Bible Commentaries

And these [were] the ^a princes which he had; ^b Azariah the son of Zadok the priest,

(a) That is, his chief officers.

(b) He was the son of Achimais and Zadok's nephew.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was] over the host: and Zadok and ^c Abiathar [were] the priests:

(c) Not Abiathar whom Solomon had put from his office, (1 Kings 2:27) but another of that name.

The son of Geber, in Ramothgilead; to him [pertained] the towns of ^d Jair the son of Manasseh, which [are] in Gilead; to him [also pertained] the region of Argob, which [is] in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brasen bars:

(d) Which bore Jair's name, because he took them from the Canaanites, (Numbers 32:41).

Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in ^e Issachar:

(e) Solomon did not observe the division that Joshua made, but divided it as might best serve his purposes.

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

(f) They lived in all peace and security.

And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the ^g 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.

(g) Which is the Euphrates.

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

(h) For they were all tributaries to him.

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

(i) Throughout all Israel.

And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and ^k largeness of heart, even as the sand that [is] on the sea shore.

(k) Meaning, great understanding and able to comprehend all things.

And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the ^l east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.

(l) That is, the philosophers and astronomers who were judged most wise.

And he spake three thousand ^m proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.

(m) Which for the most part are thought to have perished in the captivity of Babylon.

And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that [is] in Lebanon even unto the ⁿ hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.

(n) From the highest to the lowest.