1st Kings Chapter 4 verse 7 Holy Bible
And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided victuals for the king and his household: each man had to make provision for a month in the year.
read chapter 4 in ASV
And Solomon put twelve overseers over all Israel, to be responsible for the stores needed for the king and those of his house; every man was responsible for one month in the year.
read chapter 4 in BBE
And Solomon had twelve superintendents over all Israel; and they provided food for the king and his household: each man his month in the year had to make provision.
read chapter 4 in DARBY
And 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.
read chapter 4 in KJV
And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision.
read chapter 4 in WBT
Solomon 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.
read chapter 4 in WEB
And Solomon hath twelve officers over all Israel, and they have sustained the king and his household -- a month in the year is on each one for sustenance;
read chapter 4 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 7. - And Solomon had twelve officers [lit., persons "placed" or "set over" others, i.e., superintendents. The term is used of Doeg (1 Samuel 22:9). They were twelve, not because of the twelve tribes, but the twelve months] over all Israel, which provided victuals for [Heb. nourished] the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision [lit., a month in the year it was (i.e., devolved) upon each to nourish. It has been thought by some that these superintendents were also governors of provinces (ἡΓενισισόνες καὶ σταηγοί, Jos. Ant. 8:2, 3), as well as purveyors. But of this nothing is said in the text. Their principal function was to collect the royal dues or taxes which were evidently paid, as they still are in the East, in kind].
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(7) Provided victuals for the king and his household.--This denotes the collection of revenue--mostly, no doubt, in kind--for the maintenance of the Court and household and guards of the king; and perhaps may have included also the management of the royal domain lands, such as is described under David's reign in 1Chronicles 26:25-31. It is curious that in five cases only the patronymic of the officer is given, probably from some defect in the archives from which this chapter is evidently drawn. The office must have been of high importance and dignity, for in two cases (1Kings 4:11; 1Kings 4:15) the holders of it were married into the royal house. The provinces over which they had authority--nine on the west and three on the east of Jordan--coincide only in a few cases with the lands assigned to the several tribes. It is not unlikely that by this time much of the tribal division of territory had become obsolete although we see from 1Chronicles 27:16-22, that for chieftainship over men, and for levy in war, it still remained in force.
