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1 Kings 4:19

in 1 Kings 4

Geber son of Uri in the land of Gilead, including the territories of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan. There was also one governor in the land of Judah.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer that was in the land.

KJV

Geber the son of Uri was in the country of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer which was in the land.

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This verse in 1 Kings 4

Commentary

6 notes on this verse

A commentator

Ephrem the Syrian

ON THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS 4:1 · Written before 373.

The officials elected by Solomon designate the order of the chosen ones whom Christ affirmed in his grace and appointed as rulers of his people. Indeed, twelve prefects were selected to administer the incomes of this king and his house, because just as many apostles …

This site's exposition

twelve governors over all Israel

on 1 Kings 4:7-19

Solomon has “twelve governors over all Israel”, each to “arrange provisions for one month”. The districts mix tribal territory with cities and regions redrawn under the crown. Verse 19 gives Geber the land of Gilead, “including the territories of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan”.

This site's exposition

one governor in the land of Judah

Sihon and Og were the two Amorite kings Israel defeated east of the Jordan in Numbers 21, and their lands fell to one governor. John Wesley and Albert Barnes read the closing clause as a note on Geber's wide charge. The Berean text gives Judah a governor of its own.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

Country of Gilead - That is, in the remaining part of that land of Gilead, which was mentioned above. The only officer - In all Gilead, excepting the parcels mentioned before, in all the territories of Sihon and Og; which because they were of large extent, and yet all committed to this one man, it is here noted concerning him as his privilege above the rest.
Geber the son of Uri was in the country of Gilead,....

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

The meaning of the last clause is somewhat doubtful. On the whole, our King James Version may well stand as nearly correct. The writer has assigned to Geber a wide stretch of territory; and, anticipating surprise, assures his readers ” (there was but) one officer who (purveyed) in this land.”

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

And one officer over the land. Rav and Shmuel have differing opinions, one says, one was appointed over all of them, and this was Azaryoh[u] the son of Noson, who was mentioned previously, 6 Above v. and one says he was [appointed] for the thirteenth month.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on I Kings 4:19:1, via Sefaria, The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

16 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • גֶּ֥בֶרGeber

    geverH1398 →

  • בֶּן־[the] son of

    ben-H1121 →4930 times

  • אֻרִ֖יUri

    ʾuriH221 →

  • בְּאֶ֣רֶץin [the] land of

    beeretzH776 →2504 times

  • גִּלְעָ֑דGilead

    giladH1568 →134 times

  • אֶ֜רֶץ[the] land of

    ʾeretzH776 →2504 times

  • סִיח֣וֹן׀Sihon

    sichonH5511 →

  • מֶ֣לֶךְ[the] king of

    melekhH4428 →2525 times

  • הָאֱמֹרִ֗יthe Amorite[s]

    haemoriH567 →87 times

  • וְעֹג֙and Og

    veogH5747 →

  • מֶ֣לֶךְ[the] king of

    melekhH4428 →2525 times

  • הַבָּשָׁ֔ן<the> Bashan

    habashanH1316 →

  • וּנְצִ֥יבand an overseer

    unetzivH5333 →

  • אֶחָ֖דone

    ʾechadH259 →971 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֥רwho

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • בָּאָֽרֶץ׃[was] in the land

    baaretzH776 →2504 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

4 in all, six open

The walk

5 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Deuteronomy 2:26

    So from the Wilderness of Kedemoth I sent messengers with an offer of peace to Sihon king of Heshbon, saying,

    it leads to

    • Luke 10:10–12

      But if you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go into the streets and declare,

    • Joshua 13:18

      Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath,

    • Luke 10:5–6

      Whatever house you enter, begin by saying, ‘Peace to this house.’

    • Deuteronomy 20:10–11

      When you approach a city to fight against it, you are to make an offer of peace.

    • Joshua 21:37

      Kedemoth, and Mephaath—four cities, together with their pasturelands.

Where this verse is studied

About 1 Kings

The visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon, Sir Edward John Poynter, 1890. Public domain.
The visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon, Sir Edward John Poynter, 1890. Public domain.
1 Kings: the study guide →Read 1 Kings 4 →

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS 4:1; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Keil, The Books of the Kings.

Read on in 1 Kings 4 →