I Kings 4:22 · Bible study
1 Kings 4:22 Commentary: Abundance Under God's Promise
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine 1 Kings 4:22: the immense scale of Solomon's daily provisions, its reflection of God's covenant faithfulness, and the peace of his kingdom.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The daily provisions for Solomon's court demonstrate the scale of his kingdom and God's covenant faithfulness.
- Key words: Provision (daily supply), fine flour (refined), meal (common), measures (cors).
- Main debate: The exact volume of the cor and the resulting number of people dependent on the court.
- Theological theme: God's promise to Abraham of a great nation dwelling in peace is fulfilled in Solomon's reign.
- Best use: Illustrating God's faithfulness, the peace of His kingdom, and a foreshadowing of messianic abundance.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Solomon’s provisions for a single day were thirty cors of fine flour, sixty cors of meal,
WEB World English Bible 2000
Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty cors of fine flour, sixty measures of meal,
KJV King James Version 1769
And Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And the provision of Solomon for one day is thirty cors of flour, and sixty cors of meal;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and sixty measures of meal,
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And the provision of Solomon, for each day, was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal;
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y la despensa de Salomón era cada día treinta coros de flor de harina, y sesenta coros de harina.
E a despensa de Salomão era cada dia trinta coros de farinha refinada, e sessenta coros de farinha comum;
Chaque jour Salomon consommait en vivres: trente cors de fleur de farine et soixante cors de farine,
[5:2] Und Salomo mußte täglich zur Speisung haben dreißig Kor Semmelmehl, sechzig Kor anderes Mehl,
De spijze nu van Salomo was voor een dag, dertig kor meelbloem, en zestig kor meel;
Or la provvisione de’ viveri di Salomone, per ogni giorno, consisteva in trenta cori di fior di farina e sessanta cori di farina ordinaria;
A tenci był rozchód Salomona na każdy dzień, trzydzieści korcy mąki białej, i sześćdziesiąt korcy innej mąki.
Продовольствие Соломона на каждый день составляли: тридцать коров муки пшеничной и шестьдесят коров прочей муки,
所羅門 每 日 所用的食物：細麵 三十 歌珥，粗麵 六十 歌珥，
And the amount of Solomon's food for one day was thirty measures of crushed grain and sixty measures of meal;
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse documents the enormous daily provisions required for Solomon's court, including the king's household, officials, guards, and foreign visitors. The scale of the supply, thirty cors of fine flour and sixty cors of ordinary meal, points to a very large number of dependents, with estimates ranging from 14,000 to 70,000 persons (Barnes; Gill; Cambridge Bible). The distinction between fine flour and meal suggests separate rations for the royal table and for servants (Gill; Keil & Delitzsch). All note that such provision was possible only because of the peace and tribute described in the surrounding context (1 Kings 4:20-21, 24-25), showing God's faithfulness to His promises to Abraham: a great nation dwelling in safety in the land (Matthew Henry; Jamieson-Fausset-Brown). The exact capacity of the cor measure is debated (Josephus gives 86 gallons, rabbinical writings about 44-45), but even the lower figure yields extraordinary quantities. The consensus is clear: the daily fare reflects the fulfillment of God's covenant and the magnitude of Solomon's blessed reign.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse describes the enormous daily provisions for Solomon's court, emphasizing the abundance and peace of his reign as a tangible fulfillment of God's covenant promises to Abraham.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Volume of the cor measure | The cor was the largest standard unit of capacity in ancient Israel, equivalent to ten ephahs. | Josephus states a cor held about 86 English gallons; rabbinical sources give about 44-45 gallons. The difference changes estimates of daily food volume by nearly double. |
| Number of court dependents | Solomon's daily provisions fed a very large number of people, far beyond his immediate family. | Estimates range from 14,000 (Barnes) to 15,000 (Bunsen), 29,000 (Gill's calculation based on 2 lb/person), and up to 54,000, 70,000 (Vilalpandus, Calvisius, Jewish tradition). The number depends on the cor's volume and the proportion of bread to meat. |
| Purpose of the detailed list | The list emphasizes the abundance and peace of Solomon's reign as a sign of divine blessing. | Some view it as a literal administrative record; others see it as an idealized picture meant to magnify Solomon's glory and foreshadow the messianic kingdom. Matthew Henry reads it as a type of Christ's kingdom. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The daily provision of 1 Kings 4:22 must be understood against the backdrop of Solomon's administrative organization, described in 4:7-19. Twelve officers provided food for the king and his household, each responsible for one month per year. This practical arrangement made possible the continuous supply of such large quantities. The measure used, the cor (also called the homer), was the largest standard unit of capacity in ancient Israel, holding about ten ephahs or baths (Cambridge Bible). Estimates of its volume vary: the Jewish historian Josephus calculates about 86 English gallons, while later rabbinical sources give about 44-45 gallons. Even the lower estimate produces roughly 1,320 gallons of fine flour and 2,640 gallons of meal each day (Barnes).
The wider context emphasizes that Solomon's wealth and peace were not accidental. 1 Kings 4:20-21 reports that Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea, eating, drinking, and making merry, a direct echo of God's promise to Abraham to multiply his descendants (Genesis 22:17). Solomon ruled over a vast territory, from the Euphrates River to the border of Egypt, receiving tribute from all those kingdoms. Verses 24-25 paint a picture of peace on every side: every man sat under his own vine and fig tree, from Dan to Beersheba. In such an environment, the court could operate on a grand scale, and the daily table became a visible sign of covenant blessing. The mention of fine flour (solet) and ordinary meal (qemach) reflects not only abundance but hierarchy: the best for the king and his honored guests, common flour for the wider household (Gill; Keil & Delitzsch).
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note no significant textual variants for this verse. The various English translations (KJV, ASV, BSB, Darby, Douay) differ only in their rendering of the Hebrew measure as “measures” or “cors,” and in the number (thirty and sixty) which is consistent across all witnesses. The Hebrew text is stable.
Reception History
Jewish tradition, as preserved in the Shalshalet Hakabala, claimed that 60,000 people ate daily at Solomon's table, seeing the passage as proof of his unparalleled wealth. Early Christian commentators (e.g., Theodoret) read the abundance as a type of the messianic feast, noting that the peace of 4:25, every man under his vine and fig tree, became a prophetic image of the age to come (Micah 4:4). Matthew Henry's commentary (1710) explicitly calls Solomon's kingdom “a glorious type of the kingdom of the Messiah,” where Christ provides for His people with even greater lavishness. The passage has also been used in discussions of God's material blessing, though its later reception is cautious: the warnings of 1 Kings 11 about Solomon's heart temper any unqualified celebration of wealth.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God Keeps His Promises. The vast daily supply of food did not come from Solomon's cleverness alone. It fulfilled God's word to Abraham: his descendants would be as numerous as the sand and would possess the land from the river to Egypt (Genesis 15:18). The peace and plenty of Solomon's reign were a down payment on that covenant.
- Provision Comes Through Order and Stewardship. The twelve officers who brought supplies each month (4:7-19) remind us that God's blessings often work through human systems of administration and responsibility. The abundance was not miraculous manna; it required faithful management.
- True Peace Points to Christ. The vision of every family sitting under its own vine and fig tree (4:25) is picked up by the prophets (Micah 4:4) as a picture of the messianic age. Solomon's table is a foretaste of the feast to come, where Christ provides not just bread but His own life.
Five-point outline
- The fulfilling of God's covenant (4:20-21; Genesis 22:17).
- The scale of the court: feeding thousands daily (estimates 14,000, 70,000).
- The generosity of God's blessing: finest flour, full portions.
- The peace that made provision possible: no wars, safe borders.
- A model of faithful stewardship in times of blessing.
Illustration hooks
- A family meal that grows from six to sixty guests: the logistical challenge of hospitality multiplies with scale. Solomon's kitchen fed a town every day.
- Three hundred eighty gallons of fine flour equals about thirty-three modern “sacks” (Barnes). Picture a delivery truck arriving at the palace gates every morning.
- The difference between fine flour and meal is like the distinction between a chef's special dish and standard cafeteria fare. Even in abundance, the king honored his table with the best.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Was Solomon's wealth a sign of God's favor or a warning against excess? The text presents it as blessing, but later chapters show the dangers of splendor.
- How does God provide for us today when we do not have a king's treasury? Through daily bread, community, faithful work, a different but real provision.
- Does this passage encourage believers to seek material prosperity? It shows God's faithfulness, not a promise of wealth to all; the New Testament reorients our hope to heavenly treasures.
Leading a Discussion
This verse appears in a section celebrating Solomon's prosperous reign. It lists the exact daily rations for the royal household. The sheer quantity invites us to see God's hand in the everyday details of provision and order.
Discussion questions
- What does this list of provisions tell us about the size and structure of Solomon's court?
- Why does the writer include such specific numbers? What effect do they have on the reader?
- How does the description of peace in 4:24-25 connect to the ability to provide such large provisions?
- In what ways does this passage reflect God's promises to Abraham about land and descendants?
- Are there dangers in equating material abundance with God's blessing? How do the later warnings about Solomon's heart (1 Kings 11) balance this picture?
- How does the New Testament reimagine God's provision, through Christ, not through a royal court?
- What does it mean for us to trust God for daily bread when we do not live under a king like Solomon?
Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke investigates the Hebrew word translated "fatted fowl" and argues it likely refers to wild game taken by hunting, not domesticated capons. Drawing on Michaelis, he traces the term to a root meaning field or wilderness, suggesting it includes both wild beasts and fowls gathered from outside the cities.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes calculates the actual amount of flour these measures represent, drawing on Josephus and rabbinical sources to estimate the cor at 44 to 86 gallons. From the total of 90 cors of flour, he infers that the royal household fed roughly 14,000 people daily.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge note highlights that the Hebrew word for "measures" in this verse is "cor," a unit equal to the homer and used for both dry and liquid goods. The commentators point out that ancient sources differ sharply on its actual size: Rabbinical tradition puts it at about 45 gallons, while Josephus estimates nearly 87 gallons, creating a wide range in the likely daily quantities of flour consumed.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And Salomons vitailes for one day were thirtie measures of fine floure, and threescore measures of meale:
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill focuses on the staggering scale of Solomon’s daily provisions by calculating the flour and meal quantities using the ancient cor measure. He cites several scholars who estimate this amount could feed between 29,000 and 70,000 people, and notes a Jewish tradition that 60,000 ate at Solomon’s table.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws attention to the sheer scale of Solomon's daily provisions, which fed not only the king but his entire court, including consorts, officials, guards, and foreign visitors. The estimated quantities of flour and cattle are compared to what other Eastern courts required, highlighting the enormity of Solomon's household.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argues the text does not need the added word "even to" before "land of the Philistines," as many suggest. The original Hebrew allows the preposition "from" to be mentally repeated, making the supplied word unnecessary. "Bringing presents" simply means paying tribute.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange defends the unity of this passage against source critics who claim it is a disjointed compilation. He argues the chapter deliberately presents Solomon's kingdom as well-ordered and flourishing, serving as a type of the Messiah's kingdom. For Lange, the court's splendor represents the people's prosperity, not their oppression.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry reads Solomon's reign as the brightest moment for Israel's crown, surpassing any before or after, precisely because it served as the clearest prophetic picture of the Messiah's future kingdom. He sees the description here as a direct fulfillment of the prophecies in Psalm 72 about a king with universal dominion, peace, and abundance.