1 Kings 4

1 Kings · Chapter 4

1 Kings 4:20

1So king Solomon was king over all Israel.2And these were the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest,3Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder.4And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:5And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer, and the king’s friend:6And Ahishar was over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute.7And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision.8And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim:9The son of Dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Bethshemesh, and Elonbethhanan:10The son of Hesed, in Aruboth; to him pertained Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher:11The son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife:12Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and all Bethshean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Bethshean to Abelmeholah, even unto the place that is beyond Jokneam:13The son of Geber, in Ramothgilead; to him pertained the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; to him also pertained the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brasen bars:14Ahinadab the son of Iddo had Mahanaim:15Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife:16Baanah the son of Hushai was in Asher and in Aloth:17Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar:18Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin:19Geber the son of Uri was in the country of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer which 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.21And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.22And Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,23Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl.24For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him.25And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.26And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.27And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon’s table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing.28Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.29And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.30And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.31For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.32And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.33And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.34And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
20Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore, and they were eating and drinking and rejoicing.Judah and Israel were many as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
Judahיְהוּדָ֤הye-hu-DAHH3063G
Judah

יְהוּד (ye.hud) A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.29.35; son of: Israel (H3478) and Leah (H3812); brother of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074) and Dinah (H1783); half-brother of: Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); married to Bath-shua (H1323I) and Tamar (H8559); father of: Er (H6147), Onan (H0209), Shelah (H7956), Perez (H6557) and Zerah (H2226I) Aramaic of ye.hu.dah (יְהוּדָה "Judah" H3063) Judah-the territory of the tribe of Judah

and Israelוְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙ve-YIS-ra-'ELH3478
Jacob

יַעֲקֹב (ya.a.qov) A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26; son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259); brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A); father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently Another name of yis.ra.el (יִשְׂרָאֵל "Israel" H3478) § Jacob = "heel holder" or "supplanter" …

[were] numerousרַבִּ֔יםra-BIMH7227A
many

רַב (rav) adj 1) much, many, great 1a) much 1b) many 1c) abounding in 1d) more numerous than 1e) abundant, enough 1f) great 1g) strong 1h) greater than adv 1i) much, exceedingly

like the sandכַּח֥וֹלka-CHOLH2344
sand

חוֹל (chol) sand

whichאֲשֶׁר־'a-SHER-H0834A
which

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when

[is] atעַל־'al-H5921A
upon

עַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) …

the seaהַיָּ֖םhai-YAMH3220G
sea

יָם (yam) : sea 1) sea 1a) Mediterranean Sea 1b) Red Sea 1c) Dead Sea 1d) Sea of Galilee 1e) sea (general) 1f) mighty river (Nile) 1g) the sea (the great basin in the temple court) 1h) seaward, west, westward

for multitudeלָרֹ֑בla-ROH7230
abundance

רֹב (rov) 1) multitude, abundance, greatness 1a) multitude 1a1) abundance, abundantly 1a2) numerous 1b) greatness

[they were] eatingאֹכְלִ֥ים'o-khe-LIMH0398
to eat

אָכַל (a.khal) 1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to eat (human subject) 1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds) 1a3) to devour, consume (of fire) 1a4) to devour, slay (of sword) 1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought) 1a6) to devour (of oppression) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be eaten (by men) 1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire) 1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh) 1c) (Pual) 1c1) to cause to eat, feed with 1c2) to cause to devour 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to feed 1d2) to cause to eat 1e) (Piel) 1e1) consume Aramaic equivalent: a.khal (אֲכַל "to devour" H0399)

and [were] drinkingוְשֹׁתִ֖יםve-sho-TIMH8354
to drink

שָׁתָה (sha.tah) 1) to drink 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to drink 1a1a) of drinking cup of God's wrath, of slaughter, of wicked deeds (fig) 1a2) to feast 1b) (Niphal) to be drunk Aramaic equivalent: she.tah (שְׁתָה "to drink" H8355)

and [were] joyfulוּשְׂמֵחִֽים׃u-se-me-CHIMH8056
glad

שָׂמֵחַ (sa.me.ach) 1) joyful, merry, glad 1a) joyful, showing joy 1b) you who rejoice (subst)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.