Bible Strands
1 Kings 4:3
Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, were secretaries; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The biblical narrator lists Solomon’s appointed officials during the early phase of his reign, documenting the administrative structure that succeeded David’s court.
The words — סֹפְרִים (so.fe.Rim) literally means scribes or secretaries, denoting the officials responsible for royal documentation and record-keeping.
The thread — Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud occupies the identical recorder position in 2 Samuel 8:16 and 2 Samuel 20:24, showing the office’s direct continuity from David’s administration into Solomon’s.
Why it lands — The text records a functional bureaucracy without commentary, requiring the reader to acknowledge that Israel’s monarchy relied on documented personnel lists and institutional continuity rather than ad hoc leadership.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder.
Cross-references
- 2 Samuel 8:16 Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;
- 2 Samuel 20:24 Adoram was in charge of the forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;
- 1 Chronicles 18:6 Then he placed garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to David and brought him tribute. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.
- 1 Chronicles 18:15 Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;
- Isaiah 62:6 On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD shall take no rest for yourselves,