1 Kings 4:8 — Word Study
WLCוְאֵ֣לֶּה שְׁמוֹתָ֔ם בֶּן־ ח֖וּר בְּהַ֥ר אֶפְרָֽיִם׃ ס
BSAand theseʼêl-leh [specific individuals, the following] were their namesshêm Ben-hurBen-Chûwr [son of whiteness, son of Hur] in the hill countryhar [mountainous region, highlands] of EphraimʼEphrayim [doubly fruitful, a tribe of Israel]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְאֵ֣לֶּה | and these | Conjunction, particle |
| שְׁמוֹתָ֔ם | [are] names their | Noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
| בֶּן־ | Ben- | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| ח֖וּר | Hur | Noun proper masculine |
| בְּהַ֥ר | in [the] hill country of | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| אֶפְרָֽיִם׃ ס | Ephraim | Noun proper masculine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | and these were their names: Ben-hur in the hill country of Ephraim; |
| KJV | And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim: |
| ASV | And these are their names: Ben-hur, in the hill-country of Ephraim; |
| YLT | and these [are] their names: Ben-Hur in the hill-country of Ephraim; |
| WEB | These are their names: Ben Hur, in the hill country of Ephraim; |
| BBE | And these are their names: ... the son of Hur in the hill country of Ephraim; |
The translations agree on the phrasing of this verse, particularly with אֵלֶּה — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence contains a main clause followed by a subject and a prepositional phrase, clearly identifying the individual and their location.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — 1 Kings 4:8
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Governors of Solomongenerated
1 Kings 4:8 introduces the names of the twelve governors appointed by King Solomon to oversee the provision of food for his household. This verse highlights the organization and administration of the kingdom, showing how Solomon managed resources and governance. The mention of specific individuals emphasizes their roles and responsibilities within the broader context of Israel's leadership.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Judges 17:1 | Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim |
| 2 | Judges 19:1 | Now in those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite who lived in the remote hill country of Ephraim took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אֵלֶּה, ve.'E.lehgenerated
The word אֵלֶּה (el-leh) is a demonstrative pronoun meaning 'these.' It points to specific individuals or items, indicating proximity or specification. In this verse, it introduces the names of the governors, making it clear that the following names are important figures in Solomon's administration.
This word appears frequently in the Hebrew Bible, often used to indicate a list or a specific group. Its grammatical form as a conjunction emphasizes its role in connecting the names of the individuals listed.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations generally agree on the wording of this verse.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb שְׁמוֹתָ֔ם (are names their) governs the entire clause, with a noun phrase as the subject and a prepositional phrase providing additional context. The structure emphasizes the names of the governors as the focal point of the sentence.
Hebrew word order places the subject before the predicate, which is typical in biblical prose, allowing for a clear introduction of the names that follow.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew word אֵלֶּה is rendered as ταῦτα (tauta), which also means 'these.' This choice maintains the specificity of the individuals being named.
The translation reflects a direct correspondence with the Hebrew, preserving the focus on the specific governors appointed by Solomon.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
1 Kings 4:8 lists the names of the governors appointed by Solomon, starting with Ben-hur, who was responsible for the hill country of Ephraim. This verse shows how Solomon organized his kingdom and the leaders who helped manage it.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Ben-hur was a governor in the hill country of Ephraim, serving under King Solomon.
Ephraim means 'doubly fruitful' and refers to a tribe of Israel descended from Joseph's son.
Governors were appointed to manage resources and ensure the king's household was provided for.
Naming the governors highlights their roles and the organized structure of Solomon's administration.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn about leadership from Solomon's organization of his governors?
- How does the role of Ben-hur reflect the responsibilities of leaders in our communities today?
- In what ways can we apply the concept of being 'doubly fruitful' in our own lives?
- How does understanding the names and roles of leaders in the Bible enhance our reading of Scripture?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 1 Kings 4:8 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd these [are] their names,.... Or rather the names of their fathers; for of many of them not their own names but their fathers' names are given, as being well known: the son of Hur, in Mount
Read John Gill on 1 Kings 4 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim: The son of Hur - or, as the margin has it, Ben-hur.
Read Robert Jamieson on 1 Kings 4 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThis and others of them are denominated from their fathers, because they were known and famous in their generation.
Read Matthew Poole on 1 Kings 4 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments1 Kings 4:8 And these [are] their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim:Ver. 8. And these are their names.] They were men of renown, and are therefore here memorised. The son of Hur] Or, Benhur - so 1 Kings 4:9-10, &c. - Bendekar, Benhesed, Benabinadab, Baana [Benahilud], Bengeber.
Read John Trapp on 1 Kings 4 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(8) And these are their names.—The first division, “mount Ephraim,” included all the higher part of the territory of Ephraim, one of the most fertile and beautiful regions in Palestine, surrounding the city of Shechem, which lies in a rich plain between Mount Ebel and Gerizim, and including the strong site of the future Samaria. See the description of the country in the blessing of Moses (Deuteronomy 33:13-17).
Read Charles John Ellicott on 1 Kings 4 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges8. The son of Hur] Better Ben-Hur. So the Vulgate and similarly in 1 Kings 4:9-11; 1 Kings 4:13. The name is a patronymic, and five out of these twelve officers are thus designated by their fathers’ names rather than by their own. Perhaps at the time the father in each case was more distinguished than the son. The place of commissariatofficer is one which might well be given to a younger man of some well-known family. Two of the men were Solomon’s sons-in-law. in mount Ephraim] ‘Mount’ conveys a mistaken idea of the rich country of Ephraim. It was a hilly but very fertile region which stretched northwards from the tribe of Benjamin until the land sinks into the plain of Jezreel. It is…
Read Cambridge on 1 Kings 4 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleIn this arrangement of the territory into twelve portions, the divisions of the tribes seem to have been adopted as far as could be managed without unfairness.
Read Albert Barnes on 1 Kings 4 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible8. The son of Hur — It is noticeable that the names of the fathers of these officers are given in each case, and in five cases the proper names of the officers themselves are not given at all.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on 1 Kings 4 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
and these were their names: Ben-hur in the hill country of Ephraim;
These are their names: Ben Hur, in the hill country of Ephraim;
and these were their names: Ben-hur in the hill country of Ephraim;
These were their names: Ben-Hur was in charge of the hill country of Ephraim.
Tyndale line
And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim:
And these are their names: Ben-hur, in the hill-country of Ephraim;
And these are their names: Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim:
And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim:
And these are their names: the sonne of Hur in mount Ephraim:
Strictly literal
And these are their names: Ben-Hur, in mount Ephraim.
and these [are] their names: Ben-Hur in the hill-country of Ephraim;
and these [are] their names: Ben-Hur in the hill-country of Ephraim;
And these are their names: Ben-chur on the mountain of Ephraim;
These were their names: Ben-Hur, in the hill country of Ephraim;
From the Latin
And these are their names: Benhur, in mount Ephraim,
Simplified
Their names were: Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim;
And these are their names: ... the son of Hur in the hill country of Ephraim;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree on the wording of this verse, with four of the six words matched. The Septuagint's rendering reflects its own word order, but the essential names and roles are preserved.
וְאֵ֣לֶּה שְׁמוֹתָ֔ם בֶּן־ ח֖וּר בְּהַ֥ר אֶפְרָֽיִם׃ ס
4 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in 1 Kings 4:8
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אֵ֫לֶּה (el-leh) means 'these' and is used in various grammatical contexts, often in apposition to a noun with a pronoun suffix. It can appear with or without the definite article and is sometimes paired with other terms like וְאֵלֶּה (and these). The word conveys a sense of proximity or specification, referring to particular items or people.
אֵ֫לֶּה pr.pl.m. & f. these
in appos. to a subst. with a pron. suff. (always without the article)
repeated, אלה … ואלה, these … those
with the art. (but only after a subst. determined likewise by the art.)
with preps.
base
H428 אֵ֫לֶּה these . in appos. to a subst. with a pron. suff. (always without the article)
. repeated, אלה … ואלה, these … those
. with the art. (but only after a subst. determined likewise by the art.)
. with preps.
428 'el-leh ale'-leh
prolonged from 411; these or those:--an- (the) other; one
sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those,
thus, which, who(-m).
see HEBREW for 0411
אֵ֫לֶּה (el.leh) — these.
1) these
1a) used before antecedent
1b) used following antecedent
Aramaic equivalent: el.leh (אֵלֶּה "these" H0429)
Conj | Pron — Conjunction · particleHC/Tm
שֵׁם (shem) means 'name' and encompasses various meanings such as reputation, fame, and glory. It can refer to the designation of God and is often associated with memorials or monuments. The word is built from a primitive root and highlights individuality and honor. There is a mention of its use in relation to false gods, which is forbidden.
שֵׁם 864 n.m. name (√ unknown)
of river, beasts, city, i.e. exact designation of it
usu. of pers.
= reputation
esp. as giving a man a kind of posthumous life, esp. in his sons
name, as designation of God
of false gods, use forbidden
= memorial, monument
base
H8034 שֵׁם name (√ unknown)
8034 shem shame
a primitive word (perhaps rather from 7760 through the idea
of definite and conspicuous position; compare 8064); an
appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by
implication honor, authority, character:--+ base,
(in-)fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.
see HEBREW for 07760
see HEBREW for 08064
שֵׁם (shem) — name.
1) name
1a) name
1b) reputation, fame, glory
1c) the Name (as designation of God)
1d) memorial, monument
Aramaic equivalent: shum (שֻׁם "name" H8036)
N-mp | Suff — Noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHNcfpc/Sp3mp
בֶּן־חוּר n.pr.m. (son of Chur) an officer of Solomon 1 K 4:8.
done
H1133 בֶּן־חוּר
1133 Ben-Chuwr ben-khoor'
from 1121 and 2354; son of Chur; Ben-Chur, an Israelite:--the
son of Hur.
see HEBREW for 01121
see HEBREW for 02354
בֶּן־חוּר (ben-chur) — Ben-hur.
A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ki.4.8;
son of: Hur (H1133H)
§ Ben-hur = "son of whiteness" or "son of Chur"
a man who was commissariat officer for Solomon in Mount Ephraim
בֶּן־חוּר (ben-chur) — Hur.
A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ki.4.8;
father of: Ben-hur (H1133)
§ Ben-hur = "son of whiteness" or "son of Chur"
a man who was commissariat officer for Solomon in Mount Ephraim
N-proper — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
Ben (prefix) (singular ben, "son of"; plural bene, "sons of" = Aramaic bar): This word is used in the singular or plural to express relationship of almost any kind:
(1) to a person; as such it is found as part of many compound names like Benjamin, Benhur, etc. (compare Bar);
(2) to a clan; in this connection it is found in the plural only: "children of Israel," "children of Ammon," etc.;
(3) to a town; perhaps as place of birth ("son of Jabesh"; 2Ki 15:10 ff);
(4) to occupation, state of life, age, character, quality even of things;
(5) peculiarly employed in the sense of "scholar disciple" ("son of prophet"), or in phrases like "son of death," etc.;
(6) in poetry, "sons of flame" for "sparks" (Job 5:7 margin), etc. The frequent metaphorical use of the word indicates that it was rarely…
בֶּן־חוּר n.pr.m. (son of Chur) an officer of Solomon 1 K 4:8.
done
H1133 בֶּן־חוּר
1133 Ben-Chuwr ben-khoor'
from 1121 and 2354; son of Chur; Ben-Chur, an Israelite:--the
son of Hur.
see HEBREW for 01121
see HEBREW for 02354
בֶּן־חוּר (ben-chur) — Ben-hur.
A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ki.4.8;
son of: Hur (H1133H)
§ Ben-hur = "son of whiteness" or "son of Chur"
a man who was commissariat officer for Solomon in Mount Ephraim
בֶּן־חוּר (ben-chur) — Hur.
A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ki.4.8;
father of: Ben-hur (H1133)
§ Ben-hur = "son of whiteness" or "son of Chur"
a man who was commissariat officer for Solomon in Mount Ephraim
HNpm — Noun proper masculineHNpm
hur (chur):
(1) A prominent official in Israel. With Aaron he held up Moses' hands during the battle against the Amalekites (Ex 17:10,12) and assisted him as judicial head of the people during Moses' stay in the mount (Ex 24:14).
(2) Grandfather of Bezalel, the head artificer in the construction of the Tabernacle (Ex 31:2; 35:30; 38:22; 2Ch 1:5). He is here assigned to the tribe of Judah, and in 1Ch is connected with the same by descent through Caleb (2:19,20,50; 4:1,4). Josephus (Ant., III, ii, 4; vi, 1) makes him identical with (1) and the husband of Miriam.
Hur
A hole, as of a viper, etc. (1.) A son of Caleb (1 Chr. 2:19, 50; 4:1, 4; comp. 2 Chr. 1:5).
(2.) The husband of Miriam, Moses’ sister (Ex. 17:10-12). He was associated with Aaron in charge of the people when Moses was absent on Sinai (Ex. 24:14). He was probably of the tribe of Judah, and grandfather of Bezaleel (Ex. 31:2; 35:30; 1 Chr. 2:19).
(3.) One of the five princes of Midian who were defeated and slain by the Israelites under the command of Phinehas (Num. 31:8).
A chief man among the Hebrews in the desert, associated with Aaron in upholding the hands of Moses at Rephidim, and in supplying his place while on the summit of Sinai, Ex 17:10; 24:14.
liberty; whiteness; hole
הַר (har) means 'mountain' or 'hill,' and can refer to a range of hills or hill-country. It is derived from a root that suggests elevation and can be used figuratively. The entries consistently highlight its geographical connotations without significant disagreement.
הַר 568 n.m. mountain, hill, hill-country
mountain, hill
hill-country, mountain-region
base
H2022 הַר mountain, hill, hill-country
2022 har har
a shortened form of 2042; a mountain or range of hills
(sometimes used figuratively):--hill (country), mount(-ain), X
promotion.
see HEBREW for 02042
הַר (har) — mountain: mount.
: mount/hill
hill, mountain, hill country, mount
הַר (har) — mountain: hill country.
: hill_country
hill, mountain, hill country, mount
A sub-meaning of har (הַר ": mount" H2022)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHR/Ncmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
אֶפְרַ֫יִם (Ephrayim) refers to Ephraim, a son of Joseph and Asenath, and the tribe descended from him. The term signifies 'double fruit' and encompasses various meanings, including a geographical region, a chief gate of Jerusalem, and a reference to the northern kingdom. Notably, it appears in Genesis 41:52.
אֶפְרַ֫יִם n.pr.m. Ephraim
base
H669 אֶפְרַ֫יִם Ephraim
669 'Ephrayim ef-rah'-yim
dual of masculine form of 672; double fruit; Ephrajim, a son
of Joseph; also the tribe descended from him, and its
territory:--Ephraim, Ephraimites.
see HEBREW for 0672
אֶפְרַ֫יִם (eph.ra.yim) — Ephraim.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.41.52;
son of: Joseph (H3130) and Asenath (H0621);
brother of: Manasseh (H4519);
father of: Shuthelah (H7803), Becher (H1071H), Tahan (H8465), Ezer (H5827), Elead (H0496) and Beriah (H1283H); also called Ephrathite (NIV: Ephraimite) at 1Sa.1.1; Ephron (Qere, KJV: Ephrain) at 2Ch.13.19;
§ Ephraim = "double ash-heap: I shall be doubly fruitful"
1) second son of Joseph, blessed by him and given preference over first son, Manasseh
2) the tribe, Ephraim
3) the mountain country of Ephraim
4) sometimes used name for the northern kingdom (Hosea or Isaiah)
5) a city near Baal-hazor
6) a chief gate of Jerusalem
אֶפְרַ֫יִם (eph.ra.yim) — Ephraim (Gate).
§ Ephraim = "double ash-heap: I shall be doubly fruitful"
a chief gate of Jerusalem
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
Ephraim
Double fruitfulness (“for God had made him fruitful in the land of his affliction”). The second son of Joseph, born in Egypt (Gen. 41:52; 46:20). The first incident recorded regarding him is his being placed, along with his brother Manasseh, before their grandfather, Jacob, that he might bless them (48:10; comp. 27:1). The intention of Joseph was that the right hand of the aged patriarch should be placed on the head of the elder of the two; but Jacob set Ephraim the younger before his brother, “guiding his hands wittingly.” Before Joseph’s death, Ephraim’s family had reached the third generation (Gen. 50:23).
a city "in the district near the wilderness" to which our Lord retired with his disciples when threatened with violence by the priests. (John 11:54)
The second son of Joseph, born in Egypt, Ge 41:52. Although the youngest, he yet had the chief blessing of his grandfather Jacob, and the tribe was always more distinguished than that of Manasseh, Ge 48:8-20 Nu 2:18-21. The portion of Ephraim was large and central, and embraced some of the most fertile land in all Canaan. It extended from the Mediterranean across to the Jordan, north of the portions of Dan and Benjamin and included Shiloh, Shechem, etc. A range of mountainous country, which runs through it, is called "the mountains of Ephraim," or "mount Ephraim." This extends also farther south into the portion of Judah, and is there called "the mountains of Judah." Samaria, the capital of the ten tribes, being in Ephraim…
fruitful; increasing