1 Kings 4:22

Translation
King James Version
And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,
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KJV (with Strong's)
And Solomon's H8010 provision H3899 for one H259 day H3117 was thirty H7970 measures H3734 of fine flour H5560, and threescore H8346 measures H3734 of meal H7058,
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Complete Jewish Bible
Shlomo's provisions for one day consisted of 150 bushels of fine flour, 310 bushels of meal,
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Berean Standard Bible
Solomon’s provisions for a single day were thirty cors of fine flour, sixty cors of meal,
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American Standard Version
And Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,
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World English Bible Messianic
Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and sixty measures of meal,
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Geneva Bible (1599)
And Salomons vitailes for one day were thirtie measures of fine floure, and threescore measures of meale:
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Young's Literal Translation
And the provision of Solomon for one day is thirty cors of flour, and sixty cors of meal;
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In the KJVVerse 8,867 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

1 Kings 4:22 provides a vivid snapshot of the extraordinary opulence and administrative prowess that characterized King Solomon's reign, meticulously detailing the immense daily provisions required to sustain his vast household and kingdom. This verse, embedded within a broader description of Solomon's unparalleled wisdom, wealth, and dominion, powerfully illustrates the tangible manifestation of divine blessing and the unprecedented prosperity that Israel experienced during this golden age, painting a picture of a kingdom operating on a scale previously unimaginable and reflecting both God's favor and the king's remarkable resources.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: This verse is situated within a detailed account of Solomon's reign in 1 Kings 4, specifically focusing on the grandeur and organizational structure of his kingdom. It immediately follows descriptions of Solomon's vast dominion, which extended from the Euphrates to the border of Egypt, and the profound peace he enjoyed on all sides, indicating a period of unparalleled stability and expansion for Israel (1 Kings 4:21). The preceding verses establish Solomon's unparalleled wisdom, presented as the divine gift that undergirds his administrative brilliance and the resulting prosperity. Following 1 Kings 4:22, the text continues to enumerate additional daily provisions, including various meats and wild game (1 Kings 4:23), further emphasizing the sheer magnitude of his court's needs. This entire section serves to underscore the fulfillment of God's promises to Solomon and the zenith of Israel's earthly glory under a wise and blessed king.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: In the ancient Near East, the grandeur and power of a monarch were frequently assessed by the size and lavishness of his court, the extent of his dominion, and the abundance of his provisions. Kings were expected to maintain a large retinue of officials, servants, military personnel, and even animals, all requiring daily sustenance. Solomon's kingdom, as depicted here, was a dominant regional power, necessitating a highly sophisticated administrative structure capable of managing vast resources, collecting tribute, and distributing provisions across a wide territory. The specific mention of "fine flour" and "meal" reflects the staple diet of the era; "fine flour" was a luxury item, typically reserved for the king's table, nobility, or sacred offerings, while "meal" represented a coarser, more common grain for broader consumption. This immense level of daily provision would have been a visible and potent symbol of Solomon's immense wealth, prestige, and the stability of his reign, projecting an image of unrivaled power that commanded respect and tribute from surrounding nations.
  • Key Themes: The immense daily provision detailed in 1 Kings 4:22 powerfully highlights several central themes within the narrative of Solomon's reign and the broader biblical message. Firstly, it underscores Abundance and Prosperity, portraying a kingdom blessed with material wealth beyond compare, which is presented as a direct outcome of God's favor and the fulfillment of His covenant promises. This echoes the blessings promised for obedience in the Mosaic Law, as seen in Deuteronomy 28:1-14. Secondly, it emphasizes Royal Grandeur and Magnificence, showcasing Solomon's reign as a golden age for Israel, a period of unparalleled peace and prosperity that reflected the glory of God's chosen king. This lavishness was not merely for personal indulgence but served as a public demonstration of divine blessing and the king's divinely appointed authority. Lastly, the passage points to Divine Blessing and Fulfillment, as this extraordinary provision directly manifests God's promise to Solomon in Gibeon, where he was granted not only wisdom but also riches and honor beyond any king before or after him (1 Kings 3:13). Thus, the daily provisions serve as tangible evidence of God's faithfulness to His covenant with David and Solomon.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • provision (Hebrew, lechem', H3899): The Hebrew word lechem (H3899) broadly refers to "food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it)." In this context, it encompasses the entire daily sustenance required for Solomon's vast court. The use of this general term highlights that the grains mentioned are the foundational elements of the daily diet, providing the essential nourishment for the multitude of people and animals sustained by the royal treasury.
  • measures (Hebrew, kôr', H3734): The Hebrew term kôr (H3734) denotes a significant unit of dry capacity. Properly, it refers to "a deep round vessel," which then became the name for a specific measure, equivalent to ten ephahs or one homer. While precise modern equivalents vary, a kôr is generally estimated to be around 220 liters or approximately 6.25 bushels. Therefore, "thirty measures of fine flour" would be approximately 6,600 liters, and "threescore (sixty) measures of meal" would be about 13,200 liters, totaling nearly 20,000 liters of grain daily. This staggering quantity underscores the colossal scale of Solomon's administration and court.
  • fine flour (Hebrew, çôleth', H5560): The Hebrew word çôleth (H5560) refers to "flour (as chipped off)," indicating highly refined, sifted flour of the finest quality available. This type of flour was considered a luxury and was typically reserved for the king's table, for special occasions, or for offerings in the tabernacle/temple (e.g., the grain offering in Leviticus 2:1). Its prominent inclusion in the daily provision highlights the lavishness and high standard of living enjoyed by Solomon and his immediate court.
  • meal (Hebrew, qemach', H7058): The Hebrew term qemach (H7058) denotes a coarser, less refined flour compared to çôleth. This would have been the staple for the general population, including the vast number of officials, servants, guards, and possibly even the royal cavalry and their animals that comprised Solomon's extensive retinue. The significantly larger quantity of qemach compared to çôleth indicates its broader usage for the sustenance of the wider court and administrative staff.

Verse Breakdown

  • "And Solomon's provision for one day was": This opening clause immediately establishes the context as a daily, ongoing requirement, emphasizing the consistent and immense scale of the king's needs. It highlights the administrative challenge of procuring, storing, and distributing such vast quantities of food every single day, underscoring the efficiency and abundant resources of Solomon's kingdom.
  • "thirty measures of fine flour": This specifies the first and more luxurious component of the daily provision. The quantity, combined with the quality ("fine flour"), points to the refined and abundant diet of the king and his closest associates, reflecting the peak of Israel's material prosperity and the king's elevated status as a divinely blessed monarch.
  • "and threescore measures of meal": This second component, double the quantity of the fine flour, indicates the provision for the broader court and administrative personnel. The distinction between "fine flour" and "meal" illustrates a hierarchical structure within the royal household, while the sheer volume of both underscores the enormous number of people and possibly animals that Solomon's treasury was responsible for feeding daily, showcasing the immense scale of his operation.

Literary Devices

The verse employs Enumeration and Descriptive Imagery to convey the extraordinary scale of Solomon's wealth and the abundance of his reign. By meticulously listing the specific quantities of "fine flour" and "meal," the text creates a vivid and concrete picture for the reader, allowing them to grasp the sheer magnitude of the daily provisions. This detailed accounting functions almost as a form of Hyperbole, not necessarily to exaggerate falsely, but to emphasize the unprecedented and almost unbelievable level of prosperity. The precise numbers lend an air of authenticity and impressiveness, underscoring that Solomon's kingdom was truly operating at a different level than any before it, a testament to divine blessing and the fulfillment of God's promises. The contrast between "fine flour" and "meal" also subtly highlights the Social Hierarchy within the court, with different qualities of food for different ranks.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

1 Kings 4:22 serves as a powerful testament to God's faithfulness and His capacity for abundant provision when His people walk in wisdom and obedience. Solomon's unprecedented wealth and the lavish daily provisions were not merely a result of human ingenuity or conquest but were explicitly presented as a divine gift, fulfilling God's promise to grant him riches and honor in addition to wisdom (1 Kings 3:13). This period represents the zenith of Israel's earthly glory, a tangible demonstration of what it meant for God to bless His chosen nation and its king. It illustrates the principle that obedience to God can lead to material blessing and national flourishing, a theme consistently found throughout the Old Testament. However, it also subtly foreshadows the potential pitfalls of such abundance, as Solomon's later life would demonstrate that even immense prosperity does not guarantee lasting spiritual faithfulness or ultimate satisfaction.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

The immense daily provision of Solomon's court in 1 Kings 4:22 invites us to reflect on the nature of divine provision, human responsibility, and the potential complexities of material abundance. It reminds us that God is capable of providing far beyond our needs, often in ways that demonstrate His glory and faithfulness. Solomon's reign, marked by such lavishness, was a period where God's blessing was unmistakably evident. This should encourage us to trust in God's ability to provide for us, acknowledging that all true prosperity flows from His hand. However, it also calls us to consider the responsibilities that accompany such blessings. Solomon's administration was tasked with managing and distributing these vast resources, highlighting the need for wise stewardship and justice in the face of abundance. Furthermore, while earthly prosperity can be a blessing, the broader narrative of Solomon's life serves as a poignant reminder that material wealth, even divinely given, does not guarantee spiritual fidelity or ultimate contentment. It challenges us to examine where our ultimate trust and satisfaction lie – in earthly provisions or in the Giver of all good things.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does Solomon's abundance challenge or confirm your understanding of God's capacity for provision in your own life?
  • What responsibilities accompany material blessing, and how can we exercise wise stewardship in our own contexts?
  • In what ways might earthly prosperity, even when divinely given, distract us from spiritual faithfulness or lead to complacency, as it eventually did for Solomon?

FAQ

What was the actual quantity of food mentioned in 1 Kings 4:22?

Answer: The verse specifies "thirty measures of fine flour" and "threescore measures of meal." The term "measure" here translates the Hebrew unit "kor" (or "cor"), which was approximately 220 liters (or about 6.25 bushels). Therefore, "thirty measures of fine flour" would be roughly 6,600 liters of high-quality flour, and "threescore (sixty) measures of meal" would amount to about 13,200 liters of coarser flour. In total, Solomon's court required nearly 20,000 liters of grain daily, a truly staggering amount that underscores the immense scale of his kingdom and administration.

Who was all this food for, given the immense quantity?

Answer: This vast daily provision was necessary to sustain not just King Solomon and his immediate family, but also his extensive royal household, which included a multitude of officials, servants, guards, and administrative staff required to manage such a large and prosperous kingdom. It would also have fed the royal cavalry and their animals, as well as numerous guests and foreign dignitaries who frequently visited Solomon's court to witness his wisdom and grandeur (1 Kings 4:34). The sheer volume reflects the unprecedented size and complexity of Solomon's administrative and military apparatus, all supported by the king's treasury.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Solomon's reign, described in 1 Kings 4:22 as a period of unparalleled abundance and provision, serves as a powerful type and shadow of the ultimate King, Jesus Christ. While Solomon's kingdom flourished with earthly grain and material wealth, Jesus' kingdom offers a spiritual abundance that far surpasses any temporal provision. He is the true and eternal provider, the Bread of Life who satisfies the deepest hunger of the human soul, offering spiritual nourishment that never perishes. Where Solomon's wisdom and wealth were great but ultimately finite and susceptible to human failing, Christ's wisdom is infinite and His spiritual riches are inexhaustible. His reign is characterized not by the temporary peace of a geopolitical empire, but by an everlasting peace and an eternal kingdom that provides for all the needs of His people, both spiritual and physical, according to His glorious riches (Philippians 4:19). Solomon's provisions were a testament to God's blessing on a physical kingdom; Christ's ultimate provision is the gift of salvation and eternal life, a kingdom where there is no hunger or thirst, only the fullness of God's presence (Revelation 7:16-17). In Him, we find the true and lasting fulfillment of all God's promises, far exceeding the temporal glory of any earthly king, for He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

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Commentary on 1 Kings 4 verses 20–28

Such a kingdom, and such a court, surely never any prince had, as Solomon's are here described to be.

I. Such a kingdom. Never did the crown of Israel shine so brightly as it did when Solomon wore it, never in his father's days, never in the days of any of his successors; nor was that kingdom ever so glorious a type of the kingdom of the Messiah as it was then. The account here given of it is such as fully answers the prophecies which we have concerning it in Ps. 72, which is a psalm for Solomon, but with reference to Christ. 1. The territories of his kingdom were large and its tributaries many; so it was foretold that he should have dominion from sea to sea, Psa 72:8-11. Solomon reigned not only over all Israel, who were his subjects by choice, but over all the neighbouring kingdoms, who were his subjects by constraint. All the princes from the river Euphrates, north-east to the border of Egypt south-west, not only added to his honour by doing him homage and holding their crowns from him, but added to his wealth by serving him, and bringing him presents, Kg1 4:21. David, by his successful wars, compelled them to this subjection, and Solomon, by his admirable wisdom, made it easy and reasonable; for it is fit that the fool should be servant to the wise in heart. If they gave him presents, he gave them instructions, and still taught the people knowledge, not only his own people, but those of other nations: and wisdom is better than gold. He had peace on all sides, Kg1 4:24. None of all the nations that were subject to him offered to shake off his yoke, or to give him any disturbance, but rather thought themselves happy in their dependence upon him. Herein his kingdom typified the Messiah's; for to him it is promised that he shall have the heathen for his inheritance and that princes shall worship him, Isa 49:6, Isa 49:7; Isa 53:12. 2. The subjects of his kingdom and its inhabitants, were many and cheerful. (1.) They were numerous and country was exceedingly populous (Kg1 4:20): Judah and Israel were many, and that good land was sufficient to maintain them all. They were as the sand of the sea in multitude. Now was fulfilled the promise made to Abraham concerning the increase of his seed (Gen 22:17), as well as that concerning the extent of their dominion, Gen 15:18. This was their strength and beauty, the honour of their prince, the terror of their enemies, and an advancement of the wealth of the nation. If they grew so numerous that the place was any where too strait for them, they might remove with advantage into the countries that were subject to them. God's spiritual Israel are many, at least they will be so when they come all together, Rev 7:9. (2.) They were easy, they dwelt safely, or with confidence and assurance (Kg1 4:25), not jealous of their king or of his officers, not disaffected either to him or one to another, nor under any apprehension or danger from enemies foreign or domestic. They were happy and knew it, safe and willing to think themselves so. They dwelt every man under his vine and fig-tree. Solomon invaded no man's property, took not to himself their vineyards and olive-yards, as sometimes was the manner of the king (Sa1 8:14), but what they had they could call their own: he protected every man in the possession and enjoyment of his property. Those that had vines and fig-trees ate the fruit of them themselves; and so great was the peace of the country that they might, if they pleased, dwell as safely under the shadow of them as within the walls of a city. Or, because it was usual to have vines by the sides of their houses (Psa 128:3), they are said to dwell under their vines. (3.) They were cheerful in the use of their plenty, eating and drinking, and making merry, Kg1 4:20. Solomon did not only keep a good table himself, but enabled all his subjects, according to their rank, to do so too, and taught them that God gave them their abundance that they might use it soberly and pleasantly, not that they might hoard it up. There is nothing better than for a man to eat the labour of his hands (Ecc 2:24), and that with a merry heart, Ecc 9:7. His father, in the Psalms, had led his people into the comforts of communion with God, and now he led them into the comfortable use of the good things of this life. This pleasant posture of Israel's affairs extended, in place, from Dan to Beer-sheba - no part of the country was exposed nor upon any account uneasy; and it continued a long time, all the days of Solomon, without any material interruption. Go where you would, you might see all the marks of plenty, peace, and satisfaction. The spiritual peace, and joy, and holy security, of all the faithful subjects of the Lord Jesus were typified by this. The kingdom of God is not, as Solomon's was, meat and drink, but, what is infinitely better, righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

II. Such a court Solomon kept as can scarcely be paralleled. We may guess at the vast number of his attendants, and the great resort there was to him, by the provision that was made daily for his table. Of bread there were so many measures of flour and meal as, it is computed, would richly serve 3000 men (Carellus computes above 4800 men), and the provision of flesh (Kg1 4:23) was rather more in proportion. What vast quantities were here of beef, mutton, and venison, and the choicest of all fatted things, as some read that which we translate fatted fowl! Ahasuerus, once in his reign, made a great feast, to show the riches of his kingdom, Est 1:3, Est 1:4. But it was much more the honour of Solomon that he kept a constant table and a very noble one, not of dainties or deceitful meats (he himself witnessed against them, Pro 23:3), but substantial food, for the entertainment of those who came to hear his wisdom. Thus Christ fed those whom he taught, 5000 at a time, more than ever Solomon's table would entertain at once: and all believers have in him a continual feast. Herein he far outdoes Solomon, that he feeds all his subjects, not with the bread that perishes, but with that which endures to eternal life. It added much both to the strength and glory of Solomon's kingdom that he had such abundance of horses, 40,000 for chariots and 12,000 for his troops, 1000 horse, perhaps, in every tribe, for the preserving of the public peace, Kg1 4:26. God had commanded that their king should not multiply horses (Deu 17:16), nor, according to the account here given, considering the extent and wealth of Solomon's kingdom, did he multiply horses in proportion to his neighbours; for we find even the Philistines bringing into the field 30,000 chariots (Sa1 13:5) and the Syrians at least 40,000 horse, Sa2 10:18. The same officers that provided for his house provided also for his stable, Kg1 4:27, Kg1 4:28. Every one knew his place, and work, and time; and so this great court was kept without confusion. Solomon, that had vast incomes, lived at a vast expense, and perhaps wrote that with application to himself, Ecc 5:11. When goods increase those are increased that eat them; and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes, unless withal they have the satisfaction of doing good with them?

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 20–28. Public domain.
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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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