1 Kingschapter 4
34 verses · Jeremiah, by tradition · 6th century BC · History
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A.The princes of Solomon's courtvv. 1-6
B.Twelve officers, twelve months of breadvv. 7-19
C.Every man under his vine and under his fig-treevv. 20-28
The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore, and they were eating and drinking and rejoicing. And Solomon reigned over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These kingdoms offered tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
Solomon’s provisions for a single day were thirty cors of fine flour, sixty cors of meal, ten fat oxen, twenty range oxen, and a hundred sheep, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened poultry. For Solomon had dominion over everything west of the Euphrates—over all the kingdoms from Tiphsah to Gaza—and he had peace on all sides. Throughout the days of Solomon, Judah and Israel dwelt securely from Dan to Beersheba, each man under his own vine and his own fig tree.
Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses. Each month the governors in turn provided food for King Solomon and all who came to his table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking. Each one also brought to the required place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and other horses.
D.Wisdom like the sand: three thousand proverbs, and trees down to hyssopvv. 29-34
And God gave Solomon wisdom, exceedingly deep insight, and understanding beyond measure, like the sand on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom was greater than that of all the men of the East, greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than all men—wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and wiser than Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread throughout the surrounding nations. Solomon composed three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered a thousand and five. He spoke of trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop growing in the wall, and he taught about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish. So men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.