1 Kings 10:26

26 And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

1 Kings 10:26 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 10:26

And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen
Both for war; for though it was a time of peace, he provided against the worst, lest an enemy should come upon him suddenly, and when unprepared:

and he had one thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand
horsemen; of the latter (See Gill on 1 Kings 4:26)

whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at
Jerusalem;
some of the horsemen were quartered in the cities where the chariots were placed, and some of them in Jerusalem, to be near the king's person, and to be a guard to him on occasion. Josephus ^F6 says, half of them were in Jerusalem about the king, and the rest were dispersed through the king's villages.

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FOOTNOTES:

F6 Antiqu l. 8. c. 2. sect. 4.

1 Kings 10:26 In-Context

24 Now all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

25 Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year.

26 And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland.

28 Also Solomon had horses imported from Egypt and Keveh; the king's merchants bought them in Keveh at the current price.

Footnotes

• [a]. Following Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate (compare 2 Chronicles 9:25); Masoretic Text reads led.