Ben-hesed in Arubboth (Socoh and all the land of Hepher belonged to him); Ben-hesedThe name "Ben-hesed" translates to "son of Hesed," with "Hesed" meaning "kindness" or "loving-kindness" in Hebrew. This name reflects a characteristic highly valued in the biblical narrative, often associated with God's covenantal love. The mention of Ben-hesed as one of Solomon's twelve district governors highlights the importance of leadership rooted in kindness and faithfulness, qualities that align with the divine attributes of God Himself. in Arubboth
Arubboth is a location whose exact site is not definitively known today, but it is believed to be in the region of Judah. The name "Arubboth" may derive from a root meaning "to lie in wait" or "ambush," suggesting a place of strategic importance. This highlights the wisdom of Solomon's administrative organization, placing trusted officials in key locations to maintain peace and order throughout the kingdom. (Socoh and all the land of Hepher were his)
Socoh and the land of Hepher are regions within the territory governed by Ben-hesed. Socoh is mentioned elsewhere in the Bible, notably as a site of conflict between the Israelites and the Philistines (1 Samuel 17:1). The inclusion of these areas under Ben-hesed's jurisdiction indicates the extent of Solomon's kingdom and the comprehensive nature of his administrative system. The land of Hepher, mentioned in Joshua 12:17 as a conquered Canaanite city, signifies the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel regarding the land. This phrase underscores the stability and prosperity of Solomon's reign, as well as the fulfillment of divine promises through wise governance. Persons / Places / Events 1. Ben-HesedOne of Solomon's twelve district governors, responsible for providing provisions for the king and his household for one month each year. His name means "son of Hesed," with "Hesed" often translated as "kindness" or "loving-kindness" in Hebrew. 2. ArubbothA region under Ben-Hesed's jurisdiction. The exact location is not definitively known, but it is part of the administrative districts established by Solomon. 3. SocohA town included in Ben-Hesed's district. There are multiple locations named Socoh in the Bible, but this one is likely in the lowlands of Judah. 4. Land of HepherAnother area under Ben-Hesed's control. It is mentioned in the context of Solomon's administrative divisions, indicating its significance in the kingdom's organization. 5. Solomon's AdministrationThe broader context of this verse is Solomon's organization of his kingdom into districts, each overseen by a governor responsible for supplying the royal court. Teaching Points God's Order and StructureSolomon's division of the kingdom into districts reflects God's desire for order and structure in governance. This can be applied to our personal lives by seeking to establish order and discipline in our daily routines. Faithfulness in ServiceBen-Hesed's role as a governor highlights the importance of being faithful in the responsibilities entrusted to us. We are called to serve diligently in whatever capacity God places us. The Importance of CommunityThe mention of specific towns and regions reminds us of the importance of community and the interconnectedness of different parts of God's kingdom. We should strive to build and maintain strong, supportive communities. Legacy of KindnessThe name "Ben-Hesed" serves as a reminder of the lasting impact of kindness and loving-kindness. As Christians, we are called to embody these virtues in our interactions with others. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the administrative structure established by Solomon reflect God's character and His desire for order? 2. In what ways can we apply the principle of faithfulness in service, as seen in the role of Ben-Hesed, to our own lives? 3. How does the concept of "hesed" (loving-kindness) influence our understanding of Christian virtues, and how can we practice it daily? 4. What lessons can we learn from the interconnectedness of the regions and communities mentioned in 1 Kings 4:10 about the importance of community in the church today? 5. How can we ensure that our legacy, like the name Ben-Hesed, reflects the values of kindness and faithfulness in our personal and professional lives? Connections to Other Scriptures 1 Kings 4:7-19This passage provides a list of all twelve governors and their respective districts, illustrating the administrative structure of Solomon's kingdom. Genesis 10:30The mention of Hepher connects to the genealogies of the descendants of Noah, showing the historical and geographical significance of the region. Proverbs 3:3-4The concept of "hesed" (loving-kindness) is a recurring theme in the Bible, emphasizing the importance of kindness and faithfulness, which can be seen in the name Ben-Hesed. People Abda, Abel, Abiathar, Abinadab, Adoniram, Ahiah, Ahijah, Ahilud, Ahimaaz, Ahinadab, Ahishar, Amorites, Argob, Asher, Azariah, Baana, Baanah, Basmath, Ben, Benaiah, Benjamin, Calcol, Chalcol, Dan, Darda, Dekar, Elah, Elihoreph, Elon, Ethan, Geber, Hanan, Heman, Hepher, Hesed, Hur, Hushai, Iddo, Issachar, Jair, Jehoiada, Jehoshaphat, Jezreel, Mahol, Manasseh, Naphtali, Nathan, Og, Paruah, Shimei, Shisha, Sihon, Solomon, Taphath, Uri, Zabud, ZadokPlaces Abel-meholah, Argob, Arubboth, Bashan, Bealoth, Beersheba, Beth-shan, Beth-shemesh, Dan, Egypt, Elonbeth-hanan, Euphrates River, Gaza, Gilead, Hepher, Jerusalem, Jezreel, Jokmeam, Lebanon, Mahanaim, Makaz, Megiddo, Naphath-dor, Ramoth-gilead, Shaalbim, Socoh, Taanach, Tiphsah, ZarethanTopics Arubboth, Arub'both, Aruboth, Belonged, Ben, Ben-hesed, Control, Hepher, Hesed, Pertained, Sochoh, SocohDictionary of Bible Themes 1 Kings 4:1-25 7236 Israel, united kingdom 1 Kings 4:5-19 5434 officer 1 Kings 4:7-19 5489 rank Library The Great Gain of Godliness
'And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon. 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, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureWhether He who Raises the Unworthy to Orders Commits a Sin?
Objection 1: It would seem that he who raises the unworthy to orders commits no sin. For a bishop needs assistants appointed to the lesser offices. But he would be unable to find them in sufficient number, if he were to require of them such qualifications as the saints enumerate. Therefore if he raise some who are not qualified, he would seem to be excusable. Objection 2: Further, the Church needs not only ministers for the dispensation of things spiritual, but also for the supervision of temporalities. …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Whether Vengeance Should be Taken on those who have Sinned Involuntarily?
Objection 1: It seems that vengeance should be taken on those who have sinned involuntarily. For the will of one man does not follow from the will of another. Yet one man is punished for another, according to Ex. 20:5, "I am . . . God . . . jealous, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation." Thus for the sin of Cham, his son Chanaan was curse (Gn. 9:25) and for the sin of Giezi, his descendants were struck with leprosy (4 Kings 5). Again the blood …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Stedfastness in the Old Paths.
"Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls."--Jer. vi. 16. Reverence for the old paths is a chief Christian duty. We look to the future indeed with hope; yet this need not stand in the way of our dwelling on the past days of the Church with affection and deference. This is the feeling of our own Church, as continually expressed in the Prayer Book;--not to slight what has gone before, …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII Adam and Zaretan, Joshua 3
I suspect a double error in some maps, while they place these two towns in Perea; much more, while they place them at so little a distance. We do not deny, indeed, that the city Adam was in Perea; but Zaretan was not so. Of Adam is mention, Joshua 3:16; where discourse is had of the cutting-off, or cutting in two, the waters of Jordan, that they might afford a passage to Israel; The waters rose up upon a heap afar off in Adam. For the textual reading "In Adam," the marginal hath "From Adam." You …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica The Fact of the Redeemer's Return was Typified in the Lives of Joseph and Solomon.
In the Old Testament there are numerous references to the Second Coming of Christ, references both direct and typical, but in every instance it was His return to the earth which was in view. The secret coming of Christ into the air, to catch up the saints to Himself, was an event quite unknown to the Old Testament prophets, an event kept secret until revealed by God to the apostle Paul who, when writing to the Corinthians upon this particular aspect of our subject, said, "Behold, I show you a mystery …
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return Perhaps There is no Book Within the Whole Canon of Scripture So Perplexing and Anomalous...
Perhaps there is no book within the whole canon of Scripture so perplexing and anomalous, at first sight, as that entitled "Ecclesiastes." Its terrible hopelessness, its bold expression of those difficulties with which man is surrounded on every side, the apparent fruitlessness of its quest after good, the unsatisfactory character, from a Christian standpoint, of its conclusion: all these points have made it, at one and the same time, an enigma to the superficial student of the Word, and the arsenal …
F. C. Jennings—Old Groans and New Songs The Care of the Soul Urged as the one Thing Needful
Luke 10:42 -- "But one thing is needful." It was the amiable character of our blessed Redeemer, that "he went about doing good," this great motive, which animated all his actions, brought him to the house of his friend Lazarus, at Bethany, and directed his behavior there. Though it was a season of recess from public labor, our Lord brought the sentiments and the pious cares of a preacher of righteousness into the parlor of a friend; and there his doctrine dropped as the rain, and distilled as the …
George Whitefield—Selected Sermons of George Whitefield The Spiced Wine of My Pomegranate;
OR, THE COMMUNION OF COMMUNICATION. I would cause Thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate."--Song of Solomon viii. 2.And of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace."--John i. 16. THE SPICED WINE OF MY POMEGRANATE. THE immovable basis of communion having been laid of old in the eternal union which subsisted between Christ and His elect, it only needed a fitting occasion to manifest itself in active development. The Lord Jesus had for ever delighted Himself with the …
Charles Hadden Spurgeon—Till He Come A vision of Judgement and Cleansing
'And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 2. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 3. Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the Angel. 4. And He answered and spake unto those that stood before Him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him He said, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Historical Books.
1. In the Pentateuch we have the establishment of the Theocracy, with the preparatory and accompanying history pertaining to it. The province of the historical books is to unfold its practiced working, and to show how, under the divine superintendence and guidance, it accomplished the end for which it was given. They contain, therefore, primarily, a history of God's dealings with the covenant people under the economy which he had imposed upon them. They look at the course of human events on the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible The Poetical Books (Including Also Ecclesiastes and Canticles).
1. The Hebrews reckon but three books as poetical, namely: Job, Psalms, and Proverbs, which are distinguished from the rest by a stricter rhythm--the rhythm not of feet, but of clauses (see below, No. 3)--and a peculiar system of accentuation. It is obvious to every reader that the poetry of the Old Testament, in the usual sense of the word, is not restricted to these three books. But they are called poetical in a special and technical sense. In any natural classification of the books of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.), …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links 1 Kings 4:10 NIV1 Kings 4:10 NLT1 Kings 4:10 ESV1 Kings 4:10 NASB1 Kings 4:10 KJV
1 Kings 4:10 Commentaries
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