every man [0376] under his vine [01612] and under his fig tree [08384], from Dan [01835] even to Beersheba [0884], all the days [03117] of Solomon [08010].
18 Now that which was prepared [06213] for me daily [03117] was one [0259] ox [07794] and six [08337] choice [01305] sheep [06629]; also fowls [06833] were prepared [06213] for me, and once in ten [06235] days [03117] store [07235] of all sorts of wine [03196]: yet for all [05973] this required [01245] not I the bread [03899] of the governor [06346], because the bondage [05656] was heavy [03513] upon this people [05971].
11 And Solomon [08010] gave [05414] Hiram [02438] twenty [06242] thousand [0505] measures [03734] of wheat [02406] for food [04361] to his household [01004], and twenty [06242] measures [03734] of pure [03795] oil [08081]: thus gave [05414] Solomon [08010] to Hiram [02438] year [08141] by year [08141].
2 And he shall bring [0935] it to Aaron's [0175] sons [01121] the priests [03548]: and he shall take [07061] thereout [08033] his handful [07062] [04393] of the flour [05560] thereof, and of the oil [08081] thereof, with all the frankincense [03828] thereof; and the priest [03548] shall burn [06999] the memorial [0234] of it upon the altar [04196], to be an offering made by fire [0801], of a sweet [05207] savour [07381] unto the LORD [03068]:
2 And unleavened [04682] bread [03899], and cakes [02471] unleavened [04682] tempered [01101] with oil [08081], and wafers [07550] unleavened [04682] anointed [04886] with oil [08081]: of wheaten [02406] flour [05560] shalt thou make [06213] them.
22 And Solomon's [08010] provision [03899] for one [0259] day [03117] was thirty [07970] measures [03734] of fine flour [05560], and threescore [08346] measures [03734] of meal [07058],
23 Ten [06235] fat [01277] oxen [01241], and twenty [06242] oxen [01241] out of the pastures [07471], and an hundred [03967] sheep [06629], beside harts [0354], and roebucks [06643], and fallowdeer [03180], and fatted [075] fowl [01257].
26 And Solomon [08010] had forty [0705] thousand [0505] stalls [0723] of horses [05483] for his chariots [04817], and twelve [08147] [06240] thousand [0505] horsemen [06571].
27 And those officers [05324] provided victual [03557] for king [04428] Solomon [08010], and for all that came [07131] unto king [04428] Solomon's [08010] table [07979], every man [0376] in his month [02320]: they lacked [05737] nothing [01697].
28 Barley [08184] also and straw [08401] for the horses [05483] and dromedaries [07409] brought [0935] they unto the place [04725] where the officers were, every man [0376] according to his charge [04941].
22 And Solomon's [08010] provision [03899] for one [0259] day [03117] was thirty [07970] measures [03734] of fine flour [05560], and threescore [08346] measures [03734] of meal [07058],
23 Ten [06235] fat [01277] oxen [01241], and twenty [06242] oxen [01241] out of the pastures [07471], and an hundred [03967] sheep [06629], beside harts [0354], and roebucks [06643], and fallowdeer [03180], and fatted [075] fowl [01257].
24 For he had dominion [07287] over all the region on this side [05676] the river [05104], from Tiphsah [08607] even to Azzah [05804], over all the kings [04428] on this side [05676] the river [05104]: and he had peace [07965] on all sides [05650] [05676] round about [05439] him.
25 And Judah [03063] and Israel [03478] dwelt [03427] safely [0983], every man [0376] under his vine [01612] and under his fig tree [08384], from Dan [01835] even to Beersheba [0884], all the days [03117] of Solomon [08010].
2 And he smote [05221] Moab [04124], and measured [04058] them with a line [02256], casting them down [07901] to the ground [0776]; even with two [08147] lines [02256] measured [04058] he to put to death [04191], and with one full [04393] line [02256] to keep alive [02421]. And so the Moabites [04124] became David's [01732] servants [05650], and brought [05375] gifts [04503].
26 And he reigned [04910] over all the kings [04428] from the river [05104] even unto the land [0776] of the Philistines [06430], and to the border [01366] of Egypt [04714].
21 And Solomon [08010] reigned [04910] over all kingdoms [04467] from the river [05104] unto the land [0776] of the Philistines [06430], and unto the border [01366] of Egypt [04714]: they brought [05066] presents [04503], and served [05647] Solomon [08010] all the days [03117] of his life [02416].