1 Kings 4:20 - Meaning and Application

Such a kingdom, and such a court, no prince ever had like Solomon’s, as they are described here. First, his kingdom was remarkable. The crown of Israel never shone so brightly as it did when Solomon wore it, not in David’s day, and not in the days of any later king. At that time, the kingdom also became a striking picture of the Messiah’s kingdom, and the account here matches the promises in Psalm 72, a psalm for Solomon that also points ahead to Christ.

The land under his rule was large, and many nations were subject to him. This matches the prophecy that he would rule from sea to sea (Psalm 72:8-11). Solomon ruled not only over all Israel, who followed him by choice, but also over nearby kingdoms, who were under him by force. All the princes from the Euphrates River in the northeast to the border of Egypt in the southwest honored him, brought him gifts, and helped increase his wealth (1 Kings 4:21). David, through his wars, had brought them under Israel’s power, and Solomon, through his great wisdom, made that rule feel reasonable and fitting, for it is right that a foolish person should serve a wise one.

If they brought him gifts, he gave them instruction, and he still taught the people knowledge, not only his own people but also people from other nations. Wisdom is better than gold. He had peace on every side (1 Kings 4:24). None of the nations under him tried to throw off his rule or trouble him. Instead, they seemed glad to live under his protection. In this, his kingdom pointed ahead to the Messiah’s kingdom, because God promised that the Messiah would receive the nations as his inheritance and that princes would honor him (Isaiah 49:6-7; Isaiah 53:12).

His subjects were many, and they lived cheerfully. Judah and Israel were very numerous, and the good land could support them all (1 Kings 4:20). They were as many as the sand on the seashore. Here God’s promise to Abraham about his descendants was fulfilled (Genesis 22:17), along with the promise about their land and borders (Genesis 15:18). Their large numbers were their strength and honor, a credit to their king, a fear to their enemies, and a help to the nation’s wealth. If any place became too crowded, people could move into the lands under Solomon’s control.

They also lived in safety, with confidence and peace (1 Kings 4:25). They were not suspicious of the king or his officers. They were not divided among themselves, and they had no fear of danger from enemies outside or within. They were happy and knew it. Each man sat under his own vine and fig tree. Solomon did not seize their property the way some kings did, as Samuel had warned would happen (1 Samuel 8:14). Instead, he protected each person in the use and enjoyment of what belonged to him. People with vines and fig trees could enjoy their fruit themselves, and the peace was so great that they could live as safely under those trees as within a city wall. Since vines were often planted beside houses (Psalm 128:3), the phrase also fits ordinary home life.

They were cheerful in using what they had, eating, drinking, and enjoying life (1 Kings 4:20). Solomon did more than keep a rich table for himself. He also enabled his people, according to their rank, to enjoy abundance. He taught them that God gave them plenty so they could use it in a good and modest way, not store it up forever. There is nothing better for a person than to eat the fruit of his labor and enjoy it with a glad heart (Ecclesiastes 2:24; Ecclesiastes 9:7). David had led the people into the joys of fellowship with God in the Psalms, and Solomon now led them into the thankful use of God’s good gifts in this life.

This peaceful and pleasant life reached from Dan to Beersheba, with no part of the land left exposed or troubled in any serious way. It lasted a long time, through all the days of Solomon, without any major break. Wherever you went, you could see signs of plenty, peace, and contentment. This also pictured the spiritual peace, joy, and holy safety of all true believers under the Lord Jesus. The kingdom of God is not, as Solomon’s was, food and drink, but something far better: righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Second, Solomon kept a court that can hardly be matched. We can judge the great number of his servants, and the constant traffic to his house, by the daily food prepared for his table. The flour and meal were enough to feed thousands of men, and the meat was in proportion as well (1 Kings 4:22-23). There were huge amounts of beef, lamb, venison, and the finest fattened food.

Ahasuerus, the Persian king, once made a great feast to show the wealth of his kingdom (Esther 1:3-4). But it was a greater honor to Solomon that he kept a rich table all the time, not filled with luxury or harmful delicacies, which he himself warned against (Proverbs 23:3), but with solid food for those who came to hear his wisdom. In this, Christ went far beyond Solomon, because he fed those he taught, five thousand at one time, more than Solomon’s table could hold at once. All believers also find in Christ a continual feast. He surpasses Solomon even more because he feeds all his people, not with food that perishes, but with bread that gives eternal life.

Solomon’s kingdom was strengthened and made more impressive by his many horses, 40,000 stalls for chariot horses and 12,000 for riding horses and troops, with about 1,000 horsemen in each tribe for keeping the peace (1 Kings 4:26). God had warned that the king should not multiply horses (Deuteronomy 17:16). And, considering the size and wealth of Solomon’s kingdom, he did not seem to multiply them beyond what neighboring powers had. Even the Philistines brought 30,000 chariots into the field (1 Samuel 13:5), and the Syrians had at least 40,000 horsemen (2 Samuel 10:18). The same officers who provided for his household also cared for his stables (1 Kings 4:27-28). Each man knew his place, his work, and his time, so this great court was run without confusion. Solomon, who had very large income, also lived at very great expense, and he may have had himself in mind when he wrote that a man should be careful how he uses his wealth (Ecclesiastes 5:11).

When wealth increases, the number of people who live off it also increases. So what real benefit do the owners get from it, except to look at it with their eyes, unless they also have the joy of using it to do good?