3 Kings 4:26
And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of chariot horses, and twelve thousand for the saddle.
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Et habebat Salomon quadraginta millia præsepia equorum currilium, et duodecim millia equestrium.
- Septuagint (Swete) shown from 3 Kings 2:46
- καὶ ἐνετείλατο ὁ βασιλεὺς Σαλωμὼν τῷ Βαναιὰ υἱῷ Ἰωδᾶε, καὶ ἐξῆλθεν καὶ ἀνεῖλεν αὐτόν. (46a) Καὶ ἦν ὁ βασιλεὺς Σαλωμὼν φρόνιμος σφόδρα καὶ σοφός· καὶ Ἰουδὰ καὶ Ἰσραὴλ πολλοὶ σφόδρα ὡς ἡ ἄμμος ἡ ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης εἰς πλῆθος, ἐσθίοντες καὶ πίνοντες καὶ χαίροντες. (46b) καὶ Σαλωμὼν ἦν ἄρχων ἐν πάσαις ταῖς βασιλείαις, καὶ ἦσαν προσφέροντες δῶρα καὶ ἐδούλευον τῷ Σαλωμὼν πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ. (46c) καὶ Σαλωμὼν ἤρξατο ἀνοίγειν τὰ δυναστεύματα τοῦ Λιβάνου· (46d) καὶ αὐτὸς ᾠκοδόμησεν τὴν Θερμαὶ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ. (46e) καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἄριστον τῷ Σαλωμών· τριάκοντα κόροι σεμιδάλεως καὶ ἑξήκοντα κόροι ἀλεύρου κεκοπανισμένου, δέκα μόσχοι ἐκλεκτοὶ καὶ εἴκοσι βόες νομάδες καὶ ἑκατὸν πρόβατα, ἐκτὸς ἐλάφων καὶ δορκάδων καὶ ὀρνίθων ἐκλεκτῶν νομάδων. (46f) οὐκ ἦν ἄρχων ἐν παντὶ πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἀπὸ Ῥαφεὶ ἕως Γάζης, ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ; (46g) καὶ ἦν αὐτῷ εἰρήνη ἐκ πάντων τῶν μερῶν αὐτοῦ κυκλόθεν· καὶ κατῴκει Ἰουδὰ καὶ Ἰσραὴλ πεποιθότες, ἕκαστος ὑπὸ τὴν ἄμπελον αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑπὸ τὴν συκῆν αὐτοῦ, ἐσθίοντες καὶ πίνοντες ἀπὸ Δὰν καὶ ἕως Βηρσάβεε πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας Σαλωμών. (46h) καὶ οὗτοι οἱ ἄρχοντες τοῦ Σαλωμών· Ἀζαριοὺ υἱὸς Σαδὼκ τοῦ ἱερέως, καὶ Ὀρνειοὺ υἱὸς Ναθάν, ἄρχων τῶν ἐφεστηκότων, καὶ ἔδραμεν ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ· καὶ Σουβὰ γραμματεύς, καὶ Βασὰ υἱὸς Ἀχειθάλαμ ἀναμιμνήσκων, καὶ Ἀβεὶ υἱὸς Ἰωὰβ ἀρχιστράτηγος, καὶ Ἀχειρὲ υἱὸς Ἐδραεὶ ἐπὶ τὰς ἄρσεις, καὶ Βαναιὰ υἱὸς Ἰωδᾶε ἐπὶ τῆς αὐλαρχίας καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ πλινθείου, καὶ Καχοὺρ υἱὸς Ναθὰν ὁ σύμβουλος. (46i) καὶ ἦσαν τῷ Σαλωμὼν τεσσεράκοντα χιλιάδες τοκάδες ἵπποι εἰς ἅρματα, καὶ δώδεκα χιλιάδες ἵππων· (46k) καὶ ἦν ἄρχων ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν ἀπὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ καὶ ἕως γῆς ἀλλοφύλων καὶ ἕως ὁρίων Αἰγύπτου. (46l) Σαλωμὼν υἱὸς Δαυεὶδ ἐβασίλευσεν ἐπὶ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ Ἰουδὰ ἐν Ἰερουσαλήμ.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from 3 Kings 5:6
- וַיְהִ֣י לִשְׁלֹמֹ֗ה אַרְבָּעִ֥ים אֶ֛לֶף אֻרְוֺ֥ת סוּסִ֖ים לְמֶרְכָּב֑וֹ וּשְׁנֵים עָשָׂ֥ר אֶ֖לֶף פָּרָשִֽׁים
Haydock's commentary
Forty: 2 Paralipomenon ix. 25., has four in the Hebrew. Septuagint read in both places 40,000 mares, for chariots, and 12,000 horses. (Calmet)
The Alexandrian copy has 40 here, and 4000 in the latter place; where, instead of horses, it gives horsemen, with the Vulgate. These two words are often used as synonymous by the best authors. But it is more difficult to reconcile the number; (Calmet) as (2 Paralipomenon xiv.) we read again differently, he had 1400 chariots, and 12,000 horsemen. (Haydock)
Forty might easily be mistaken for four, by only adding im at the end of arba. (Bochart) (Grotius)
Instead of stalls, Calmet supposes stables to be understood, and in each he would place ten horses, which completes the number here assigned. If this be admitted, no change is necessary: but, as præsepe signifies "a stall," we may adhere to the Vulgate, which has 40,000 in both places; whereas the Hebrew varies, though the sense may be the same. The number of Solomon's chariots was 1400. As two horses were usually employed to draw them, 2800; or, allowing for accidents, changes, &c., 4000 horses would have been amply sufficient. It seems, therefore, that we should admit only so many horses or stalls. (Haydock)
"Vignoles conjectures, that the Jews formerly used marks analogous to our common figures; as the Arabians have done for many hundred years. And, if so, the corruption" of hundreds for tens, &c., "may be easily accounted for, by the transcriber's carelessly adding or omitting a single cypher." (Kennicott, Diss. ii.)
Read on
Yet, if 40,000 horses must be admitted, we may say that they were not all intended for the chariots of war, but some for draught-horses, to convey the stones and other materials for the numerous buildings, which Solomon carried on. This might serve to excuse him for having so many horses, (Haydock) contrary to the letter of the law, and the example of Josue and of David. His subjects were thus, perhaps, engaged in too much commerce with the Egyptians: and the king was forced to burden them with taxes, which at last proved so fatal. (Serarius) (Pineda) (Calmet)
Yet some undertake his defence, by saying that he did not act against the spirit of the law; that many of the horses were imposed as a tribute, and Solomon did not place his trust in them, Proverbs xxi. 31., and 2 Paralipomenon ix. 24. (Tostat) (Bochart, B. ii. 9.)
His empire was become more extensive, and his works more splendid; so that what might appear an useless parade in some, might be worthy of praise in Solomon. The law is not so precise. He shall not multiply horses to himself, nor lead back the people into Egypt, being lifted up with the number of his horsemen, Deuteronomy xvii. 16. There is a like prohibition of many wives and treasures.
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.