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1 Kings 4:6

in 1 Kings 4

Ahishar was in charge of the palace; and Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of the forced labor.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

and Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the men subject to taskwork.

KJV

And Ahishar was over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute.

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This verse in 1 Kings 4

Commentary

6 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Ahishar was over the household--steward or chamberlain of the palace. Adoniram--or Adoram (2Sa 20:24; 1Ki 12:18), or Hadoram (2Ch 10:18), was over the tribute--not the collection of money or goods, but the levy of compulsory laborers (compare 1Ki 5:13, 14).

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

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

proposed

Abiathar was - Steward of the king's household. Tribute - The personal tribute, or the levy of men, as appears by comparing this with chap. v, 13, 14, it being very fit that there should be some one person to whom the chief conduct of that great business was committed.
And Abiathar was over the household,.... Steward of the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute, over those that collected the tribute, as the Targum, whether from the people of Israel or other nations, or both; this man was in the same post in David's time, 2Sa 20:24.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Ahishar was over the household - The king’s chamberlain. Adoniram - was over the tribute - What we call chancellor of the exchequer. He received and brought into the treasury all the proceeds of taxes and tributes. He was in this office under David; see 2Sa 20:24.
Over the household - Comptroller of the household, like the “Steward” of the Persian court. On the importance of this office, see 2Ki 18:18, and compare Isa 22:15-25. The tribute - The marginal reading, “levy,” is preferable. The reference is to the forced laborers whom Solomon employed in his great works (marginal reference).

The words behind it

8 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.

  • וַאֲחִישָׁ֖רand Ahishar

    vaachisharH301 →

  • עַל־[was] over

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • הַבָּ֑יִתthe house

    habayitH1004 →2046 times

  • וַאֲדֹנִירָ֥םand Adoniram

    vaadoniramH141 →

  • בֶּן־[the] son of

    ben-H1121 →4930 times

  • עַבְדָּ֖אAbda

    ʾavda'H5653 →

  • עַל־[was] over

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • הַמַּֽס׃ סthe forced labor

    hamasH4522 →23 times

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

Related verses

7 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

1 Kings 12:18Then King Rehoboam sent out Adoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste and escaped to Jerusalem.5 works1 Kings 5:13Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel.4 works2 Chronicles 10:18Then King Rehoboam sent out Hadoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste and escaped to Jerusalem.4 works2 Chronicles 8:8their descendants who remained in the land, those whom the Israelites were unable to destroy—Solomon conscripted these people to be forced laborers, as they are to this day.4 works2 Samuel 20:24Adoram was in charge of the forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;3 works1 Kings 9:15This is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon imposed to build the house of the LORD, his own palace, the supporting terraces, and the wall of Jerusalem, as well as Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.3 works
The other 1 cross-references, with their words ▾
Isaiah 22:15This is what the Lord GOD of Hosts says: “Go, say to Shebna, the steward in charge of the palace:2 works

The walk

8 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

    1 Kings 9:15

    This is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon imposed to build the house of the LORD, his own palace, the supporting terraces, and the wall of Jerusalem, as well as Hazor,…

    it leads to

    • 1 Kings 5:13

      Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel.

    • Joshua 17:11

      Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh was assigned Beth-shean, Ibleam, Dor (that is, Naphath), Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo, each with their surrounding settlements.

    • 1 Kings 9:24

      As soon as Pharaoh’s daughter had come up from the City of David to the palace that Solomon had built for her, he built the supporting terraces.

    • 2 Samuel 5:9

      So David took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built it up all the way around, from the supporting terraces inward.

    • Joshua 11:1

      Now when Jabin king of Hazor heard about these things, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon; to the kings of Shimron and Achshaph;

  • Through

    1 Kings 12:18

    Then King Rehoboam sent out Adoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste and escaped to Jerusalem.

    it leads to

    • 2 Samuel 20:24

      Adoram was in charge of the forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;

  • Through

    2 Samuel 20:24

    Adoram was in charge of the forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;

    it leads to

    • 1 Kings 4:3

      Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, were secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;

    • 1 Kings 12:18

      Then King Rehoboam sent out Adoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste and escaped to Jerusalem.

Where this verse is studied

On this page

Studies1

About 1 Kings

The Judgment of Solomon, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Judgment of Solomon, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
1 Kings: the study guide →Read 1 Kings 4 →

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.

Read on in 1 Kings 4 →