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.