Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

4:21-24 Solomon exerted a dominating influence over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt, an area further defined as extending from Tiphsah (an important city on the Euphrates, about 75 miles [121 km] south of Carchemish on the main trade route connecting Mesopotamia with Syria) to Gaza (on the western coast of Palestine, in the far south of Philistia). It is a large area, corresponding to the ideal extent of Israel's dominion as promised to Abraham in Gen. 15:18.

4:25 And Judah and Israel lived in safety . . . every man under his vine and under his fig tree. The people lived under God's blessing (cf. Joel 2:22; contrast Ps. 105:33; Jer. 5:17), having a degree of economic independence--somewhat akin to living in the kingdom of the "last days" foreseen by the prophet Micah, when swords will be beaten into plowshares and every man will have a stake in the land (Mic. 4:1-4).

4:26 40,000 stalls of horses. Based on the available OT source documents, the number of stalls is uncertain. Although most Hebrew manuscripts place the number at 40,000, the Greek Septuagint manuscripts (and one Hebrew manuscript) place the number at 4,000, which is also the number indicated in 2 Chron. 9:25; hence the number here could possibly be a copying error. (Cf. the 1,400 chariots in 1 Kings 10:26, which would suggest fewer than 40,000 horse stalls.) In either case, such a large number of stalls (even 4,000) would violate the prohibition in Deut. 17:16 that the king "must not acquire many horses for himself." Tripartite pillared buildings have been unearthed at numerous Iron Age sites--Megiddo, Hazor, Beth-shemesh, and elsewhere. Each unit has a central hall flanked by two parallel aisles, separated by rows of pillars. These buildings have been identified by numerous scholars as "stalls" or stables (although some argue they are storehouses, army barracks, or bazaars) and, indeed, some of them date to the time of Solomon.

4:28 horses and swift steeds. The darker side of Solomon is once again hinted at (see also v. 26), even in the midst of the glories of the early part of his reign. Deuteronomy 17:16 forbids the king from acquiring "many horses for himself" and forbids him further from making the people "return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses" (Deut. 17:16; cf. 1 Kings 10:26-29).

4:30-31 the wisdom of all the people of the east . . . of Egypt. Solomon's wisdom exceeded that of people from places renowned for their wisdom, including "all the people of the east" (cf. Matt. 2:1-12). Egypt specifically provides many examples of wisdom literature (e.g., "The Wisdom of Amen-em-ope," which many OT scholars believe influenced Prov. 22:17-23:12). Solomon's wisdom was also greater than that of the named individuals famous for their wisdom.

4:33 He spoke of trees . . . beasts . . . birds . . . reptiles, and of fish. Careful observation of the natural world and how it works is one of the "normal" ways in which people gain wisdom (e.g., Job 38-41; Prov. 30:15-31; Matt. 6:25-34). Solomon was concerned with the natural world, from the largest tree (the proverbially high cedar that is in Lebanon) to the smallest plant (e.g., hyssop), and including all sorts of fauna. Wisdom "from below" (as here) and wisdom "from above" (as received by Solomon in 1 Kings 3) are thus combined in this one person, the wisest of all Israel's kings.