Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Kings 4:26
And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.
26. horses for his chariots ] This is one of the passages which make clear the meaning of the Hebrew sus, a horse to go in a chariot, and parash, a saddle-horse. In 2Ch 9:25 the number of stalls is 4000 instead of 40000 as here.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
In 2Ch 9:25, the number of stalls for Solomons chariot horses is stated at 4,000, instead of 40,000. The number in the present passage is probably a corruption. Solomons chariots were but 1,400 1Ki 10:26; 2Ch 1:14, for which 40,000 horses could not possibly be required. The Assyrian chariots had at most three horses apiece, while some had only two. 4,000 horses would supply the full team of three to 1,200, and the smaller team of two to 200 chariots. The number 4,000 is in due proportion to the 12,000 horses for cavalry, and is in accordance with all that we know of the military establishments of the time and country. Compare 2Ch 12:3; 2Sa 8:4.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 26. Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses – and twelve thousand horsemen.] In 2Ch 9:25, instead of forty thousand stalls, we read four thousand; and even this number might be quite sufficient to hold horses for twelve thousand horsemen; for stalls and stables may be here synonymous. In 1Kg 10:26 it is said he had one thousand four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; and this is the reading in 2Ch 1:14. In 2Ch 9:25, already quoted, instead of forty thousand stalls for horses, the Septuagint has , four thousand mares; and in this place the whole verse is omitted both by the Syriac and Arabic. In the Targum of Rabbi Joseph on this book we have arba meah, four hundred, instead of the four thousand in Chronicles, and the forty thousand in the text. From this collation of parallel places we may rest satisfied that there is a corruption in the numbers somewhere; and as a sort of medium, we may take for the whole four thousand stalls, one thousand four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Forty thousand stalls of horses. In 2Ch 9:25, it is but four thousand. Answ. First, Some acknowledge an error of the transcriber, writing arbahim, forty, for arbah, four, which was an easy mistake. And such mistakes in some copies, in these lesser matters, God might permit, for the trial and exercise of our faith, without any prejudice to the authority of the sacred Scriptures in the great doctrines of faith and good life. Secondly, It is not exactly the same Hebrew word which is here and there, though we translate both stalls; and therefore there may well be allowed some difference in the signification, the one signifying properly stables, of which there were 4000, the other stalls or partitions for each horse, which were 40,000; which great number seems directly forbidden, Deu 17:16, except Solomon had some particular dispensation from God, which might be, though it be not recorded.
For his chariots; both for his military chariots, which seem to be those 1400, 1Ki 10:26, and for divers other uses, as about his great and various buildings, and merchandises, and other occasions, which might require some thousands of other chariots.
Twelve thousand horsemen; appointed partly for the defence and preservation of his people in peace; and partly for attendance upon his person, and for the splendour of his government. Compare 1Ki 10:26. But the words may be otherwise rendered,
and twelve thousand horses, for parash manifestly signifies both a horse and horsemen. And these might be a better sort of horses than most of those which were designed for the chariots. Or thus, and for (which particle is easily understood and borrowed from the foregoing clause) twelve thousand horsemen; and so he means that the 40,000 horses were in part appointed for his chariots, and in part for his 12,000 horsemen.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
26. forty thousand stallsforthe royal mews (see on 2Ch 9:25).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Solomon had forty thousand stalls for horses,…. In 2Ch 9:25; it is only four thousand; and therefore some think that here is a mistake of the copier, of “arbaim”, forty, for “arbah”, four; which it is thought might be through divine permission, in such lesser matters, without any prejudice to the authority of the Scriptures in matters of faith and practice; but without supposing this, a reconciliation may be made, by observing, that here the writer, as Ben Gersom notes, gives the number of the horses that were in the stables, which were forty thousand, there the stables themselves, which were four thousand, ten horses in a stable; or here he numbers the stalls, which were forty thousand, and there the stables, which were four thousand, there being ten stalls in each; and the word there has the letter “yod” in it more than here, which is the numerical letter for “ten”, and may point thereunto; or here the writer speaks of all the stalls for horses Solomon had throughout the kingdom, there of those only he had in Jerusalem. Benjamin of Tudela g affirms, that these stalls, or stables, which Solomon built very strong of large stones, are still in being in Jerusalem, and that there is no building to be seen like it any where; but no other writer speaks of them; nor is it at all probable that they should remain:
for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; some of the said stalls of horses were for his chariots, to draw in them for various uses, of which had 1400, 1Ki 10:26; and others to mount twelve thousand horsemen, who were placed in various parts, to defend kingdom.
g Itinerar. p. 43.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(26) Forty thousand.By comparison with the parallel passage in 2Ch. 9:25, and with the notice in 1Ki. 10:26 (one thousand four hundred), it seems clear that for forty thousand four thousand should be read. They were kept in various chariot cities, as well as at Jerusalem. This multiplication of horses and horsemenforbidden to the future king in Deu. 17:16, but foretold by Samuel at the inauguration of the kingdom (1Sa. 8:11-12)is significant of military conquest and an extended empire. The Israelite armies, in frequent contradistinction from their enemies, had been hitherto mainly of infantry; and in Jos. 11:9 the chariots and horses captured were not used, but destroyed, as the Lord bade Joshua. Such armies were powerful for defence, not for invasion. Now, as it would seem for the first time, this provision of the ancient law, like many others, was set aside, and Solomons empire assumed the character of other great Oriental monarchies.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
26. Forty thousand stalls of horses Most interpreters have regarded this as a corruption in the text, and have thought to emend it by substituting the reading of 2Ch 9:25, four thousand. But this is a doubtful emendation. True, 40,000 seems a very large number, and may be an error; but 4,000 seems too small a number to require 12,000 horsemen. Then the reading in Chronicles is somewhat different from this. There it says he had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, which may mean that each stall that contained a chariot might also have several horses. But while at this late day it may be impossible to settle this question of numbers, it is still clear that Solomon multiplied horses in Israel, and thereby transgressed the law prescribed for kings in Deu 17:16.
Twelve thousand horsemen The word , here and often elsewhere rendered horsemen, is also used in the sense of steeds; riding horses. It usually means cavalry, including both horse and rider.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Ki 4:26. And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses In 2Ch 9:25 he is said to have had four thousand stalls. The smaller number, according to Houbigant and the best critics, is to be preferred. See Houbigant’s notes, and Kennicott’s 1st Dissert. p. 133.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
(26) And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. (27) And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon’s table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing. (28) Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.
We may (still carrying on the idea of Solomon’s splendour) have a conception of the greatness of his equipage by the number of his horses. But how much more interesting is the view of Jesus’ glory, of whom the sacred writer tells us, the chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels, and the Lord is among them as in the holy place of Sinai. Psa 68:18 . If it were not for swelling this commentary to too great a bulk, I should beg the Reader to indulge me with the throwing in a few thoughts on what Jesus saith to his church, in that sweet song Solomon wrote under inspiration, in allusion to this very subject of the horses of those days. I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots. Son 1:9 . Believers, in the eye of Jesus, are chosen, select, beautifully singled out as a chosen generation and a royal priesthood, by redeeming grace, as the choicest horses are marked for the royal chariots. Moreover, they are purchased at an high price; for believers are bought with no less a price than the blood of Christ. Horses also are costly. We read of a single one of Solomon’s valued at 150 shekels of silver: See 1Ki 10:29 . But how precious in the sight of God are the souls of his people! and as the horses of Pharaoh’s chariots we may well suppose were properly fed, trained, and not used in ordinary service; so the people of God are fed with the bread of life, trained by divine grace, and employed only in the ways and commandments of the Lord, whose service is perfect freedom. But I must not enlarge on those points.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1Ki 4:26 And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.
Ver. 26. Forty thousand stalls of horses. ] In his four thousand stables, 2Ch 9:25 each of which had ten stalls or partitions, for ten horses at least. And this might be a piece of that yoke the people groaned under: which they ought not to have done, living in such a golden age.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
forty thousand. In 2Ch 9:25 it is 4,000, which is much more likely to be correct. The 12,000 are the same in both places. The ancient Hebrew characters were Phoenician, and may be seen on the Moabite Stone. These were in current use till about 140 B. C, and were gradually replaced by the modern Hebrew “square” characters. Mistakes in copying occurred through the similarity of certain letters. See notes on 2Sa 24:10. Jer 3:8. Eze 6:4; Eze 22:20.
horses. A breach of Deu 17:16. It began by breeding mules (1Ki 1:33, 1Ki 1:38, 1Ki 1:44), which was a breach of Lev 19:19).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
forty thousand: 1Ki 10:25, 1Ki 10:26, Deu 17:16, 2Sa 8:4, 2Ch 1:14, 2Ch 9:25, Psa 20:7
Reciprocal: 1Ki 9:19 – the cities of store 2Ch 9:28 – brought 2Ch 32:28 – stalls Isa 2:7 – their land is
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Ki 4:26. Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for chariots In 2Ch 9:25, it is said, he had but four thousand. And Bochart thinks that the Hebrew word here used should be rendered four, not forty, or that some error has crept into the text in regard to the number here mentioned. It is justly observed, however, by Poole, that the Hebrew word translated stalls here, is not exactly the same word which is used, and so translated, in Chronicles; and that, therefore, there may well be allowed some difference in the signification; the one signifying, properly, stables; of such there were four thousand; the other stalls, or partitions for each horse, which were forty thousand. For his chariots Both for his military chariots, which seem to be those fourteen hundred, 1Ki 10:26, and for divers other uses, as respecting his great and various buildings, and merchandises, and other occasions, which might require some thousands of other chariots. And twelve thousand horsemen Appointed partly for the defence of his people in peace, and partly for attendance upon his person, and for the splendour of his government.