1 Kings 4:22

And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour,.... The measure here used was the "corus", or "cor", the same with the homer, which was equal to ten ephahs, and, according to

And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal, Solomon's provision for one day - not for the king's table only, but for all connected with the

Thirty measures, Heb. cors; each of which contained ten ephahs, . So this provision was sufficient for near three thousand persons. Meal, of a coarser sort, for common use, and for the inferior sort.

1 Kings 4:22 And Solomon’ s provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,Ver. 22. Thirty measures of fine flour.] Heb., Cors or homers, the greatest measure mentioned in Scripture. And for fine flour, “ Non poteris similae dotes numerare nec usus. ” - Martial, lib. xiii.

(22) Measures.—The “measure” (cor) is variously estimated (from 86 to 42 gallons). In any case the quantity is very large, and, like the other notices of provisions supplied, indicates a vast number, probably several thousands, belonging to the royal household, court, and body-guard. The “harts, roebucks, &c.,” whatever the exact meaning of each word may be, evidently denote the wild game, as distinct from the herds and flocks; the “fatted fowl” apparently signifies “dainty food” generally, as distinct from the staple of ordinary meat.

Verse 22. Solomon's provision for one day: - Of fine flour . . . . . . 30 measures, or cors. Of meal . . . . . . . . . 60 ditto. Stall-fed oxen. . . . . . 10 Ditto from the pasture. . 20 Sheep . . . . . . . . . . 100; with harts, roebucks, fallow deer, and fat fowls. The כר cor was the same as the homer, and contained nearly seventy-six gallons, wine measure, according to Bishop Cumberland. Sheep] צאן tson, comprehending both sheep and goats. Harts] מאיל meaiyal, the deer. Roebucks] צבי tsebi, the gazal, antelope, or wild goat. Fallow deer] יחמור yachmur, the buffalo. See the notes on Deuteronomy 12:15; Deuteronomy 14:5. Fatted fowl.] ברברים אבוסים barburim abusim, I suppose, means all the wild fowls in season during each month. Michaelis derives barburim from ברא bara, which in Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic, signifies a field, a desert; all that is without the cities and habitations of men: hence חיות ברא cheyvath bara, wild beasts, Daniel 2:38, תור בר tor bar, wild bull; and therefore barburim may signify creatures living in the fields, woods, and deserts, which are taken by hunting, and opposed to those which are domesticated; and, consequently, may include beasts as well as fowls. Many have translated the word capons; but, query, was any such thing known among the ancient Jews? Solomon's table, therefore, was spread with all the necessaries and delicacies which the house or the field could afford. But how immense must the number of men have been who were fed daily at the palace of the Israelitish king! Vilalpandus computes the number to be not less than forty-eight thousand, six hundred; and Calvisius makes, by estimation from the consumption of food, fifty-four thousand! These must have included all his guards, each of whom received a ration from the king's store.

22. measures] The Hebrew word is cor. It is of the same capacity as the homer, and is used both as a liquid and a dry measure (see 1 Kings 5:11). It contained 10 ephahs in dry, and 10 baths in liquid measure. According to the Rabbins the cor contained nearly 45 gallons, but Josephus gives a different value and makes it to be equal to nearly 87 gallons. According to one estimate Solomon’s dependants consumed about 1350 gallons of fine flour per day, according to the other about 2510 gallons, and twice as much meal. Bunsen (Bibelwerk) reckons 28000 lbs. of baked bread and concludes that the number of persons provided for was 15000.

Thirty measures - (margin, cors) The cor, which was the same measure as the homer, is computed, on the authority of Josephus, at 86 English gallons, on the authority of the rabbinical writers at 44.

22. Thirty measures of fine flour — Or thirty cors, about three hundred and forty bushels. Threescore measures of meal — About seven hundred bushels.