19 Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, inathe country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan. Hewas the only governor who was in the land.
Prosperity and Wisdom of Solomon’s Reign
20 Judah and Israel were as numerous aas the sand by the sea in multitude, beating and drinking and rejoicing.
21 So aSolomon reigned over all kingdoms from bthe River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. cThey brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
22aNow Solomon’s1 provision for one day was thirty2 kors of fine flour, sixty kors of meal,
23 ten fatted oxen, twenty oxen from the pastures, and one hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowl.
24 For he had dominion over all theregion on this side of1 the River from Tiphsah even to Gaza, namely over aall the kings on this side of the River; and bhe had peace on every side all around him.
25 And Judah and Israel adwelt safely, beach man under his vine and his fig tree, cfrom Dan as far as Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.
26aSolomon had1 forty thousand stalls of bhorses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.
27 And athese governors, each man in his month, provided food for King Solomon and for all who came to King Solomon’s table. There was no lack in their supply.
28 They also brought barley and straw to the proper place, for the horses and steeds, each man according to his charge.
29 And aGod gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore.
30 Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men aof the East and all bthe wisdom of Egypt.
31 For he was awiser than all men—bthan Ethan the Ezrahite, cand Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the surrounding nations.
32aHe spoke three thousand proverbs, and his bsongs were one thousand and five.
33 Also he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish.
34 And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, acame to hear the wisdom of Solomon.
THE FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS OF KINGS, in the ancient copies of the Hebrew Bible, constitute one book. Various titles have been given them; in the Septuagint and the Vulgate they are called the Third and Fourth Books of Kings. The authorship of these books is unknown; but the prevailing opinion is that they were compiled by Ezra, or one of the later prophets, from the ancient documents that are so frequently referred to in the course of the history as of public and established authority. Their inspired character was acknowledged by the Jewish Church, which ranked them in the sacred canon; and, besides, it is attested by our Lord, who frequently quotes from them (compare I Kings 17:9; II Kings 5:14 with Luke 4:24-27; I Kings 10:1 with Matthew 12:42).
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