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There are lots of names and places listed in this text. Those names and towns have a significant meaning beyond a simple biography. When there are a bunch of names in a list, it’s a bell-ringer. You are supposed to take notice that there is something more than meets the eye here.
These names are in a particular order for a reason.
There’s a list of names that start with “ben,” which means son. The question is why their names not recorded? They are only recorded as the son of their father. My guess is their first names didn’t give the message that the author wanted to give so the author lists the father’s names instead.
Here’s the list after the Hebrew names are translated into English in order:
The first list (1st Kings 4:1–7) is the list of the officials. This list matches both Solomon and Messiah Yeshua.
- Azariah son of Zadok the priest: Yah helps son of Righteous priest
- Elihoreph and Ahijah sons of Shisha: God of winter/autumn (or God is his reward) and brother/friend is Yah sons of alabaster/habitation secretaries
- Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud recorder: Yahua has judged son of Brother is born recorder
- Benaiah son of Jehoiada commander in chief: Yahua builds up (or Yahua’s son) son of God has known (or God knows) commander in chief
- Zadok and Abiathar — priests: righteous and father/head is preeminent (or father/head of excellence) priests
- Azariah son of Nathan — in charge of the district governors: Yah helps son of gift in charge of district governors
- Zabud son of Nathan, a priest and adviser to the king: bestowed son of gift a priest and adviser to the king
- Ahishar—palace administrator: brother of song (or my brother has sung) (or brother of the upright) palace administrator
- Adoniram son of Abda—in charge of forced labor: my Lord exalted (or my Lord exalts) son of servant in charge of forced labor
The second list (1st Kings 4:8–19) is the list from the names of the deputies or governors, most of whom were listed as “son of ….” This list only applies to Messiah Yeshua:
- Ben-Hur—in the hill country of Ephraim: son of white (or son of a hole/cavern) in the hill country of God has made me fruitful (or doubly fruitful) (or double portion like a first-born)
- Ben-Deker—in Makaz, Son of piercing in cutting off (or end),
- Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh and Elon Bethhanan; beholds the heart, house of sun and tree (or oak) house of grace (or house of mercy)
- Ben-Hesed—in Arubboth (Sokoh and all the land of Hepher were his): son of kindness in smoke hole (or chimney/window) regulate (or row) and all the land of digger (or digging) were his
- Ben-Abinadab—in Naphoth Dor (he was married to Taphath daughter of Solomon): Son of head of free-will in heights of dwelling (he was married to drop (or drip/dripping) daughter of complete peace)
- Baana son of Ahilud—in Taanach and Megiddo and in all of Beth Shan next to Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth Shan to Abel Meholah across to Jokmeam: In affliction son of a brother is born in who humbles you (or who answers you) and place of troops (or place of cutting or invading) and in all of house of God is gracious next to cooling (or puncture/pierce) below God will seed from house of God is gracious to breath of sickness (or mourning of sickness) across to the gathering of people
- Ben-Geber—in Ramoth Gilead (the settlements of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead were his, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan and its sixty large walled cities with bronze gate bars); Son of manly/strong in eminence (or high place) hill of testimony (the settlements of he will light up son of to forget in hill of testimony were his, as well as the region of flat land (or turf) in in the tooth (or ivory) and its sixty large walled cities with bronze gate bars
- Ahinadab son of Iddo—in Mahanaim brother of free-will son of power (or to be mighty) (or to be praise) in two camps
- Ahimaaz —in Naphtali (he had married Basemath daughter of Solomon); brother of the council in to wrestle (or struggles/fights) he had married fragrance daughter of complete peace
- Baana son of Hushai —in Asher and in Aloth; In affliction son of their haste/sensuality/silence in fortunate/blessed and in the height/ascent
- Jehoshaphat son of Paruah—in Issachar; Yahua has judged son of blossoming/joyous/increase in he is hired/compensated
- Shimei son of Ela—in Benjamin he hears/obeys (or obeys a reputation) son of my God is a vow (or my God’s vow) in son of right-hand
- Geber son of Uri—in Gilead (the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and the country of Og king of Bashan). He was the only governor over the district. manly/strong son of my light in hill of testimony (the country of rooting out (or conclusion) king of the hill men and the country of faint king of in the tooth (or ivory) he was the only governor over the district
Both lists look like a Messianic prophesy:
1st Kings 4:1–7
- Yahua helps the righteous;
- God’s reward to the friends of Yahua is a habitation.
- Yahua’s judge, a brother is born;
- Yahua’s son, who knows God;
- A righteous father of excellence;
- Yahua helps with a gift;
- He bestowed a gift
- a brother of the upright
- My Lord’s exalted servant
1st Kings 4:8–19
- Son of white a son of piercing;
- He beholds the heart, as the sun on
- a tree of mercy;
- a son of kindness
- the father of free-will
- in affliction a brother is born, a son of strength
- a brother of free-will and of power/praise
- a brother of the council (of God)
- our affliction was silenced
- Yahua has judged joyously
- He obeys my God’s vow
- the strong son of light
Chiastic patterns
There are also chiastic structures in this chapter. God is very good at that.
The first chiastic structure (1st Kings 4:1–28) emphasizes “the kings table” both at the beginning and the end.
A
1 So King Solomon ruled over all Israel. 2 And these were his chief officials: Azariah son of Zadok―the priest; 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha―secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud―recorder; 4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada―commander in chief; Zadok and Abiathar―priests; 5 Azariah son of Nathan―in charge of the district governors; Zabud son of Nathan―a priest and adviser to the king; 6 Ahishar―palace administrator; Adoniram son of Abda―in charge of forced labor.
B
7 Solomon had twelve district governors over all Israel, who supplied provisions for the king and the royal household. Each one had to provide supplies for one month in the year. …
C
20 The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore;
D
they ate, they drank and they were happy.
E
21 And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought tribute and were Solomon’s subjects all his life.
F
22 Solomon’s daily provisions were thirty cors of the finest flour and sixty cors of meal, 23 ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed cattle and a hundred sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks and choice fowl.
E′
24 For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and had peace on all sides.
D′
25 During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree.
C′
26 Solomon had four (or forty) thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand horses.[d]
B′
27 The district governors, each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon
A′
and all who came to the king’s table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking. 28 They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses.
Were the king’s officials included in those who ate at the king’s table?
Pattern in the officials and governors
The second structure is related to the officials/governors.
The third comparision starts with v. 20 that the people of Judah and Israel were very numerous and ends with Solomon’s numerous chariots and horses. On the surface these verses seem to have nothing to do with each other but there is pattern here for us to discuss and study. It’s not a perfect pattern but it is a pattern. These verses seem like non-sequitors.
How is God comparing the people of Judah and Israel to the horses and chariots. The Torah specifically forbids a king from collecting lots of horses and chariots. If God doesn’t want the king to trust in horses and chariots, who is the king supposed to care about? They are supposed to care more about their people.
The “X marks the spot” of this chiastic structure is 1st Kings 4:22–23: “Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty kors of fine flour and sixty kors of meal, ten fat oxen, twenty pasture-fed oxen, a hundred sheep and goats besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl.”
That’s a lot of food!
Solomon’s wisdom
A chiasm about Solomon’s wisdom (1st Kings 4:29-34) is a simple structure that is easier to understand to help compare two things. Wisdom and insight are compared to proverbs and psalms (or songs). Proverbs provide great wisdom and psalms provide great insight.
29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight,
and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.
30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.
31 He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite — wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol.
And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations.
32 He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five.
33 He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish.
34 From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom,
sent by all the kings of the world,
who had heard of his wisdom.
The men listed in 1st Kings 4:32 were “kings” and distant cousins of King Solomon through Yehudah’s son Zerah. These men were so wise that they founded the cities of Troy, Athens, Rome and London. Even though these men were wise, they were not as wise as Solomon.
Solomon brings in all clean things into his house in the earlier text but he also has unclean things coming into his house.
The clean things “numbered the sands of the shore” and are there every day. The unclean come to learn wisdom and reason with him. The clean come to eat and the unclean come to learn.
David’s Messianic style is warlike and conquering while Solomon’s style is the peaceful millennial reign.
Does this affect you? Does it have anything to do with you? Your New Testament, your prophets and writings stand on texts like this.Attention is drawn to the Messiah’s daily provisions (all who go up to the mountain of the Lord count twelve types, fine flour, meal, stall-cattle, pasture cattle, sheep, goats, deer, gazelle, fowl, vine, fig). Notice that even those not at his table (horses) are cared for.
Also to His wisdom, insight, fame spreading throughout the east and the west. Comparison is made of the nations to cedar, hyssop, birds, reptiles, fish (plants & animals). All who come to him for understanding (instruction).
Speaker: Daniel Agee. Reader: Jeff. Summary: Tammy.