1 Kings 4:2
in 1 Kings 4and these were his chief officials: Azariah son of Zadok was the priest;
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And these were the princes whom he had: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest;
KJV
And these were the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest,
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This verse in 1 Kings 4
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAnd these were the princes which he had,.... That were in office about him, in the highest posts of honour and trust: Azariah the son of Zadok the priest: or rather his grandson, since Ahimaaz was the son of Zadok, and Azariah the son of Ahimaaz, 1Ch 6:8; though another Zadok may be meant, and his son not a priest but a prince, as the word may be rendered, and was Solomon's prime minister of state, and the rather, since he is mentioned first.
This site's exposition
king over all Israel
on 1 Kings 4:1-6
The roster opens with the priesthood before the sword: Azariah the son of Zadok holds the office 1 Kings 2:35 set in Zadok's line when Abiathar was put out of it, yet verse 4 still names Zadok and Abiathar together as the priests. The bench reads the tension two ways, some taking the chapter as a summary spanning the whole reign so that Abiathar's name belongs to its earlier years, others reading it as a title left to a man never formally stripped of the name though barred from the function. Zabud the son of Nathan carries a title of his own, the king's friend, an office this list names nowhere else.
This site's exposition
Azariah son of Zadok was the priest
Azariah heads the list of Solomon's chief officials as the priest. Albert Barnes reads the title here as the high priest, though the same Hebrew word can name a civil official. Azariah was the grandson of Zadok through Ahimaaz, as John Gill counts the line.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Princes - That is, the chief rulers or officers. The son - Or the grand-son. The priest - The second priest, or the priest that attended upon Solomon's person in holy offices and administrations.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
these were the princes--or chief officers, as is evident from two of them marrying Solomon's daughters. Azariah the son of Zadok the priest--rather, "the prince," as the Hebrew word frequently signifies (Ge 41:45;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
These were the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest - These were his great, chief, or principal men. None of them were princes in the common acceptation of the word.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Azariah, the son of Zadok, the priest - “The priest” here belongs to Azariah, not to Zadok. The term used כהן kôhên means sometimes a priest, sometimes a civil officer, with perhaps a semi-priestly character. (See 2Sa 8:18 note.) In this place it has the definite article prefixed, and can only mean “the high priest.” Azariah, called here the “son,” but really the “grandson,” of Zadok, seems to have succeeded him in the priesthood 1Ch 6:10. His position as high priest at the time when this list was made out gives Azariah the foremost place in it.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
King over all of Yisroel. When they observed his wisdom they all rejoiced in his kingship. 1 And no one opposed him.—Radak
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
8 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאֵ֥לֶּה | veeleh | and these | H428 → | 746 times |
| הַשָּׂרִ֖ים | hasarim | [were] the officials | H8269 → | 421 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| ל֑וֹ | lo | [belonged] to <the> him | ||
| עֲזַרְיָ֥הוּ | ʾazaryahu | Azariah | H5838 → | |
| בֶן־ | ven- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| צָד֖וֹק | tzadok | Zadok | H6659 → | 53 times |
| הַכֹּהֵֽן׃ ס | hakohen | [was] the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
וְאֵ֥לֶּהand these
veelehH428 →746 times
הַשָּׂרִ֖ים[were] the officials
hasarimH8269 →421 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
ל֑וֹ[belonged] to <the> him
lo
עֲזַרְיָ֥הוּAzariah
ʾazaryahuH5838 →
בֶן־[the] son of
ven-H1121 →4930 times
צָד֖וֹקZadok
tzadokH6659 →53 times
הַכֹּהֵֽן׃ ס[was] the priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
1 Corinthians 12:28And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, and those with gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various tongues.
it leads to
- Ephesians 4:11–13
And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
- Romans 12:6–8
We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith;
- 1 Corinthians 12:18
But in fact, God has arranged the members of the body, every one of them, according to His design.
- 1 Corinthians 12:7–11
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
- Ephesians 4:11–13
Through
Exodus 18:21Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
it leads to
- Acts 6:3
Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men confirmed to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will appoint this responsibility to them
- Deuteronomy 1:13–17
Choose for yourselves wise, understanding, and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will appoint them as your leaders.”
- 2 Chronicles 19:5–10
He appointed judges in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah.
- Deuteronomy 16:18–19
You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.
- Acts 6:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Kings
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); 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.