Chapter 4: The king’s ministers and advisors:

1.      The list and names of of the king’s ministers and advisors:

• King Shlomo was a king over all of Israel the following are the names of his ministers and other appointee:
  • The Kohen: Azaryahu the son of Tzadok the priest. [It is unclear as to the intent of this statement and if it refers to the high priesthood, or to the priest who would go out with the Jewish people to battle.^[1]]
  • The scribe: Elichoref and Achiyah the sons of Shisha were the scribes of the king [who were in charge of writing the Chronicles of history^[2]].
  • The secretary: Yehoshafat the son of Achilood was the secretary [who was in charge of informing the king of those who stood before him for judgment and the order of the cases to be judged].
  • The general: Beniyahu the son of Yehoyada was the general of the Army.
  • The priests: Tzadok and Avyasar were the priests.
  • The treasurer: Azaryahu the son of Nathan was in charge of those men who were appointed to provide the king with finances and sustenance. [There were 12 governors in charge of providing the king and his household with food and substance, one man per month, and Azaryahu was appointed over them.^[3]]
  • A friend: Zavud the son of Nasan was a priest who was a friend of the king [and was always by his side to spend time with him and entertain him^[4]].
  • The Butler: Achishar was in charge of the house [and everything in the home was done in accordance to his instructions^[5]].
  • The tax collector: Adoniram the son of Avda was the tax collector [to collect the taxes from the Jewish people^[6]].
  • The 12 governors: Shlomo had 12 governors appointed over the Jewish people who were in charge of providing the king and his family with sustenance on a monthly basis. There was one governor appointed per month. The following were their names:
    1. Ben Chur in the mountain of Efraim. [He was appointed to collect the money from this region of Efraim.^[7]]
    2. Ben Deker was in charge of collecting funds from the area of Makatz, Shalavim and Bet Shemesh.
    3. Eilon was in charge of collecting funds from Beis Chanan.
    4. Ben Chesed was in charge of collecting funds from Arubos, Lo Shocheh, and the entire land of Chefer.
    5. Ben Avinadav was in charge of collecting funds from the entire region of Doar. He was married to Tafas the daughter of Shlomo.
    6. Ba’anah the son on Achilud was in charge of collecting funds from Ta’anach and Megido and the entire region of Beis Shean which was near Tzarsana, under Yizrael, from Beit Shean until Avel Mechola, until the passing of Yaknieim.
    7. Ben Gever was in charge of collecting funds from Ramos Gilad, and Chavos Yair the son of Menashe which was in Gilad, and the strip of Argov which was in Bashan. [This strip of Argov^[8]] contained a total of 60 large cities which were fortified with walls and contained copper door locks.
    8. Achinadav the son of Ido was in charge of collecting funds from Chanoiyma.
    9. Achimatz was in charge of collecting funds from the region of Naftali. He too had married Basmas, the daughter of Shlomo, as a wife
    10. Bana the son of Chushaiy was in charge of collecting funds from the territory of Asher, and Alos.
    11. Yehoshafat the son of was in charge of collecting funds from the territory of Yissachar.
    12. Shimi the son of Eila was in charge of collecting funds from the territory of Benjamin.
    13. Gever the son of Uri was in charge of collecting funds from the [remaining^[9]] territory of Gilad, which was the land of Sichon the king of the Amorites and of Og the King of Bashan.
  • The top governor: There was one governor who was appointed to be in charge of all the other governors in the land. [His name was Azaryahu the son of Nathan, as stated above.^[10] Alternatively, the intent of this verse is to state that there was a governor appointed for the leap year month of Adar.^[11]]

2.      The state of the Jewish people at that time:

• At that time Judah and the people of Israel were very populous like the sand of the sea and ate and drank with joy.

[1] See Radak and Metzudos Dovid 4:2

[2] Rashi 4:3

[3] See Rashi and Metzudos Dovid 4:5

[4] Radak and Metzudos Dovid 4:5

[5] Metzudos Dovid 4:6

[6] Rashi 4:6

[7] Metzudos Dovid 4:8

[8] Metzudos Dovid 4:13

[9] Metzudos Dovid 4:19

[10] Metzudos Dovid 4:19

[11] See Rashi 4:19; Sanhedrin 12:1