1 Kings 4:5
in 1 Kings 4Azariah son of Nathan was in charge of the governors; Zabud son of Nathan was a priest and adviser to the king;
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; and Zabud the son of Nathan was chief minister, and the king’s friend;
KJV
And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer, and the king’s friend:
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This verse in 1 Kings 4
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The son of Nathan - It is uncertain whether the Nathan of this verse is the prophet or the son of David 2Sa 5:14. While on the one hand the position of “king’s friend” is more likely to have been held by a contemporary, which the prophet’s son would have been, than by one so much younger as the son of a younger brother; on the other hand the title “cohen” seems to point to a member of the royal family. (See the next note.)
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.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
In preferring them he testified the grateful respect he had for their good father, whom he loved in the name of a prophet. The purveyors for his household, whose business it was to send in provisions from several parts of the country, for the king's tables and cellars (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
over the officers--that is, the provincial governors enumerated in 1Ki 4:17-19. principal officer, and the king's friend--perhaps president of the privy council, and Solomon's confidential friend or favorite.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Azariah - was over the officers - He had the superintendence of the twelve officers mentioned below; see 1Ki 4:7. Zabud - was principal officer - Perhaps what we call premier, or prime minister. The king’s friend - His chief favourite - his confidant.
The words behind it
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַעֲזַרְיָ֥הוּ | vaazaryahu | and Azariah | H5838 → | |
| בֶן־ | ven- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| נָתָ֖ן | natan | Nathan | H5416 → | 41 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [was] over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַנִּצָּבִ֑ים | hanitzavim | the overseers | H5324 → | 75 times |
| וְזָב֧וּד | vezavud | and Zabud | H2071 → | |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| נָתָ֛ן | natan | Nathan | H5416 → | 41 times |
| כֹּהֵ֖ן | kohen | [was] a priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| רֵעֶ֥ה | reeh | [the] friend of | H7463 → | |
| הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
וַעֲזַרְיָ֥הוּand Azariah
vaazaryahuH5838 →
בֶן־[the] son of
ven-H1121 →4930 times
נָתָ֖ןNathan
natanH5416 →41 times
עַל־[was] over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַנִּצָּבִ֑יםthe overseers
hanitzavimH5324 →75 times
וְזָב֧וּדand Zabud
vezavudH2071 →
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
נָתָ֛ןNathan
natanH5416 →41 times
כֹּהֵ֖ן[was] a priest
kohenH3548 →750 times
רֵעֶ֥ה[the] friend of
reehH7463 →
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 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
Proverbs 22:11He who loves a pure heart and gracious lips will have the king for a friend.
it leads to
- Proverbs 16:13
Righteous lips are a king’s delight, and he who speaks honestly is beloved.
- Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
- Psalms 101:6
My eyes favor the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way of integrity shall minister to me.
- Proverbs 14:35
A king delights in a wise servant, but his anger falls on the shameful.
- Proverbs 16:13
Through
1 Chronicles 27:33Ahithophel was the king’s counselor. Hushai the Archite was the king’s friend.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 15:12
While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from his hometown of Giloh. So the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept increasing.
- 2 Samuel 15:37
So David’s friend Hushai arrived in Jerusalem just as Absalom was entering the city.
- 2 Samuel 15:12
Through
2 Samuel 15:37So David’s friend Hushai arrived in Jerusalem just as Absalom was entering the city.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 27:33
Ahithophel was the king’s counselor. Hushai the Archite was the king’s friend.
- 2 Samuel 16:15–16
Then Absalom and all the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him.
- 1 Chronicles 27:33
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 1 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
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); Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.