Verse 6
6. Ahishar was over the household Overseer of the royal palace and family; the king’s chamberlain.
Adoniram… over the tribute The same person who held this office during the later years of David’s reign. See note on 2 Samuel 20:24. The word מס , here rendered tribute, is translated, levy in 1 Kings 5:13-14, and this latter seems to be the true meaning. Adoniram had charge of the multitudes of men that were impressed out of all Israel to labour on the public works, and probably his general superintendency extended also over the thousands of foreign bondslaves that bare burdens, etc. See 1 Kings 5:15; 2 Chronicles 2:17; 2 Chronicles 18:7.
Twelve officers נצבים , prefects. Collectors of the royal revenues, which consisted not in money, but in the products of the land.
Thus were furnished provisions for the king’s household.
Each man his month Probably Azariah the son of Nathan, who was over these twelve officers, (1 Kings 4:5,) notified each of them which month he would be required to provide for the king. According to Herodotus (i, 192) the kingdom of Persia was divided into districts, each one of which supplied the great king and his army with provisions for a given portion of the year.
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