Solomon's Stables of Horses, 4,000 or 40,000

It is common to associate king Solomon with wealth and wisdom. In this study we are specifically  going to look at Solomon's stalls of horses which are actually a topic of confusion for some as I will explain below.

Scriptures discussed:

"And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen." (1 Kings 4:26)

"And Solomon had four thousand stables for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem." (2 Chronicles 9:25)


The question some have is: Did king Solomon have 4,000 or 40,000 stalls for his horses?

There are numerous simple conclusions on this topic listed below:

1) King Solomon had 40,000 stalls for horses and an additional 4,000 stalls or stables for horses and chariots together. This is a literal interpretation of the 2 verses together.

2) Early in his reign as king, Solomon had 4,000 stalls of horses, and by the end of his reign he had 40,000 stalls of horses. There is no indication that these 2 verses are speaking of the exact same time during his reign considering that his wealth increased.

3) King Solomon had 40,000 horses in his stables.  The Hebrew language has its own rules and sometimes the word order does not pan out the same as it does in English.  Most translators translate the verse in 1st Kings as to Solomon having "40,000 stalls" but the Jubilee Bible 2000 translates it as "40,000 horses:"

"And Solomon had forty thousand horses in his stables for his chariots and twelve thousand horsemen." (1 Kings 4:26 ,Jubilee Bible 2000)

4) King Solomon had 4,000 stables each with ten stalls totaling 40,000 stalls in 4,000 stables. The Hebrew word for "stall" is slightly different in each of these 2 verses ( אֻרְוֺ֥ת (ur'wot) in 1st Kings, and, אֻֽרְי֤וֹת (ur'yowt) in 2nd Chronicles). One could imply "stalls" while the other could imply "stables" since the differentiation is unspecified in the biblical Hebrew.

Webster's Dictionary 1828 states:
"STALL, noun [G., to set, that is, to throw down, to thrust down.]
1. Primarily, a stand; a station; a fixed spot; hence, the stand or place where a horse or an ox is kept and fed; the division of a stable, or the apartment for one horse or ox. The stable contains eight or ten stalls.
2. A stable; a place for cattle. At last he found a stall where oxen stood.
3. In 1 Kings 4:26 stall is used for horse. Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots. In 2 Chronicles 9:25, stall means stable. Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots. These passages are reconciled by the definition given above; Solomon had four thousand stables, each containing ten stalls; forty thousand stalls."

Conclusion:  Any of the answers above suffice; it is a possibility that a variety of the explanations above are true, option 3 being the least likely of the possible solutions given.

The Suffering Servant

Ancient Jewish tradition suggests that the "suffering servant" of Isaiah chapter 53 was speaking about "the Messiah/haMashiach(the anointed one)" of Israel.  It is a very straight forward interpretation, and even a small child can see that reference.  Read it and ask small children who this passage was talking about and they will respond "Jesus," or "Yeshua!"  It is not complicated.  In modern orthodox Judaism this passage is not only no longer read in the synagogues, but reinterpreted to be referencing "Israel" as the suffering servant rather than "the Messiah" being the suffering servant.  Actually, both interpritations are true.  The Messiah(ha'Mashiach) is the only sinless "unblemished Israel," the remainder of Israel is spotted and with sin.  The chapter also tells us that the suffering servant would be despised and rejected, that is master Yeshua, and his people who reject him only help to confirm this.

Saddest Bible Verses

The Bible teaches us about the character of God and what He stand for.  There are a couple verses in the book of Genesis, chapter 6, that I find to be the saddest in the entire Bible.

Genesis chapter 6, verses 5-7
⁵ Then YHWH saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ⁶ And YHWH regretted(was-sorry/repented) that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. ⁷ So YHWH said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I regret(am-sorry/repent) that I have made them.”

It is clear the wickedness that people do on the earth grieves our Creator, even to the extent that seeing it can cause Him to regret ever making mankind.  Did God know man was going to act so wickedly?  Of course He did!  But even knowing that your child is going to do something wrong, when you actually see it, it makes it so much more difficult for a person to endure.  Imagine all the wickedness each day that our Creator sees among His children.  God always keeps a remnant of His people alive, and He preserved mankind through Noah and Noah's family when He destroyed the rest of the earth with a flood.  God knows that all of us will sin, but He loved us enough to make us anyway.  And He will watch and only destroy when things become too exceedingly wicked like in the days of Noah.  He spared a remnant because He knew some of us would love Him and be His children forever.

The New/Renewed Covenant

 https://www.aent.org/

The New/Renewed Covenant is spoken of multiple times in the Hebrew Scriptures giving a basic outline of what this covenant consists of.  This post will not debate over if this Covenant is called "New" or "Renewed," but rather of what this Covenant consists of.  We will look directly at the Scriptures to identify an answer:

[Jeremiah 31]

(31) “Behold! The days are coming,” says YHWH, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— (32) not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them,” says YHWH. (33) “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says YHWH: “I will put My Torah(instruction) in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. (34) No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know YHWH,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” says YHWH. “For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

[Ezekiel 11]

(14) Again the Word of YHWH came to me, saying, (15) “Son of man, your brethren, your relatives, your countrymen, and all the house of Israel in its entirety, are those about whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Get far away from YHWH; this land has been given to us as a possession.’ (16) Therefore say, ‘Thus says Master YHWH: “Although I have cast them far off among the Gentiles, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet I shall be a little sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.”’ (17) Therefore say, ‘Thus says Master YHWH: “I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.”’ (18) And they will go there, and they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there. (19) And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new Spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, (20) that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances(laws) and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God. (21) But as for those whose hearts follow the desire for their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their deeds on their own heads,” says Master YHWH.

[Ezekiel 36]

(16) Moreover the Word of YHWH came to me, saying: (17) “Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own ways and deeds; to Me their way was like the uncleanness of a woman in her customary impurity. (18) Therefore I poured out My fury on them for the blood they had shed on the land, and for their idols with which they had defiled it. (19) So I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the countries; I judged them according to their ways and their deeds. (20) When they came to the nations, wherever they went, they profaned My Holy Name—when they said of them, ‘These are the people of YHWH, and yet they have gone out of His land.’ (21) But I had concern for My Holy Name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went.

(22) Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says Master YHWH: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My Holy Name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. (23) And I will sanctify My great Name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am YHWH,” says Master YHWH, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. (24) For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. (25) Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. (26) I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (27) I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My ordinances(laws) and do them. (28) Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. (29) I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you. (30) And I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields, so that you need never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations. (31) Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations. (32) Not for your sake do I do this,” says Master YHWH, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel!”

[Deuteronomy 18]

(15) YHWH your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me(Moses) from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, (16) according to all you desired of YHWH your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of YHWH my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, or else I die.’

(17) And YHWH said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. (18) I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. (19) And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which he speaks in My Name, I will require it of him.

What are the differences between the New/Renewed Covenant and the Mosaic Covenant?

(Old ---> New/Renewed)

We were commanded to write the Torah on our hearts ---> Now God Himself writes the Torah on our hearts(Jeremiah 31:33)

We were commanded to follow God’s Torah(instructions) by our strength ---> God’s Spirit helps us to obey God’s Torah(instructions), His statutes, ordinances/judgements/laws(Ezekiel 11:19-20; Ezekiel 36:27) 

The Levitical Priesthood was the leading priesthood ---> the higher Priesthood of Melchizidek is restored as the leading Priesthood(book of Hebrews) 

Faith in numerous animal sacrifices were used for atonement, a covering of sins ---> faith in the single sacrifice of the suffering-servant Messiah is our atonement, sins washed away(Isaiah 53)

There was a promise of a coming Messiah we were supposed to listen to ---> we now have the words of the Messiah to follow and learn by(Deuteronomy 18:15-19)

Just as the rest of Scripture has been preserved by God through men, God has also preserved for us the New/Renewed Covenant Writings consisting of the 4 B’sora accounts, the book of Acts, the Letters to the congregations, and the Book of Revelation.  We have a complete book: the beginning- Genesis, through the ending- Revelation.  God has proven to be faithful in fulfilling His promise.