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Nach YomiI Kings ยท ืžืœื›ื™ื ืืณChapter 4

I Kings 4

ืžืœื›ื™ื ืืณ ืคืจืง ื“ืณ

Section: ื ื‘ื™ืื™ื ยท ื ื‘ื™ืื™ื ืจืืฉื•ื ื™ื | Book: I Kings | Chapter: 4 of 22 | Day: 104 of 742

Date: May 26, 2026

ืงืœืื•ื“ ืขืœ ื”ื ืดืš

After the dream at Givon and the trial of the two mothers, the narrator turns abruptly from theological climax to administrative catalogue. Chapter 4 is one of those passages of Tanakh that the reader can be tempted to skim โ€” names of officials, geographies of provisioning districts, monthly quotas of flour and cattle โ€” and yet classical commentators read it as the chapter where Shlomoโ€™s wisdom translates into the most difficult of all governance problems: how to feed and run a kingdom. Where chapter 3 showed wisdom as judgment, chapter 4 shows wisdom as architecture โ€” the structuring of an administration capable of supporting the prosperity that the closing verse will describe in almost paradisiacal terms.

The chapterโ€™s first movement (verses 1-6) lists the senior officers of the realm. The reader should hear in this list a deliberate echo and revision of Dovidโ€™s officer-list at the close of II Shmuel (II Shmuel 8:15-18; 20:23-26). Some names appear in both โ€” Yehoshafat ben Achilud as recorder, Benayahu ben Yehoyada now over the army (replacing Yoav, as chapter 2 anticipated), Tzadok and Avyatar as priests (though here the listing of Avyatar at his old rank presents the classical commentators with a small puzzle, given his demotion to Anatot in chapter 2). The new offices, however, are signs of Shlomoโ€™s expanded reach. Azaryahu ben Tzadok holds a new title, โ€œha-kohenโ€; Azaryahu ben Natan is โ€œal ha-nitzavimโ€ โ€” over the regional commissioners โ€” a position that did not exist under Dovid. Zavud ben Natan is โ€œkohen, reโ€™eh ha-melechโ€ โ€” the kingโ€™s friend, an office of senior personal counsel. And Adoniram is โ€œal ha-masโ€ โ€” over the corvรฉe labor โ€” a title that hints uneasily at the burdens that chapter 5 will spell out and that will, in chapter 12, ignite the schism. The administration is more elaborate than Dovidโ€™s, more bureaucratic, and โ€” by its own internal logic โ€” more dependent on a continually expanding flow of resources.

The chapterโ€™s second movement (verses 7-19) is the most intricate piece of administrative geography in Tanakh: a list of twelve regional commissioners (nitzavim) who supplied the king and his household, each responsible for one month of the year. The geography itself rewards close attention. The districts do not correspond to the traditional tribal territories; they are administrative zones that crosscut tribal boundaries, with new center-points like Aruvot, Mahanaim, and the towns of Yaโ€™ir. Yehuda, notably, is not in the list โ€” its omission is one of the chapterโ€™s most discussed details, and Rashi, Radak, and the Abarbanel each offer their reading. The omission has been read variously as a privileging of Yehuda, as an early structural inequality presaging the schism, or simply as a recognition that Yehudaโ€™s provisioning was handled directly through palace channels. Whichever reading one favors, the bureaucratic point is the same: the kingdom is being run as a logistical system, with twelve months of supply meticulously accounted for, and the provisioning falls on the northern tribes. Two of the nitzavim โ€” at the geographical margins of the list โ€” are sons-in-law of Shlomo himself (Achimaโ€™atz of Naftali married Basemat bat Shlomo; Ben-Avinadav at Naphat-Dor married Tafat bat Shlomo), suggesting that the dynastyโ€™s reach into the regions was reinforced by marriage diplomacy.

The chapterโ€™s closing verses pull back from the administrative detail to issue the great theological summary that frames everything in between. โ€œYehuda and Yisrael were many, as the sand which is by the sea, eating and drinking and rejoicingโ€ โ€” the language deliberately echoes the patriarchal blessings of Bereishit, casting Shlomoโ€™s reign as the historical arrival of the promise made to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov. The classical commentators are unanimous on the messianic resonance of this verse. Radak hears in it the foretaste of the eschatological prosperity. Metzudat David emphasizes the rare combination โ€” material abundance (โ€˜eating and drinkingโ€™) and emotional fullness (โ€˜rejoicingโ€™). What makes this language possible at all is the administrative apparatus the chapter has just described. The chapter argues, in effect, that wisdom (chapter 3) flowers in just governance (chapter 4) and produces national flourishing (verse 20). The architecture of the book of Melakhim is being built before the readerโ€™s eyes: each chapter prepares the next, and the chapters together prepare for the Beit ha-Mikdash that the building program of chapter 5 will begin.

What the chapter does not yet say โ€” and what the reader, knowing the trajectory of Sefer Melakhim, cannot help but feel โ€” is that the same administrative apparatus that produces this prosperity will also produce the conditions that bring the kingdom apart. The corvรฉe mentioned in passing here will become the grievance Yarovโ€™am voices at Shechem in chapter 12; the geographical biases of the nitzavim system will shape the eventual fault lines of the schism. The narrator does not editorialize in this chapter โ€” the surface is one of unalloyed prosperity, the chapter ending on the sand-by-the-sea image โ€” but every detail is also a foundation for what will follow. Sefer Melakhim is, in this sense, a book that quietly seeds its own catastrophes inside its descriptions of glory, and the reader who attends to the apparently dry administrative details of chapter 4 has been handed the political lexicon by which the rest of the book will be read.

ืคืจืง ื“ืณ ยท Chapter 4

ืคืกื•ืง ืืณ ยท Verse 1

Hebrew:

ื•ึทึฝื™ึฐื”ึดื™ึ™ ื”ึทืžึผึถึฃืœึถืšึฐ ืฉืึฐืœึนืžึนึ”ื” ืžึถึ–ืœึถืšึฐ ืขึทืœึพื›ึผื‡ืœึพื™ึดืฉื‚ึฐืจึธืึตึฝืœืƒย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย 

English:

King Solomon was now king over all Israel.

The chapter opens with a deliberately comprehensive declaration of sovereignty that frames the catalogue of officers to follow. Metzudat David and Radak read 'over all Israel' as setting up the contrast with Dovid's gradual unification (seven years over Yehuda, then over all Israel) -- Shlomo inherits a kingdom that is already structurally whole, and his wisdom secured universal acceptance with no one disputing his rule.
ืจืฉืดื™Rashi
ืžึถืœึถืšึฐ ืขึทืœ ื›ึผึธืœ ื™ึดืฉื‚ึฐืจึธืึตืœ. ืžึดืฉึผืึถืจึธืื•ึผ ื‘ึผึฐื—ึธื›ึฐืžึธืชื•ึน, ืฉื‚ึธืžึฐื—ื•ึผ ื›ึผึปืœึผึธื ื‘ึผึฐืžึทืœึฐื›ื•ึผืชื•ึน.
King over all of Yisroel. When they observed his wisdom they all rejoiced in his kingship.1And no one opposed him.โ€”Radak

ืคืกื•ืง ื‘ืณ ยท Verse 2

Hebrew:

ื•ึฐืึตึฅืœึผึถื” ื”ึทืฉื‚ึผึธืจึดึ–ื™ื ืึฒืฉืึถืจึพืœึ‘ื•ึน ืขึฒื–ึทืจึฐื™ึธึฅื”ื•ึผ ื‘ึถืŸึพืฆึธื“ึ–ื•ึนืง ื”ึทื›ึผึนื”ึตึฝืŸืƒย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย 

English:

These were his officials:Azariah son of Zadokโ€”the priest;

The list of senior officers (sarim) opens with Azaryahu son of Tzadok the priest. Radak notes that 'ben Tzadok' here likely refers to a grandson of Tzadok the High Priest (Azaryahu son of Achima'atz son of Tzadok), and Metzudat David suggests he may have been appointed as the kohen mashuach milchama (priest anointed for war) -- the title 'ha-kohen' is used here in a broader administrative sense, since Tzadok continues to function as priest in verse 4.

ืคืกื•ืง ื’ืณ ยท Verse 3

Hebrew:

ืึฑืœึดื™ื—ึนึงืจึถืฃ ื•ึทืึฒื—ึดื™ึผึธึ›ื” ื‘ึผึฐื ึตึฅื™ ืฉืึดื™ืฉืึธึ–ื ืกึนืคึฐืจึดึ‘ื™ืย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ื™ึฐื”ื•ึนืฉืึธืคึธึฅื˜ ื‘ึผึถืŸึพืึฒื—ึดื™ืœึ–ื•ึผื“ ื”ึทืžึผึทื–ึฐื›ึผึดึฝื™ืจืƒย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย 

English:

Elihoreph and Ahijah sons of Shishaโ€”scribes;Jehoshaphat son of Ahiludโ€”recorder;

Elichoref and Achiya sons of Shisha serve as scribes (sofrim); Yehoshafat son of Achilud is the recorder (mazkir). Rashi explains that the sofrim wrote the divrei ha-yamim (chronicles), while the mazkir was a court administrator who tracked the order of cases brought before the king; Metzudat David glosses 'mazkir' as the official in charge of the sefer ha-zichronot. Yehoshafat ben Achilud is the same officer who served Dovid (II Shmuel 8:16), one of the few continuities between the two reigns.
ืจืฉืดื™Rashi
ืกึนืคึฐืจึดื™ื. ืœึดื›ึฐืชึผึนื‘ ื“ึผึดื‘ึฐืจึตื™ ื”ึทื™ึผึธืžึดื™ื. ื”ึทืžึผึทื–ึฐื›ึผึดื™ืจ. ืึตื™ื–ึถื” ืžึดืฉืึฐืคึผึธื˜ ื‘ึผึธื ืœึฐืคึธื ึธื™ื• ืจึดืืฉืื•ึนืŸ, ืฉืึถื™ึผึดืคึฐืกึฐืงึถื ึผื•ึผ ืจึดืืฉืื•ึนืŸ, ื›ึผึธืšึฐ ืฉืึธืžึทืขึฐืชึผึดื™.
Scribes. To write the [king's] chronicles. The secretary. [To record] which legal case came before him first that he might rule on it first.2I.e., he was a court administrator. Thus have I heard.

ืคืกื•ืง ื“ืณ ยท Verse 4

Hebrew:

ื•ึผื‘ึฐื ึธื™ึธึฅื”ื•ึผ ื‘ึถืŸึพื™ึฐื”ื•ึนื™ึธื“ึธึ–ืข ืขึทืœึพ๏ฟฝ๏ฟฝึทืฆึผึธื‘ึธึ‘ืย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ื•ึฐืฆึธื“ึฅื•ึนืง ื•ึฐืึถื‘ึฐื™ึธืชึธึ–ืจ ื›ึผึนื”ึฒื ึดึฝื™ืืƒย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย 

English:

Benaiah son of Jehoiadaโ€”over the army;Zadok and Abiatharโ€”priests;

Benayahu son of Yehoyada is over the army; Tzadok and Avyatar are listed as priests. Metzudat David identifies Tzadok as kohen gadol with Avyatar as his deputy (segan). Radak openly grapples with the puzzle that Avyatar appears here despite his demotion to Anatot in chapter 2, and concludes that this must be a different priest who happened to share the name Avyatar.

ืคืกื•ืง ื”ืณ ยท Verse 5

Hebrew:

ื•ึทืขึฒื–ึทืจึฐื™ึธึฅื”ื•ึผ ื‘ึถืŸึพื ึธืชึธึ–ืŸ ืขึทืœึพื”ึทื ึผึดืฆึผึธื‘ึดึ‘ื™ืย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ื•ึฐื–ึธื‘ึงื•ึผื“ ื‘ึผึถืŸึพื ึธืชึธึ›ืŸ ื›ึผึนื”ึตึ–ืŸ ืจึตืขึถึฅื” ื”ึทืžึผึถึฝืœึถืšึฐืƒย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย 

English:

Azariah son of Nathanโ€”in charge of the prefects;Zabud son of Nathan the priestโ€”companion of the king;

Azaryahu son of Natan is over the nitzavim (the twelve regional commissioners), and Zavud son of Natan is kohen and 're'eh ha-melech' -- friend of the king. Rashi notes the office of nitzavim as twelve officers responsible for provisioning the king and his household. Metzudat David and Radak gloss 're'eh ha-melech' as shoshvina d'malka -- the king's intimate companion who sat with him constantly, an office of senior personal counsel.
ืจืฉืดื™Rashi
ืขึทืœ ื”ึทื ึผึดืฆึผึธื‘ึดื™ื. ืฉืึฐื ึตื™ื ืขึธืฉื‚ึธืจ ื ึฐืฆึดื™ื‘ึดื™ื ื”ึธื™ื•ึผ, ืœึฐื›ึทืœึฐื›ึผึตืœ ืึถืช ื”ึทืžึผึถืœึถืšึฐ ื•ึฐืึถืช ื‘ึผึตื™ืชื•ึน.
Over the officers. He had twelve officers to provide sustenance for the king and his household.

ืคืกื•ืง ื•ืณ ยท Verse 6

Hebrew:

ื•ึทืึฒื—ึดื™ืฉืึธึ–ืจ ืขึทืœึพื”ึทื‘ึผึธึ‘ื™ึดืชย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ื•ึทืึฒื“ึนื ึดื™ืจึธึฅื ื‘ึผึถืŸึพืขึทื‘ึฐื“ึผึธึ–ื ืขึทืœึพื”ึทืžึผึทึฝืกืƒย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย 

English:

Ahisharโ€”in charge of the palace; andAdoniram son of Abdaโ€”in charge of the forced labor.

Achishar is over the household and Adoniram son of Avda is over the corvรฉe labor (al ha-mas). Rashi and Metzudat David both link 'al ha-mas' here to the levy described in 5:27 ('And King Shlomo raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men'); Radak identifies Adoniram with the Adoram who served Dovid and would later serve Rechavam. The corvรฉe system institutionalized in this verse will become the political grievance that ignites Yarov'am's revolt at Shechem in chapter 12.
ืจืฉืดื™Rashi
ืขึทืœ ื”ึทืžึผึทืก. ืฉืึถื”ึถืขึฑืœึธื” ืขึทืœ ื™ึดืฉื‚ึฐืจึธืึตืœ, ื›ึผึฐืžึธื” ืฉืึถื ึผึถืึฑืžึทืจ: ื•ึทื™ึผึทืขึทืœ ื”ึทืžึผึถืœึถืšึฐ ืฉืึฐืœึนืžึนื” ืžึทืก.
The tax commissioner. Which he [Shlomo] had raised on [Bnei] Yisroel, as it is stated, "And Shlomo haMelech raised a tax."3Below 5:27.

ืคืกื•ืง ื–ืณ ยท Verse 7

Hebrew:

ื•ึฐืœึดืฉืึฐืœึนืžึนึžื” ืฉืึฐื ึตื™ืึพืขึธืฉื‚ึธึคืจ ื ึดืฆึผึธื‘ึดื™ืึ™ ืขึทืœึพื›ึผื‡ืœึพื™ึดืฉื‚ึฐืจึธืึตึ”ืœ ื•ึฐื›ึดืœึฐื›ึผึฐืœึฅื•ึผ ืึถืชึพื”ึทืžึผึถึ–ืœึถืšึฐ ื•ึฐืึถืชึพื‘ึผึตื™ืชึ‘ื•ึน ื—ึนึงื“ึถืฉื ื‘ึผึทืฉืึผึธื ึธึ›ื” ื™ึดื”ึฐื™ึถึฅื” ืขึทืœึพ[ื”ึธืึถื—ึธึ–ื“] (ืื—ื“) ๏ฟฝ๏ฟฝึฐื›ึทืœึฐื›ึผึตึฝืœืƒย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย 

English:

Solomon had twelve prefects governing all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household; each had to provide food for one month in the year.

Shlomo has twelve nitzavim over all Israel who provision the king and his household, each man responsible for one month a year. Rashi specifies that this provisioning included all the king's meals, the horses' feed, and all related expenditures. Radak notes the elegant administrative logic: the districts were not assigned by tribe but by equal share of the land's yield, and the twelve-month rotation distributed the burden across the kingdom rather than concentrating it on any single region.
ืจืฉืดื™Rashi
ื•ึฐื›ึดืœึฐื›ึผึฐืœื•ึผ ืึถืช ื”ึทืžึผึถืœึถืšึฐ. ื›ึผึธืœ ืกึฐืขื•ึผื“ึธืชื•ึน, ื•ึผืžึทืึฒื›ึทืœ ื”ึทืกึผื•ึผืกึดื™ื, ื•ึฐื›ึธืœ ืฆึธืจึฐื›ึตื™ ื”ื•ึนืฆึธืึธื”.
And they provided sustenance for the king. All his meals, and food of the horses and all expenditures for his necessities.4See I Shmuel 8:11-18. There it describes that the king had a right to demand all these things. Shmuel had told the people the king's rights before he anointed Shaul.

ืคืกื•ืง ื—ืณ ยท Verse 8

Hebrew:

ื•ึฐืึตึฃืœึผึถื” ืฉืึฐืžื•ึนืชึธึ”ื ื‘ึผึถืŸึพื—ึ–ื•ึผืจ ื‘ึผึฐื”ึทึฅืจ ืึถืคึฐืจึธึฝื™ึดืืƒย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย 

English:

And these were their names: Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim;

The list of nitzavim begins with Ben-Chur in the hill country of Ephraim. Metzudat David and Radak (on the previous verse) both note that several of the commissioners are listed only by patronym ('Ben-Chur,' 'Ben-Deker,' 'Ben-Chesed') rather than by personal name -- the convention may indicate that the commissioners were better known by their fathers than by themselves, or that their personal identities mattered less than their lineage and assigned territory.

ืคืกื•ืง ื˜ืณ ยท Verse 9

Hebrew:

ื‘ึผึถืŸึพื“ึผึถึ›ืงึถืจ ื‘ึผึฐืžึธืงึทึฅืฅ ื•ึผื‘ึฐืฉืึทืขึทืœึฐื‘ึดึ–ื™ื ื•ึผื‘ึตึฃื™ืช ืฉืึธึ‘ืžึถืฉื ื•ึฐืึตื™ืœึ–ื•ึนืŸ ื‘ึผึตึฅื™ืช ื—ึธื ึธึฝืŸืƒย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย 

English:

Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan;

ืคืกื•ืง ื™ืด ยท Verse 10

Hebrew:

ื‘ึผึถืŸึพื—ึถึ–ืกึถื“ ื‘ึผึธืึฒืจึปื‘ึผึ‘ื•ึนืช ืœึฅื•ึน ืฉื‚ึนื›ึนึ–ื” ื•ึฐื›ื‡ืœึพืึถึฅืจึถืฅ ื—ึตึฝืคึถืจืƒย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย 

English:

Ben-hesed in Arubbothโ€”he governed Socho and all the Hepher area;

Ben-Chesed was based in Arubot, with Sokho and all the land of Chefer also under his jurisdiction. Metzudat David clarifies that 'lo Sokho' means Sokho was likewise under his charge for provisioning the king's household. The structural question raised by these districts -- which territories are inside the provisioning system and which (notably Yehuda proper) are not -- will recur throughout the list.

ืคืกื•ืง ื™ืดื ยท Verse 11

Hebrew:

ื‘ึผึถืŸึพืึฒื‘ึดื™ื ึธื“ึธึ–ื‘ ื›ึผื‡ืœึพื ึธึฃืคึทืช ื“ึผึนึ‘ืืจ ื˜ึธืคึทืชึ™ ื‘ึผึทืชึพืฉืึฐืœึนืžึนึ”ื” ื”ึธึฅื™ึฐืชึธื” ืœึผึ–ื•ึน ืœึฐืึดืฉืึผึธึฝื”ืƒย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย 

English:

Ben-abinadab, [in] all of Naphath-dor (Solomonโ€™s daughter Taphath was his wife);

Ben-Avinadav held the entire region of Naphat-Dor (the coastal stretch around Dor, which Rashi identifies via Targum Yonatan as 'the district of Dor'), and Tafat bat Shlomo was his wife. The marriage of one of Shlomo's daughters to this commissioner reinforces the king's grip on a strategically important coastal district through dynastic alliance, a recurring pattern in the nitzavim list.
ืจืฉืดื™Rashi
ื ึธืคึทืช ื“ึผึนืืจ. (ืชึผึทืจึฐื’ึผื•ึผื:) ืคึผึทืœึฐื›ึตื™ ื“ึนืืจ.
Nofas-dor. [Targum Yonoson rendered,] the district [ืคืœืš] of Dor.

ืคืกื•ืง ื™ืดื‘ ยท Verse 12

Hebrew:

ื‘ึผึทึฝืขึฒื ึธืึ™ ื‘ึผึถืŸึพืึฒื—ึดื™ืœึ”ื•ึผื“ ืชึผึทืขึฐื ึทึ–ืšึฐ ื•ึผืžึฐื’ึดื“ึผึ‘ื•ึน ื•ึฐื›ื‡ืœึพื‘ึผึตึฃื™ืช ืฉืึฐืึธึกืŸ ืึฒืฉืึถืจึฉ ืึตึจืฆึถืœ ืฆึธืจึฐืชึทึœื ึธื” ืžึดืชึผึทึฃื—ึทืช ืœึฐื™ึดื–ึฐืจึฐืขึถึ—ืืœ ืžึดื‘ึผึตึคื™ืช ืฉืึฐืึธืŸึ™ ืขึทึšื“ ืึธื‘ึตึฃืœ ืžึฐื—ื•ึนืœึธึ”ื” ืขึทึ–ื“ ืžึตืขึตึฅื‘ึถืจ ืœึฐื™ื‡ืงึฐืžึฐืขึธึฝืืƒย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย 

English:

Baana son of Ahilud [in] Taanach and Megiddo and all Beth-shean, which is beside Zarethan, below Jezreelโ€”from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah as far as the other side of Jokmeam;

Ba'ana son of Achilud held Ta'anach and Megiddo and all of Beit-She'an alongside Tzartan, below Yizre'el โ€” from Beit-She'an to Avel-Mecholah, as far as beyond Yokme'am. Metzudat David clarifies the geographic sweep ('from this side to Avel-Mecholah, and from this side to beyond Yokme'am'), marking out the rich Yizre'el Valley district โ€” the agricultural heartland of the north, ringed by the major fortified cities (Megiddo and Beit-She'an) that controlled the trade routes through the valley.

ืคืกื•ืง ื™ืดื’ ยท Verse 13

Hebrew:

ื‘ึผึถืŸึพื’ึผึถึ–ื‘ึถืจ ื‘ึผึฐืจึธืžึนึฃืช ื’ึผึดืœึฐืขึธึ‘ื“ ืœึกื•ึน ื—ึทื•ึผึบืชึฉ ื™ึธืึดึจื™ืจ ื‘ึผึถืŸึพืžึฐื ึทืฉืึผึถึœื” ืึฒืฉืึถึฃืจ ื‘ึผึทื’ึผึดืœึฐืขึธึ—ื“ ืœึšื•ึน ื—ึถึคื‘ึถืœ ืึทืจึฐื’ึผึนื‘ึ™ ืึฒืฉืึถึฃืจ ื‘ึผึทื‘ึผึธืฉืึธึ”ืŸ ืฉืึดืฉืึผึดื™ืึ™ ืขึธืจึดึฃื™ื ื’ึผึฐื“ึนืœึ”ื•ึนืช ื—ื•ึนืžึธึ–ื” ื•ึผื‘ึฐืจึดึฅื™ื—ึท ื ึฐื—ึนึฝืฉืึถืชืƒย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย 

English:

Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gileadโ€”he governed the villages of Jair son of Manasseh that are in Gilead, and he also governed the district of Argob that is in Bashan, sixty large towns with walls and bronze bars;

Ben-Gever was at Ramot-Gilad, and to him belonged the villages of Ya'ir son of Menasheh in Gilad, the region of Argov in Bashan โ€” sixty large cities with walls and bronze bars. Rashi explains that he was appointed over them to collect the king's tax, in line with the rules of monarchy in Sefer Shmuel; Metzudat David glosses 'chavot Ya'ir' (per Targum Yonatan) as the villages of Ya'ir, and Radak notes that the Torah's general formula of doors-and-bars is here specified as bronze bars โ€” marking the largest single district in the list.
ืจืฉืดื™Rashi
ื—ึถื‘ึถืœ ืึทืจึฐื’ึผึนื‘. ืžึฐืžึปื ึผึถื” ื”ึธื™ึธื” ืขึฒืœึตื™ื”ึถื ืœึดื’ึฐื‘ึผื•ึนืช ืžึทืก ื”ึทืžึผึถืœึถืšึฐ, ื›ึผึดื™ ืžึดืฉืึฐืคึผึทื˜ ื”ึทืžึผึถืœึถืšึฐ ื™ึตืฉื ืœึดื’ึฐื‘ึผื•ึนืช ื™ึฐืฆึดื™ืื•ึนืชึธื™ื• ืžึดืŸ ื”ึธืขึธื, ื›ึผึฐืžึธื” ืฉืึถื ึผึถืึฑืžึทืจ ื‘ึผึฐืžึดืฉืึฐืคึผึทื˜ ื”ึทืžึผึฐืœื•ึผื›ึธื” ื‘ึผึฐืกึตืคึถืจ ืฉืึฐืžื•ึผืึตืœ.
The Argov region. He [Gever's son] was appointed over them to collect the king's tax, because the rules pertaining to the monarchy allow for his expenditures to be collected from the people, as it is stated in the rules pertaining to the monarchy, in the book of Shmuel.5See Ibid.

ืคืกื•ืง ื™ืดื“ ยท Verse 14

Hebrew:

ืึฒื—ึดื™ื ึธื“ึธึฅื‘ ื‘ึผึถืŸึพืขึดื“ึผึนึ–ื ืžึทื—ึฒื ึธึฝื™ึฐืžึธื”ืƒย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย 

English:

Ahinadab son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;

ืคืกื•ืง ื˜ืดื• ยท Verse 15

Hebrew:

ืึฒื—ึดื™ืžึทึ–ืขึทืฅ ื‘ึผึฐื ึทืคึฐืชึผึธืœึดึ‘ื™ ื’ึผึทืึพื”ึ—ื•ึผื ืœึธืงึทึ›ื— ืึถืชึพื‘ึผึธืฉื‚ึฐืžึทึฅืช ื‘ึผึทืชึพืฉืึฐืœึนืžึนึ–ื” ืœึฐืึดืฉืึผึธึฝื”ืƒย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย 

English:

Ahimaaz, in Naphtali (he too took a daughter of Solomonโ€”Basemathโ€”to wife);

Achima'atz was in Naftali, and he too took a daughter of Shlomo, Basemat, as a wife. Metzudat David glosses 'be-Naftali' as 'in the inheritance of Naftali'; the parallel to verse 11 (Ben-Avinadav and Tafat) marks two of the twelve commissioners as confirmed sons-in-law of the king, with the dynastic alliances reaching to the geographic extremes of the realm โ€” the coast and the upper Galilee.

ืคืกื•ืง ื˜ืดื– ยท Verse 16

Hebrew:

ื‘ึผึทึฝืขึฒื ึธืึ™ ื‘ึผึถืŸึพื—ื•ึผืฉืึธึ”ื™ ื‘ึผึฐืึธืฉืึตึ–ืจ ื•ึผื‘ึฐืขึธืœึฝื•ึนืชืƒย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย 

English:

Baanah son of Hushi, in Asher and Bealoth;aBealoth Or โ€œin Aloth.โ€

Ba'ana son of Chushai was in Asher and in Be'alot. Metzudat David and Radak both note that Be'alot was actually from the inheritance of Yehuda, even though it is here grouped administratively with the territory of the tribe of Asher in the western Galilee โ€” a hint that Shlomo's twelve districts were drawn for fiscal efficiency rather than along strict tribal lines.

ืคืกื•ืง ื™ืดื– ยท Verse 17

Hebrew:

ื™ึฐื”ื•ึนืฉืึธืคึธึฅื˜ ื‘ึผึถืŸึพืคึผึธืจึ–ื•ึผื—ึท ื‘ึผึฐื™ึดืฉื‚ึผึธืฉื›ึธึฝืจืƒย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย 

English:

Jehoshaphat son of Paruah, in Issachar;

ืคืกื•ืง ื™ืดื— ยท Verse 18

Hebrew:

ืฉืึดืžึฐืขึดึฅื™ ื‘ึถืŸึพืึตืœึธึ–ื ื‘ึผึฐื‘ึดื ึฐื™ึธืžึดึฝืŸืƒย {ืก}ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย 

English:

Shimei son of Ela, in Benjamin;

ืคืกื•ืง ื™ืดื˜ ยท Verse 19

Hebrew:

ื’ึผึถึฅื‘ึถืจ ื‘ึผึถืŸึพืึปืจึดึ–ื™ ื‘ึผึฐืึถึฃืจึถืฅ ื’ึผึดืœึฐืขึธึ‘ื“ ืึถึœืจึถืฅ ืกึดื™ื—ึฃื•ึนืŸโ€‰ื€ ืžึถึฃืœึถืšึฐ ื”ึธืึฑืžึนืจึดึ—ื™ ื•ึฐืขึนื’ึ™ ืžึถึฃืœึถืšึฐ ื”ึทื‘ึผึธืฉืึธึ”ืŸ ื•ึผื ึฐืฆึดึฅื™ื‘ ืึถื—ึธึ–ื“ ืึฒืฉืึถึฅืจ ื‘ึผึธืึธึฝืจึถืฅืƒ

English:

Geber son of Uri, in the region of Gilead, the country of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan; and one prefect who was in the land.band one prefect who was in the land Meaning of Heb. uncertain.

Gever son of Uri was in the land of Gilad โ€” the country of Sichon king of the Emori and Og king of Bashan โ€” and one nitzav who was over the land. Rashi cites the dispute of Rav and Shmuel on the closing phrase 've-nitzav echad asher ba-aretz': one says it refers to a single chief commissioner over all twelve (identified with Azaryahu ben Natan from verse 5), the other that it refers to a thirteenth officer for the intercalated month; Metzudat David follows the first reading, while Radak preserves both views.
ืจืฉืดื™Rashi
ื•ึผื ึฐืฆึดื™ื‘ ืึถื—ึธื“ ืึฒืฉืึถืจ ื‘ึผึธืึธืจึถืฅ. ืจึทื‘ ื•ึผืฉืึฐืžื•ึผืึตืœ ืคึผึฐืœึดื™ื’ึตื™, ื—ึทื“ ืึธืžึทืจ: ืึถื—ึธื“ ืžึฐืžึปื ึผึถื” ืขึทืœ ื›ึผึปืœึผึธื, ื”ื•ึผื ืขึฒื–ึทืจึฐื™ึธื” ื‘ึผึถืŸ ื ึธืชึธืŸ ื”ึธืึธืžื•ึผืจ ืœึฐืžึทืขึฐืœึธื”, ื•ึฐื—ึทื“ ืึธืžึทืจ: ื›ึผึฐื ึถื’ึถื“ ื—ึนื“ึถืฉื ื”ึธืขึดื‘ึผื•ึผืจ.
And one officer over the land. Rav and Shmuel have differing opinions, one says, one was appointed over all of them, and this was Azaryoh[u] the son of Noson, who was mentioned previously,6Above v. 5. and one says he was [appointed] for the thirteenth month.7I.e., the purpose of appointing a thirteenth officer was to take care of the king for the thirteenth month of a leap year. See Maseches Sanhedrin 12a.

ืคืกื•ืง ื›ืณ ยท Verse 20

Hebrew:

ื™ึฐื”ื•ึผื“ึธึคื” ื•ึฐื™ึดืฉื‚ึฐืจึธืึตืœึ™ ืจึทื‘ึผึดึ”ื™ื ื›ึผึทื—ึฅื•ึนืœ ืึฒืฉืึถืจึพืขึทืœึพื”ึทื™ึผึธึ–ื ืœึธืจึนึ‘ื‘ ืึนื›ึฐืœึดึฅื™ื ื•ึฐืฉืึนืชึดึ–ื™ื ื•ึผืฉื‚ึฐืžึตื—ึดึฝื™ืืƒ

English:

Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sands of the sea; they ate and drank and were content.

Yehuda and Yisrael were as numerous as the sand by the sea, eating and drinking and rejoicing. Radak reads this verse as the chapter's climactic note: in Shlomo's days the people were blessed in offspring, livestock, and produce, eating and drinking and rejoicing because they had no fear of any enemy โ€” the administrative apparatus of the preceding verses produces, for a moment, the prosperity of the patriarchal blessing of seed as the sand of the sea.

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