CHAPTER 4 Aug. 10 
The Administration of Solomon’s Kingdom
King Solomon was king over all Israel. 2These were the princes whom he had: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest; 3Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder; 4Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 5Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; Zabud the son of Nathan was chief officer, the king’s friend; 6Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the men subject to forced labour. 7Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household: each man had to make provision for a month in the year. 8These are their names: Ben Hur, in the hill country of Ephraim; 9Ben Deker, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth Shemesh, and Elon Beth Hanan; 10Ben Hesed, in Arubboth (to him belonged Socoh, and all the land of Hepher); 11Ben Abinadab, in all the height of Dor (he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as wife); 12Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth Shean which is beside Zarethan, beneath Jezreel, from Beth Shean to Abel Meholah, as far as beyond Jokmeam; 13Ben Geber, in Ramoth Gilead (to him belonged the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; to him belonged the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars); 14Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim; 15Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon as wife); 16Baana the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bealoth; 17Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar; 18Shimei the son of Ela, in Benjamin; 19Geber 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 who was in the land. 20Judah and Israel were many as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry. 21Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt: they brought tribute, and served Solomon all the days of his life. 22Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and sixty measures of meal, 23ten head of fat cattle, twenty head of cattle out of the pastures, one hundred sheep, besides harts, gazelles, roebucks and fattened fowl. 24For he had dominion over all on this side of the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side of the River: and he had peace on all sides around him. 25Judah and Israel lived safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. 26Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. 27Those officers provided food for king Solomon, and for all who came to king Solomon’s table, every man in his month; they let nothing be lacking. 28Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds brought they to the place where the officers were, each man according to his duty. 
The Wisdom of Solomon
29God gave Solomon great wisdom and understanding, and very great perception, according to the sand which is on the seashore. 30Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol, Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all the nations all around. 32He spoke three thousand proverbs; and his songs were one thousand and five. 33He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, birds, creeping things and fish. 34There came of all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.

Commentary

4:20 The promises of the future Kingdom were fulfilled to a limited extent at this time; Israel were multiplied as the sand on the sea shore (2 Sam. 17:11), they possessed the gates of their enemies (Dt. 17:2; 18:6)- all in antitype of how we, Abraham's future seed would also receive the promised blessings in their mortal experience, as well as in the eternal blessedness of the future Kingdom.

4:25 Rabshakeh promised the Jews an Assyrian Kingdom where everyone sat under their own vine and fig tree- consciously parodying Micah’s contemporary prophecies of God’s future Kingdom (Is. 36:16 cp. Mic. 4:4). The Assyrian Kingdom was being presented as a parody of Solomon’s, which was the Kingdom of God (2 Chron. 9:8). Our surrounding world comprises “the kingdoms of this world” (Rev. 11:15); it is a fake kingdom of God. We have a choice between God’s Kingdom and that of this world, although to unspiritual eyes, this world with its promises of a wonderful life here and now can appear a replica ofGod’s Kingdom.

4:29 According to the sand which is on the seashore- The same term is used in :20 to describe the number of the Israelites. Solomon was given wisdom in order to assist them. We should search for wisdom in order to be of spiritual assistance to others, to God’s glory. Bible study is of no value unless we harness it to the service of God’s people. Our search for knowledge in every aspect of life must be because we seek to turn it into wisdom.