And these are their names Ben-Hur, in mount Ephraim.
The chapter has already named Solomon's court officials. Now it turns to twelve district officers, each over one region, starting with Ben-hur in the hill country of Ephraim. Why does God keep the names of men who supplied a king's table? And what does the list show about the kingdom Solomon's reign pictures?
Verse 8 is the first entry in a list, and the list has a purpose. One writer sums up the whole chapter:
1 Kings 4 contains a list of the officers who served Solomon and upheld the glory of his throne. It then shows how the whole country provided for the upkeep of his household, while Judah and Israel grew in number and were full of joy. The king's authority extends as far as the Euphrates. Peace reigns all around.
The chapter lists names before it lists duties. One writer reads the names themselves as part of the message, and gives the meaning of some:
"So King Solomon was king over all Israel." The chapter gives a list of the princes and the twelve officers first. Their names fit the character of the kingdom exactly, and they point forward to the coming and better kingdom of our Lord. Here are the names of the princes with their meanings: Azariah, "Jehovah is help"; Elihoreph, "my God is reward"; Jehoshaphat, "Jehovah judges"; Benaiah, "Built up by Jehovah"; Zabud, "Gift bestowed."
The first man on the list carries his father's name, and his post was practical:
Ben-hur, or "son of Hur," supply officer of Solomon in mount Ephraim. 1 Kings 4:8.
The name of his district can mislead:
Mount Ephraim does not refer to any one mountain. It refers to the range of hills, or hill country, in Ephraim, which stretches from Bethel to the plains of Jezreel.
The supplies ran one way: from the regions to the king's table. One writer draws out what that pictures:
Solomon did have 12 governors over Israel, each in a different area. Scripture does not say that these men were benefactors of the people. It says that each one in turn provided food for Solomon and his household, one month each year (v.7). This pictures how Israel will respond to the Lord Jesus in a coming day, when they give Him their full allegiance. We may be sure these governors also cared for the needs of the people. In the same way, those who give the Lord the first place will not fail to show kindness to others.
The count matters. One writer explains what twelve stands for in Scripture:
Twelve is the number devoted to perfection in human government — in government by man. In the Church the number is seven, because there the administration is spiritual. In Israel it is twelve — twelve tribes, not seven.
The chapter's other list falls one short. Verses 2–6 name eleven princes, not twelve. Writers call the coming kingdom of the Lord Jesus His millennial reign, and one commentator reads the missing twelfth prince as part of the picture:
Now Solomon was undisputed king over all Israel, and the unity of peace held, for this is typical of the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus. However, Solomon's reign was not itself millennial. So he had only eleven princes (vs.2-6), not twelve — and twelve is the number of governmental completeness.
God could have left these supply officers out of His book. He did not. One writer draws out the principle:
The Lord takes pleasure in recording even the names of His servants… He honours those who honour Him. He records their names in His word now, just as He will glorify their persons in the great day that is coming quickly.
Reading such a list well takes help from God:
Verses 8-19 tell us the names of the 12 governors and the areas they ruled. Such scripture holds real instruction and blessing for those who seek and receive discernment from God to search it out.
- Named. The list opens with "these were their names." The names suit the character of the kingdom and point forward to the better kingdom of Christ.
- Placed. Ben-hur, "son of Hur," supplied Solomon from the hill country of Ephraim. That was not one mountain but a range of hills running from Bethel to the plains of Jezreel.
- Provisioned. Each of the twelve fed the king's household for one month. Supply flowing up to the throne pictures Israel one day giving the Lord Jesus full allegiance.
- Numbered. Twelve is the number of completeness in government by man. The eleven court princes of verses 2–6 mark a reign that pictures Christ's coming kingdom without being it.
- Remembered. The Lord takes pleasure in recording the names of His servants. Even one supply officer's line rewards the reader who searches it out.
Ben-Deker in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth-shemesh, and Elon-Beth-hanan.
Ben-deker is one of twelve governors listed in this chapter. Each name comes with a district and little else. So why does God keep a record of such men, such towns, and such ordinary work?
The list belongs to a chapter whose whole subject is the settled splendour of Solomon's reign. One writer sets out its two halves — the men who served, and the land that supplied them:
1 Kings 4 lists the officers who served Solomon and upheld the glory of his throne. It then shows how the whole country provided for the upkeep of his household, while Judah and Israel grew in number and were full of joy. The king's authority extends as far as the Euphrates. Peace reigns all around. The wisdom and understanding God had given him went beyond anything known in the world, so that people came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of his lips.
Ben-deker's district is part of that picture. The glory of the throne rested on officers doing their work in their own place.
Verses 8 to 19 give little more than names and territories. One commentator still calls such a list worth searching:
The names of the 12 governors are told us in verses 8-19 and the areas over which they ruled. There is real instruction and blessing in such scripture. It is for those who seek discernment from God, receive it, and use it to search the scripture out.
One of Ben-deker's towns, Beth-shemesh, turns up again and again in Scripture. Its story was not peaceful:
A town of the Levites on the north border of Judah. God guided the ark there by a miracle when the Philistines sent it back from Ekron, and there the people were struck down for looking into it. Here Jehoash king of Israel defeated Amaziah king of Judah. It was afterwards occupied by the Philistines. Joshua 15:10; Joshua 21:16; 1 Samuel 6:9-20; 1 Kings 4:9; 2 Kings 14:11, 13. It is identified with Ain Shems.
Another of his towns, Shaalbim, has had its name read as a warning:
Shaalabbin, or Shaalbim, gives us, under the number of testimony, the truth about it: "hollow-hearted." How willingly men are hypocrites in this respect, while they deceive no one, and least of all themselves!
Each governor owed the king food. One commentator notes which way that supply flowed:
Solomon did have 12 governors over Israel, each in a different area. It is not said that these were benefactors of the people. Rather, each one in turn provided food for Solomon and his household, one for each month of the year (v.7). This pictures the response of Israel toward the Lord Jesus in a coming day, when they give Him full allegiance. We may be sure these governors also attended to the needs of the people. It is the same with all who give the Lord the first place: they will not fail to show kindness to others.
One writer counts the princes named at the top of the chapter and finds only eleven:
All Israel was gathered under his sceptre (v. 1), forming one peaceful unity. Nothing like this had been known during his father's reign. The seven years at Hebron, the rebellion of Absalom, the rebellion of Sheba the son of Bichri, and that of Adonijah all prove it. Now everything is in order and worthy of this glorious reign, but we find only eleven princes (vv. 2-6). The number twelve stands for perfect order in government on earth. That order had not yet come, and it would not come until One greater than Solomon appeared.
Solomon's reign did not last. One writer says where that failure points:
Solomon held the blessing of God on terms of responsibility, and so everything was forfeited. When could God ever trust flesh! Solomon failed. So has everyone else into whose hands God has entrusted great things. Their failure only makes it clear that Christ is the only hope. In His day He will take up all that men have handled and lost. He will carry through to perfection every desire and purpose of God.
- Place — Ben-deker holds a district, not a headline. The glory of Solomon's throne rested on officers like him.
- Past — Beth-shemesh had seen the ark, judgment and defeat. Now it feeds a king whose land is at peace.
- Portion — each governor sent food up to the king for one month of the year. That pictures Israel's future allegiance to the Lord Jesus.
- Pattern — those who give the Lord the first place also care for the people around them.
- Perfection — the chapter counts only eleven princes, not twelve. Perfect government waits for One greater than Solomon.
Ben-Hesed, in Arubboth; he had Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher.
Ben-hesed is the third name in a list of twelve officers, each governing a district under King Solomon. The list looks dull, yet it shows Solomon's kingdom at its height, with peace all around.
The list shows what held up Solomon's throne, and how the whole nation kept his table supplied.
1 Kings 4 contains a list of the officers who served Solomon and upheld the glory of his throne. It then shows the way the whole country provided for the upkeep of his household. Judah and Israel were multiplied and full of joy. The king's authority extends as far as the Euphrates. Peace reigns all around. The wisdom and understanding which God had given him surpassed all that was known in the world. So people came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of his lips.
Solomon ruled a united nation at peace, unlike his father David. Even the count of his officials is part of the picture.
In Solomon's time peace was established in a way not seen in David's day, because there was constant turmoil while David reigned. Now Solomon was the undisputed king over all Israel, and the unity of peace prevailed. This is a picture of the thousand-year reign of the Lord Jesus. Yet Solomon's reign was not itself that reign, so he had only eleven princes (vs.2-6) rather than twelve, and twelve is the number of governmental completeness.
Notice which way the supply ran: toward the king, not out to the people. Ben-hesed's turn came once in the year.
Solomon did have twelve governors over Israel, each in a different area. We are not told that these men were benefactors of the people. What we are told is that each one in turn provided food for Solomon and his household, one month each in the year (v.7). This pictures the response of Israel toward the Lord Jesus in a coming day, when they give full allegiance to Him. We may be sure these governors also cared for the needs of the people. Those who give the Lord the first place will not fail to show kindness to others.
Ben-hesed's district can still be placed, at least roughly.
This was Solomon's third supply district. It was probably the rich corn-growing country in the Shephelah, or low hills of Judah. 1 Kings 4:10.
The same officer also held the land of Hepher, a place with an older story.
City and district, taken by Joshua. Joshua 12:17; 1 Kings 4:10. Not identified.
Solomon's officials head the chapter, before the account turns to anything else in his reign.
"So King Solomon was king over all Israel." A list of the princes and the twelve officers is given first. Their names fit in perfectly with the character of the kingdom, foreshadowing the coming and better kingdom of our Lord.
The twelve district officers belong to that same list, Ben-hesed among them.
Verses 8 to 19 are little more than names and places. Do not skip them.
Verses 8-19 tell us the names of the twelve governors and the areas over which they ruled. There is real instruction and blessing in such scripture. It is for those who ask God for discernment and receive it, so they can search it out.
- Ground. Arubboth was likely rich corn country in the low hills of Judah. Hepher, under the same officer, was land Joshua took long before.
- Governor. Ben-hesed was one of twelve governors, each set over a different area of Israel. Twelve is the number of governmental completeness.
- Month. Each governor's task was to supply the king's household for one month of the year, in turn.
- Table. The officers upheld the glory of Solomon's throne. The whole country provided for his house, and peace reigned all around.
- King. The arrangement pictures Israel giving full allegiance to the Lord Jesus in a coming day. Even bare names like this one reward the reader who asks God for discernment.
Ben-Abinadab had all the upland of Dor; Taphath the daughter of Solomon was his wife.
One line in Solomon's list of district officers names a man only as "the son of Abinadab," gives him the high ground of Dor, and adds that he married the king's daughter. Why does Scripture stop to record a marriage in the middle of an administrative list?
Chapter 4 sets out the machinery of Solomon's reign — who served him, and how the land kept his household supplied.
1 Kings 4 lists the officers who served Solomon and upheld the glory of his throne. It then shows how the whole country provided for the upkeep of his household. Judah and Israel were multiplied and full of joy. The king's authority extends as far as the Euphrates. Peace reigns all around.
The names in the list carry meanings. Those meanings match the kingdom the chapter describes.
"So King Solomon was king over all Israel." The chapter gives a list of the princes and the twelve officers first. Their names fit perfectly with the character of the kingdom, pointing forward to the coming and better kingdom of our Lord. Here are the names of the princes with their meaning: Azariah, "Jehovah is help"; Elihoreph, "my God is reward"; Benaiah, "Built up by Jehovah"; Zabud, "Gift bestowed."
Each of the twelve had a district and a turn. The record names what each one sent to the king.
Solomon did have 12 governors over Israel, each in a different area. Scripture does not say that these men were benefactors of the people. It says that each one in turn provided food for Solomon and his household, one month each year (v.7). This pictures the response of Israel toward the Lord Jesus in a coming day, when they give full allegiance to Him. We may be sure these governors also cared for the needs of the people. Those who give the Lord the first place will not fail to show kindness to others.
The high ground of Dor has a past. Earlier, Israel spared the Canaanites there instead of driving them out.
But Israel had not been fully faithful to the commission they had received against the Canaanites. The first chapter of the Book of Judges shows us this… Saul makes terms with Amalek, as the tribes before had done with the Canaanites. He spares Agag, as Benjamin had spared the Jebusites, Manasseh the people of Dor…
Two of the twelve married into the royal family. One writer explains why this one did, and the reason goes back to the ark of the covenant — the chest that stood for God's presence among His people.
Among Solomon's twelve stewards (vv. 7-19) we find two who had married daughters of the king. This rare honour went to the son of that same Abinadab who had received the ark and guarded it for twenty years in his house on the hill. To belong to the family that had faithfully watched over the ark of the Lord was a title to nobility in the king's eyes.
Another writer notes what those years meant for the family that kept it.
For many years it stayed in the house of the godly Abinadab in Kirjath-jearim, to the great blessing of his household (1 Sam. 7:1-2). These people felt they truly had God with them, though they did not confuse the symbol with the reality.
The same instinct runs through the whole chapter. Abiathar had lost the priesthood, yet he is still listed among Solomon's princes.
Abiathar himself (v. 4) had been driven from the priesthood, yet the list counts him among the princes alongside Zadok. He had carried the ark and shared all David's afflictions. Though he had lost his office, his lord did not wish to deprive him of the dignity he was giving to all those who had suffered with the rejected king.
- Order. Solomon's twelve officers each held a district. The produce of the land upheld the glory of his throne, in a reign of peace reaching to the Euphrates.
- Service. Each officer sent food up to the king, one month a year. This pictures Israel's full allegiance to the Lord Jesus in a coming day.
- Ground. Earlier generations failed to clear Dor of the Canaanites. Under this king it is one district on the list.
- Nearness. The king's daughter went to a family that had guarded the ark for twenty years. In the king's eyes, watching over God's presence was a title of nobility.
- Memory. This kingdom honours those who stood by the rejected king; Abiathar keeps his place among the princes. Even the officers' names point forward to Christ's better kingdom.
Baana the son of Ahilud had Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean, which is by Zaretan beneath Jizreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-Meholah, as far as beyond Jokneam.
This verse hands one of Solomon's officers the plain from Taanach and Megiddo down through Beth-shean to Abel-meholah. Why does Scripture list a supply officer's district at all, and why these towns?
The chapter around this verse shows a kingdom at its peak.
1 Kings 4 lists the officers who served Solomon and upheld the glory of his throne. It then shows how the whole country provided for his household. Judah and Israel were multiplied and full of joy. The king's authority extends as far as the Euphrates. Peace reigns all around.
Beth-shean had a bitter history, and this verse marks the turn in it.
A city of Manasseh west of the Jordan, though located in Issachar (Joshua 17:11, 16; 1 Chronicles 7:29); the Canaanites were not driven out of it (Judges 1:27). In the days of Saul the Philistines appear to have held the town, for when they found Saul's dead body it was here that they hung it on the wall (1 Samuel 31:10, 12; 2 Samuel 21:12). In the time of Solomon Beth-shean was under the charge of one of his supply officers (1 Kings 4:12).
What Israel could not hold, and what once carried the shame of a fallen king, now feeds the table of the reigning king. Beth-shean was not the only such case.
Solomon brings under his rule all the Canaanites whom the weakness of the people had spared long ago, just as the Gibeonites were brought under before. He does not repeat Saul's error toward them. He makes servants of those Canaanites who still remain among the people.
Two of the towns here carry a lesson in their names when read together.
Next in the list we have Taanach, "sandy soil." Its meaning shows in its link with Gath-rimmon among the Levitical cities (Joshua 21:25). Taanach's lesson, like the lesson of the wilderness, is to be weaned from every dependence other than God alone. But Taanach must be kept, or Beth-shean cannot be. Dependence and rest are tied together and cannot be separated.
The last town in the verse appears under two spellings.
A Levitical city, in Ephraim (1 Chronicles 6:68). Probably the same as JOKNEAM in 1 Kings 4:12, where the Revised Version has JOKMEAM. The Hebrew is the same in both places. Not identified.
The same district takes in Megiddo and its valley, the scene of famous battles.
A city and valley on the borders of Issachar and Manasseh. Joshua conquered it (Joshua 12:21). Later it appears among the cities from which Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants; "the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land" (Joshua 17:11; Judges 1:27). The rout of Sisera's army was in this district. At Megiddo Josiah fell when he rashly attacked Pharaoh Neco. See ARMAGEDDON. The valley is otherwise known as "the valley of Jezreel."
One writer reads the monthly roster as more than administration.
Solomon did have 12 governors over Israel, each in a different area. Scripture does not call them benefactors of the people. It says that each one in turn provided food for Solomon and his household, one month of the year each (v.7). This pictures the response of Israel toward the Lord Jesus in a coming day, when they give full allegiance to Him. We may be sure these governors also cared for the needs of the people. Those who give the Lord the first place will not fail to show kindness to others.
But Solomon's own reign did not hold.
Solomon held the blessing of God on terms of responsibility, and so he forfeited everything. When could God ever trust flesh! Solomon failed. So has every other person into whose hands God has entrusted great things. This only makes it clear that Christ is the only hope. In His day He will take up all that men have handled and lost. He will carry through to perfection every desire and purpose of God.
- Ground regained — Israel failed to clear Beth-shean and Megiddo of Canaanites. Under Solomon both appear on the king's own supply list.
- Rest earned — the names teach an order. Taanach, "sandy soil," must be held before Beth-shean can be. Dependence comes before rest.
- Battlefield fed — the valley of Megiddo, also called Jezreel, saw Sisera's rout and Josiah's death. Now it yields bread for the throne.
- Table served — twelve governors, one month each, put the king first. One writer reads this as Israel's full allegiance to the Lord Jesus in a coming day.
- Kingdom awaited — Solomon held his blessing on terms of responsibility and lost it. Christ will carry through to perfection all that men have handled and lost.
Ben-Geber, in Ramoth-Gilead; he had the villages of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; he had the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bars of bronze.
1 Kings 4 lists the twelve officers Solomon set over Israel. Each fed the king's household for one month of the year, and verse 13 names the officer based at Ramoth-gilead. His district carries two older names — the villages of Jair and the region of Argob — along with sixty walled cities that once belonged to another king.
Each man on this list had one job, and it came round once a year. Notice who it served.
Solomon did have 12 governors over Israel, each in a different area. It does not say these men were benefactors to the people. It says instead that each one in turn provided food for Solomon and his household, one month each year (v.7).
The district still carries Jair's name. The verse calls him "the son of Manasseh," yet his family line runs elsewhere.
He was the son of Segub and a descendant of Judah. He is called 'son of Manasseh' because his mother was the daughter of Machir. He is also called one of 'the sons of Machir, the father of Gilead.' He conquered the territory of Argob with some towns, which he called HAVOTH-JAIR, 'the towns of Jair.' Num. 32:41; Deut. 3:14; Joshua 13:30; 1 Kings 4:13; 1 Chr. 2:22-23.
The name he gave those towns carried a meaning, and so did his own. One writer sets both meanings against the way Og had lived.
Among Machir's sons we find Jair active in the conquest of the land. His name means the "enlightener." Bringing in light is the way to conquer Satan's kingdom of darkness. Life comes into the soul with light, if it is true light. So Jair calls the cities he conquers the "lives (havvoth) of Jair." Men call Og's luxury and self-pleasing "life." Jair shows us what life really is.
Argob is a real place with a history. It had an earlier owner, a later owner, and later still a different name.
A district south of Damascus that formed part of Bashan, where the giants lived. It once had 60 cities, and Og ruled over them. Its name means 'stony'… Moses conquered Og, Jair of Manasseh took the fortified cities, and the district became part of Manasseh's inheritance. Later people called it Trachonitis, and today it is known as el-Lejah. Many houses still stand in the district. They are so huge that people think the giants built them. Deut. 3:3-4, 13, 14; 1 Kings 4:13.
Walls and bars were what Og trusted in. They failed him.
Og belonged to the Rephaim, a very powerful ancient race. He found that his walled cities, with their high walls, gates and bars, gave him no protection against the invading army. Israel swept over his land like a flood that carries everything before it. Israel took all his cities.
The bronze in the bars is more than building material. Scripture gives this metal a settled meaning, and this verse is one of the places cited for it.
We know it as the symbol of strength (1 Kings 4:13; Job 40:18; Judges 16:21), protection (1 Sam. 17:5-6), firmness in good or evil… and judgment. Because it could be polished to a bright shine and reflect images, people used it for mirrors (Ex. 38:8). Those mirrors went into making the basin of the tabernacle, which held the water for cleansing the priests. This last link connects it with the Word of God, and the water is the well-known picture of that Word.
A list of names and districts can look like paperwork. Writers read the order itself as a picture of a kingdom still to come.
The administration was well organized (v.27). It reflects the ordered government of the millennial kingdom.
Even so, one writer adds that such a scene "is only a brief and fleeting picture, for such things cannot last until the true King of Israel, the Lord Jesus, reigns."
- Won. Argob was Og's — a stony district of sixty cities south of Damascus. Moses defeated him, and high walls, gates and bars gave him no protection.
- Named. Jair was called "son of Manasseh" through his mother. He took the fortified towns and put his own name on them — the "lives of Jair," set against Og's idea of life.
- Held. Bronze, the metal of the bars, stands in Scripture for strength, firmness and judgment. Through the tabernacle mirrors it also points to the Word of God.
- Served. Generations later the same ground feeds Solomon's table for one month in twelve. Conquered land now supplies the king.
- Foreshadowed. Commentators read the twelve-fold order as a picture of the ordered reign still to come.
Ahinadab the son of Iddo, at Mahanaim.
This chapter describes Solomon's reign through a list of names: the officials who ran his kingdom and kept his court supplied. Verse 14 gives one of them — a man, his father, and his district — so why does Scripture keep a line like this?
This one name sits inside a picture of a settled, well-supplied kingdom.
1 Kings 4 lists the officers who served Solomon and upheld the glory of his throne. It then shows how the whole country provided for the upkeep of his household. Judah and Israel were multiplied and full of joy. The king's authority extends as far as the Euphrates. Peace reigns all around.
Each of these twelve men held a region, and each region had to feed the king.
Solomon did have 12 governors over Israel, each in a different area. Scripture does not call these men benefactors of the people. It says that each one in turn provided food for Solomon and his household, one month each year (v.7). This pictures the response of Israel toward the Lord Jesus in a coming day, when they give full allegiance to Him. We may be sure these governors also cared for the needs of the people. Those who give the Lord first place will not fail to show kindness to others.
Jacob named this district himself. Later it saw a king crowned, a king murdered, and a king in flight.
Mahanaim is the spot east of the Jordan where Jacob met "the angels of God." He exclaimed, "This is God's host," and named the place Mahanaim, which means "two hosts or camps." Scripture places it on the border of both Gad and Manasseh, which connects it with the brook Jabbok. It fell to the lot of Gad, and the city built there was given to the Levites. Ish-bosheth was made king there, and there he was murdered. David fled to this city when Absalom revolted, and stayed there till his son's death. Some identify the site with ruins at Mahneh, but that place is far from the Jabbok, and could scarcely have been in the lot of Gad.
That last detail matters. Mahanaim had supplied a king before, but freely, not by appointment.
David's fortunes were at their lowest. At that point Shobi, Machir and Barzillai declared themselves on his side. They met him and his company at Mahanaim, bringing with them what they felt would be needed. David had not summoned them to entertain him. No superior force compelled them to hand over to the king what they owned. They brought of their own accord the things that suited the occasion. What made them unite like this? Did they see only the son of Jesse? Did they not see the Lord's anointed? That is why they joined together to show him kindness.
Commentators see more in these names than record-keeping.
A list of the princes and the twelve officers comes first. Their names fit in perfectly with the character of the kingdom, foreshadowing the coming and better kingdom of our Lord.
A list of names invites skimming. Commentators press the opposite:
Verses 8-19 give us the names of the 12 governors and the areas they ruled. There is real instruction and blessing in such scripture for those who seek discernment from God and receive it, so they can search it out.
Solomon's supply never failed, and commentators see a pattern in that.
Solomon's twelve governors (one from each tribe) also brought provisions for Solomon, so there was no lack of supply. The government was well organized (v.27), reflecting the ordered rule of the millennial kingdom.
Solomon's reign looks complete, yet one count in the chapter comes up short.
All Israel was gathered under his sceptre (v. 1), forming one peaceful unity. His father's reign had known nothing like it. The seven years at Hebron, the rebellion of Absalom, the rebellion of Sheba the son of Bichri, and the rebellion of Adonijah all prove it. Now everything is in order and worthy of this glorious reign, but we find only eleven princes (vv. 2-6). The number twelve stands for perfect order in government on earth. That order had not yet come. It would not come until One greater than Solomon arrived.
- Name. Ahinadab, son of Iddo, held one of twelve districts under Solomon. Writers say such a list rewards the reader who searches it.
- Place. His district was Mahanaim, east of the Jordan. Jacob named it after God's host. It became a city of the Levites, and David's refuge when Absalom revolted.
- Provision. Each officer had one task: feed the king and his household for one month. Commentators see in it Israel's coming full allegiance to the Lord Jesus.
- Order. Twelve men over twelve regions left no gap in supply. That ordered rule pictures the coming kingdom.
- Greater King. The same chapter lists only eleven princes. Perfect government on earth waits for One greater than Solomon.
Ahimaaz, in Nephtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon as wife.
One line in a register of officials names a man, his district, and his wife — and the wife is the king's own daughter. Behind that short note lies a working government and a story of loyalty remembered.
The twelve names in this chapter, Ahimaaz among them, took turns. Each man carried the cost of the royal household for one month of the year. One commentator reads this as a picture of what Israel will one day give to Christ.
Solomon did have 12 governors over Israel, each in a different area. Scripture does not call these men benefactors of the people. It says that each one in turn provided food for Solomon and his household, one month each year (v.7). This pictures how Israel will respond to the Lord Jesus in a coming day, when they give Him their full allegiance. We may be sure these governors also cared for the needs of the people, just as those who give the Lord the first place will not fail to show kindness to others.
The same writer sees this good order as a sketch of a kingdom still to come.
Solomon's twelve governors (one from each tribe) brought supplies for Solomon, one in each month of the year, so nothing ran short. The administration was well organized (v.27). It reflects the ordered rule of the millennial kingdom.
The name is not new to the story. A man called Ahimaaz had been a messenger during Absalom's rebellion. He carried secret word to David when the king had to flee Jerusalem.
Son of Zadok the priest. 2 Sam. 15:27, 36. When Absalom rebelled and David had to flee from Jerusalem, Zadok stayed true to David and went back to the city. Ahimaaz and Jonathan son of Abiathar waited at En-rogel. Zadok sent them word of the advice of Ahithophel and of Hushai by a servant girl, and they hurried to David with the news.
One writer takes the officer in Naphtali to be that same man. He links the honour to the risk Ahimaaz once took.
Ahimaaz, son of Zadok, receives the same honour. He was faithful to David at the risk of his life, and the old king said of him, "He is a good man and comes with good news." He was the first to tell David of the victory that gave him back his throne and made sure he would inherit it according to God.
The marriage is the part of the verse that stands out. Only two of the twelve officers married a daughter of Solomon. Behind the other marriage lay years of care for the ark of the covenant — the sacred chest that stood for God's presence among His people.
Among Solomon's twelve stewards (vv. 7-19) we find two who had married daughters of the king. That rare honour was given to the son of the same Abinadab who had received the ark and guarded it for twenty years in his house on the hill. To belong to the family that had faithfully watched over the ark of the Lord was a mark of nobility in the king's eyes.
Her name is recorded for this reason alone, and it is enough to keep her in Scripture:
Daughter of Solomon and wife of Ahimaaz, one of Solomon's commissariat officers. 1 Kings 4:15.
Marriage into the royal family is not an isolated favour. Others who stood by David while Saul hunted him turn up in places of honour once the kingdom is his.
About 3,000 years ago David became God's king in Israel, and he had many devoted servants. Yet clearly no service counted for more in his eyes than the service of the brave men who threw in their lot with him in the days when Saul hunted and persecuted him. Sometimes they served him in very small things. Yet that was the service he rewarded so richly when the kingdom at last became his.
Another writer carries the same line forward, from David's companions to the day when the Lord gives out His rewards.
Does it not tell us that the kingdom will be the stage where God openly honours those who know the Beloved whom earth rejected, and who seek to walk in heavenly fellowship with Him now, while the sons of Belial are in power? Does it not point us to the time when "the Lord, the righteous judge," will award the crowns of "life" (Rev. 2:10; James 1:12), "glory" (1 Peter 5:4), and "righteousness" (2 Tim. 4:8)? Then He will say, "Well done!", and "each one will receive his commendation from God." Those who suffer now will reign later — heirs together with Him, glorified together with Him.
- Service: Ahimaaz's district was one of twelve. Each one supplied the king's table for a month, one tribe at a time.
- Risk: Before the appointment came the running. He carried word to David at the risk of his life. David called him a good man who came with good news.
- Honour: Only two of the twelve married a daughter of the king. Behind both marriages stood loyalty — to David himself, or to the ark.
- Order: Nothing ran short under this rule. Commentators read it as a sketch of Christ's coming reign.
- Reward: The pattern holds for us. Small service to the rejected King is what the King remembers when the kingdom comes.
Baanah the son of Hushai, in Asher and in Aloth.
Verse 16 names one officer in a list of twelve, and each of them fed King Solomon's household for one month of the year. So why does Scripture keep a name, a father's name and two place names — and what do they show about the kingdom they served?
Grant treats this stretch of names as material to study, not to skip.
Verses 8-19 tell us the names of the 12 governors and the areas they ruled. There is profitable instruction and blessing in scripture like this. It is for those who seek discernment from God, receive it, and search the passage out.
Baana's father, Hushai, had already served David in the crisis when David's son Absalom revolted and David fled Jerusalem.
He was David's friend and adviser. When Absalom revolted, Hushai went back to Jerusalem, where he was able to block the advice Ahithophel had given. That gave David time to escape and to set his army in order for the war. 2 Sam. 15:32, 37; 2 Sam. 17:5-15; 1 Kings 4:16.
Baana was not the only man on this list with a family history behind him.
Among Solomon's twelve stewards (vv. 7-19) we find two who had married daughters of the king. That rare honour went to the son of the same Abinadab who had received the ark and had guarded it for twenty years in his house on the hill. In the king's eyes, to belong to the family that had watched over the ark of the Lord with such care was a mark of nobility.
The second place name is uncertain in the manuscripts, and the older English versions split it differently.
A place or district of Asher. It may be the same as some unknown place called Baaloth, which is how the Greek version reads it here; the Latin version has Baloth. 1 Kings 4:16. The Authorised Version treats the B as a prefix, and the Revised Version has Bealoth.
Asher, Baana's district, is a tribe blessed by name twice — first by Jacob, then by Moses.
When Jacob called his sons around him to tell them what would happen in the last days, he said of Asher, "Asher's food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies." Gen. 49:20. And when Moses blessed the tribes before he died, he said of Asher, "Most blessed of sons be Asher; let him be the favourite of his brothers, and let him dip his foot in oil." Deut. 33:24.
(The writer quoted an older English version; the wording above follows the ESV.)
Each governor's duty pointed toward the king rather than toward the people.
Solomon did have 12 governors over Israel, each in a different area. The text does not call them benefactors of the people. It says instead that each one in turn provided food for Solomon and his household, one month of the year each (v.7). This pictures how Israel will respond to the Lord Jesus in a coming day, when they give Him their full allegiance. We may be sure these governors also cared for the needs of the people. Those who give the Lord the first place will not fail to show kindness to others.
Solomon's kingdom was united and at peace. Rossier still finds one number in the chapter falling short.
All Israel was gathered under his rule (v. 1), and so formed one peaceful whole. Nothing like it had been known in his father's reign, as the seven years at Hebron, the rebellion of Absalom, the rebellion of Sheba the son of Bichri, and that of Adonijah all prove. Now everything is in order and worthy of this glorious reign, but we find only eleven princes (vv. 2-6). Perfect order in the government of the earth is represented by the number twelve. That order had not yet come, and it would not come until One greater than Solomon appeared.
- Read the list. Grant says the names and districts in verses 8-19 hold "profitable instruction and blessing" for those who ask God for discernment to look into it.
- Loyalty remembered. Baana's father Hushai was David's friend and adviser. He returned to Jerusalem during Absalom's revolt, blocked Ahithophel's advice, and gave David time to escape.
- Loyalty honoured. Rossier notes that on this same list, coming from a family that had guarded the ark of the Lord counted as "a mark of nobility in the king's eyes."
- A district of rich food. Asher was Baana's district. Jacob said Asher's food would be rich and that it would yield royal delicacies. The versions read the second place name here as Aloth or Bealoth.
- One month each, one King ahead. Each governor fed the king for one month of the year. Grant sees in that Israel's full allegiance to the Lord Jesus in a coming day. Those who put the Lord first, he adds, still show kindness to others. Yet twelve stewards stand beside only eleven princes: perfect order in government waits for One greater than Solomon.
Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar.
One name, one district: Jehoshaphat ran Issachar in Solomon's twelve-district system. Why does Scripture record a man we know nothing else about, and what does his month of service picture?
Scripture gives only his father's name and his district. A Bible dictionary sums up who Paruah was:
Father of Jehoshaphat, a supply officer of Solomon.
The chapter has already described the work of that office. One writer sees the whole arrangement as a picture of something still to come:
Solomon did have 12 governors over Israel, each in a different area. The record does not call these men benefactors of the people. It says each one in turn provided food for Solomon and his household, one month each year (v.7). This pictures the response of Israel toward the Lord Jesus in a coming day, when they give full allegiance to Him. We may be sure these governors also cared for the needs of the people. Those who give the Lord first place will not fail to show kindness to others.
The names in this list are not random. They carry part of the message of the chapter:
"So King Solomon was king over all Israel." A list of the princes and the twelve officers is given first. Their names fit the character of the kingdom exactly. They point ahead to the coming and better kingdom of our Lord... Jehoshaphat, "Jehovah judges"...
Each officer fed the royal household for one month, so the land he governed mattered. Issachar's land was rich, and its people had once shown a rare insight:
Some men of Issachar came to David at Ziklag. Of them it is written that they "had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do." 1 Chr. 12:32... The tribe had some of the most productive parts of the land. This included the wide plain of Jezreel, with the Jordan along its border for about 50 miles.
One writer holds up that instinct as something believers often lack:
The children of Issachar "had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do" (v. 32), and this faculty was a precious benefit for the people of God. Have we not often proved that we lacked this wisdom to press on through the problems of these hard days? We more often find Christians marked by love for one another, like the half-tribe of Manasseh, or by power, like the mighty men of valour in other tribes. But the spirit of "wise discretion" (2 Tim. 1:7) is often missing, and we face hard situations without the discernment we need.
Two of the twelve had married daughters of Solomon. One writer traces that honour back to what one man's family had done long before. They had kept the ark — the sacred chest that marked God's presence with Israel:
Among Solomon's twelve stewards (vv. 7-19) we find two who had married daughters of the king. This rare honour was granted to the son of that same Abinadab who had received the ark and guarded it for twenty years in his house on the hill. In the king's eyes, belonging to the family that had faithfully watched over the ark of the Lord was a mark of nobility.
Lists of names look like filler until you ask who keeps the record. One writer comments on a similar list of otherwise unknown servants:
Here we have little to say except that the Lord takes pleasure in recording even the names of His servants... He has been a dwelling place for His own in all generations. More than that, He honours those who honour Him. He records their names in His word now, and He will glorify them in person in the great day that is coming fast.
Another writer applies this to the humblest tasks of all:
These humble tasks are very valuable in the eyes of the Lord... It may be serving tables, passing the bread and the cup, or taking care of the "upper room". The Lord forgets none of it. He records the names of those who have kept this service, and they deserve it as much as any others.
- Named. We know Paruah only as this man's father, and Jehoshaphat only as a supply officer. Yet God put both names in His word.
- Meaning. "Jehoshaphat" means "Jehovah judges." The names in this list fit the character of the kingdom and point to the better kingdom of Christ.
- Region. Issachar held some of the most productive land in the country. Its people once had understanding of the times — a discernment believers still need.
- Reason. A place in this administration went to a family that had guarded the ark. The king honoured their earlier faithfulness.
- Result. Twelve men, each supplying one month, pictures Israel giving the Lord Jesus full allegiance in a coming day. It also assures hidden servants that their names are on record.
Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the land of Sihon the king of the Amorites, and of Og the king of Bashan; and [he was] the only superintendent that was in the land.
Geber's name closes the list of officers who kept Solomon's table supplied. His district is named after two kings Israel had beaten long before, and he held it alone. So why does Scripture pause over a supply officer, and why does it label his ground by its old owners?
The names in verses 8 to 19 look like an administrative record, and many readers skip them. One writer treats the list as an invitation rather than filler.
The names of the 12 governors are told us in verses 8-19 and the areas over which they ruled. There is surely profitable instruction and blessing in such scripture for those who seek and receive discernment from God to search it out.
Read that way, the list turns out to reward men whose families had stood by David and the ark in harder days.
Among Solomon's twelve stewards (vv. 7-19) we find two who had married daughters of the king. That rare honour went to the son of the same Abinadab who had received the ark and guarded it for twenty years in his house on the hill. To belong to the family that had faithfully watched over the ark of the Lord was a mark of nobility in the king's eyes.
Geber and the other officers were supply men for the king's table. This verse also notes one governor over the land.
Solomon did have 12 governors over Israel, each in a different area. It does not say that these men were benefactors of the people. It says that each one in turn provided food for Solomon and his household, one month each year (v.7). This pictures how Israel will respond to the Lord Jesus in a coming day. They will give Him full allegiance. We may be sure these governors also cared for the needs of the people. Those who give the Lord first place will not fail to show kindness to others.
Gilead and Bashan lie east of the Jordan River. By naming Sihon and Og, the verse marks Geber's district as land Israel had taken before it ever crossed into Canaan. One writer shows that God had planned this ground for Israel from the start.
The Amorite land east of the Jordan was to be part of Israel's inheritance. God told Moses so… So they took the country of Sihon, and that of Og as well (Num. 21:24, 35; Deut. 3:12). Israel's inheritance lay on both sides of the Jordan, just as God had planned beforehand. Yet it does not appear that He meant any of them to live east of that river. The tribes who asked for their portion there did get it. But they soon found the drawback of it (Joshua 22:24-28). In time all the tribes will be settled west of the Jordan (Ezek. 47:15-20; 48). Even so, they will hold the land east of it as well, feeding in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old (Jer. 50:19; Micah 7:14; Zech. 10:10).
So Geber gathered food from ground God had promised, Israel had taken, and Israel will hold again.
The chapter shows a kingdom in good order. Yet one writer counts the chief men listed in verses 2 to 6 and finds one missing.
All Israel was gathered under his rule (v. 1), so forming one peaceful whole. His father's reign had never known this… Now everything is in order and worthy of this glorious reign, yet we find only eleven princes (vv. 2-6). The number twelve stands for perfect order in government on earth. That order had not yet come, and it would not come until One greater than Solomon appeared.
Solomon's kingdom did not stay this way. One writer explains why, and where hope finally rests.
Solomon held the blessing of God on terms of responsibility, and so he forfeited everything. When could God ever trust human nature! Solomon failed, and so has everyone else God has trusted with great things. That only makes it clear that Christ is the only hope. In His day He will take up all that men have handled and lost, and He will carry through to perfection every desire and purpose of God.
- Ground — Gilead and Bashan, once ruled by Sihon and Og, were always meant to be Israel's. Israel will hold them again.
- Men — the list is not filler. These posts went to men whose families had guarded the ark of the Lord.
- Supply — each officer fed the king for one month. It pictures Israel giving the Lord Jesus full allegiance in a coming day.
- Order — the kingdom ran well, yet only eleven princes are listed. Full order in government waits for One greater than Solomon.
- King — Solomon held it all on terms of responsibility, and lost it. What men have handled and lost, Christ will take up and perfect.