And these were the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest,
1 Kings 4:2 belongs to the historical account of Solomon's reign in 1 Kings 1-11, describing the undivided kingdom and paralleling the opening portion of 2 Chronicles. It is part of a brief but comprehensive account of his officers and the condition of his kingdom at the beginning of his reign. It names Azariah the son of Zadok the priest among Solomon's princes and high officials.
Those high officers were appointed to administer the country, placed up and down the country. Their appointment shows Solomon was great as well as wise. Under this administration the people were numerous and contented, and his fame spread into neighboring lands. The record teaches that leaders bore responsibility for the people: when leaders were faithful to God they strongly influenced the people, and when they failed the people failed with them.
Azariah is placed next to the king himself first in the enumeration of Solomon's head officers, where priest means chief officer. This means the priesthood had become subject to the will of the kings, with the office of high priest interchangeable with that of chief ruler, the same position David's sons held, and where the Authorized Version has chief rulers the Latin Vulgate has priests. Cited together with 2 Chronicles 3, the verse helps show that Solomon's temple, like Moses' tabernacle, had two holy places. The temple was larger and grander but retained this defining feature, and this correspondence is evidence that the heavenly sanctuary also has two holy places.
1 Kings 4:2 belongs to the historical account of Solomon's reign in 1 Kings 1-11, describing the undivided kingdom and paralleling the opening portion of 2 Chronicles. It is part of a brief but comprehensive account of his officers and the condition of his kingdom at the beginning of his reign. It names Azariah the son of Zadok the priest among Solomon's princes and high officials.
Those high officers were appointed to administer the country, placed up and down the country. Their appointment shows Solomon was great as well as wise. Under this administration the people were numerous and contented, and his fame spread into neighboring lands. The record teaches that leaders bore responsibility for the people: when leaders were faithful to God they strongly influenced the people, and when they failed the people failed with them.
Azariah is placed next to the king himself first in the enumeration of Solomon's head officers, where priest means chief officer. This means the priesthood had become subject to the will of the kings, with the office of high priest interchangeable with that of chief ruler, the same position David's sons held, and where the Authorized Version has chief rulers the Latin Vulgate has priests. Cited together with 2 Chronicles 3, the verse helps show that Solomon's temple, like Moses' tabernacle, had two holy places. The temple was larger and grander but retained this defining feature, and this correspondence is evidence that the heavenly sanctuary also has two holy places.