John Gill Commentary 1 Kings 4:23

John Gill Commentary

1 Kings 4:23

1697–1771
Reformed Baptist
John Gill
John Gill

John Gill Commentary

1 Kings 4:23

1697–1771
Reformed Baptist
SCRIPTURE

"ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and a hundred sheep, besides harts, and gazelles, and roebucks, and fatted fowl." — 1 Kings 4:23 (ASV)

Ten fat oxen
Such as were kept up in the stall and fatted:

and twenty oxen out of the pastures ;
which were killed as they were taken from thence, and not put up to be fed:

and an hundred sheep ;
out of the folds:

beside harts, and roebucks, and fallow deer ;
which were clean creatures, according to the Levitical law, (Deuteronomy 14:5) ; these were hunted in fields, or taken out of the park, or were presents from other countries; so that here was plenty of beef, mutton, and venison: for the spiritual application of this to the antitypical Solomon, and his provisions, see (Matthew 22:4) ;

and fatted fowl ;
such as we call capons F1 ; some Jewish writers F2 , because of the likeness of sound in the word here used, take them to be Barbary fowls, or such as were brought from that country: there is a sort of birds called (barbaroi) , which were without a voice, that neither heard men, nor knew their voice F3 .


FOOTNOTES:

  • F1: So David de Pomis, Tzemach David, fol. 12. 3. and some in Kimchi in loc.
  • F2: Baal Aruch & R. Elias Levit. Tishbi, in voce (rbrb) .
  • F3: Scholia in Aristoph. Aves, p. 550.