Commentary for I Kings 4:23

King over all of Yisroel. When they observed his wisdom they all rejoiced in his kingship.¹And no one opposed him.—Radak

Scribes. To write the [king’s] chronicles.

The secretary. [To record] which legal case came before him first that he might rule on it first.²I.e., he was a court administrator. Thus have I heard.

Over the officers. He had twelve officers to provide sustenance for the king and his household.

The tax commissioner. Which he [Shlomo] had raised on [Bnei] Yisroel, as it is stated, “And Shlomo haMelech raised a tax.”³Below 5:27.

And they provided sustenance for the king. All his meals, and food of the horses and all expenditures for his necessities.⁴See I Shmuel 8:11-18. There it describes that the king had a right to demand all these things. Shmuel had told the people the king’s rights before he anointed Shaul.

Nofas-dor. [Targum Yonoson rendered,] the district [פלך] of Dor.

The Argov region. He [Gever’s son] was appointed over them to collect the king’s tax, because the rules pertaining to the monarchy allow for his expenditures to be collected from the people, as it is stated in the rules pertaining to the monarchy, in the book of Shmuel.⁵See Ibid.

And one officer over the land. Rav and Shmuel have differing opinions, one says, one was appointed over all of them, and this was Azaryoh[u] the son of Noson, who was mentioned previously,⁶Above v. 5. and one says he was [appointed] for the thirteenth month.⁷I.e., the purpose of appointing a thirteenth officer was to take care of the king for the thirteenth month of a leap year. See Maseches Sanhedrin 12a.