Midrash for II Kings 14:18

“…who reigned from India to Kush, one hundred and twenty-seven provinces.” Rabbi Eliezer in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: Are there not two hundred and fifty-two provinces in the world? David ruled over them all; that is what is written: “David’s renown went out to all the lands” (I Chronicles 14:17). Solomon ruled over them all; that is what is written: “Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms...” (I Kings 5:1). Aḥav ruled over them all; that is what is written: “As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom [to where my lord did not send to seek you]” (I Kings 18:10). Does a person take an oath about a place that he does not rule? Additionally, from here: “He counted the young princes of the dominions, and they were two hundred and thirty-two…” (I Kings 20:15). Where were the rest?⁸Earlier it was said that there were two hundred and fifty-two provinces, and here there are representatives of only two hundred and thirty-two dominions. Rabbi Levi and the Rabbis: Rabbi Levi said: They ceased to exist in the famine during the days of Eliyahu. The Rabbis said that Ben Haddad came and took them. That is what is written: “Ben Haddad king of Aram gathered his entire army, and thirty-two kings were with him, and horses and chariots; he went and besieged Samaria, and waged war against it” (I Kings 20:1). We need twenty, and you say thirty-two? Rather, there were provinces that were intractable, and he would take two [young princes] from them as hostages in his charge.
Rabbi Berekhya and the Rabbis [related to the verse: “He pierced my kidneys with the contents of his quiver [benei ashpato]” (Lamentations 3:13)]. Rabbi Berekhya said: These were the captives [benei ukaifi] and the hostages [benei emuryai].⁹These were the “contents of his quiver,” with which God pierced Israel’s kidneys. The Rabbis said: Benei ukaifi – as they were subjugated with manacles [arkof], and benei emuryai – as they were substitutes [temurot] for their fathers. And so it says: “And the hostages [benei hataaruvot]” (II Kings 14:14), they were guarantees [me’uravot] for their fathers.
Nebuchadnezzar ruled over them all; that is what is written: “Everywhere the sons of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens dwell, [He has given into your hand and set your rule over them all]” (Daniel 2:38). Cyrus ruled over them all; that is what is written: “The Lord…has given me all the kingdoms of the earth” (Ezra 1:2). Darius ruled over them all; that is what is written: “Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, [the nations, and the [speakers of different] languages that reside in the entire earth]” (Daniel 6:26). Aḥashverosh ruled over half of them. Why over half of them? Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Aḥa and the Rabbis, Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: The Holy One blessed be He said to him: You divided my kingdom, as you said: “He is the God, who is in Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:3); by your life, I am going to divide your kingdom. The Rabbis say: The Holy One blessed be He said to him: You split My house, as you said: “Its height shall be sixty cubits¹⁰The height of the Sanctuary in Solomon’s Temple was one hundred and twenty cubits. and its width sixty cubits” (Ezra 6:3); by your life, I am going to split your kingdom.
Let it say one hundred and twenty-six, for what reason does the verse state “one hundred and twenty-seven provinces”? Rather, this is what the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: You added one ascent [aliya]¹¹Aliya means both second floor and ascent. to My house from your own, as you said: “Any among you from His entire people, may his God be with him, and he may ascend” (Ezra 1:3); I, too, will provide you with an additional ascent from my own, so he added one province to the tally; that is what is written: “One hundred and twenty-seven provinces.”

"and the Levanon": He said to them: When you come to the land, you must appoint a king for yourselves and build the Temple. And whence is it derived that "Levanon" is a king? From (Ezekiel 17:3) "… came to the Levanon and took the crown of cedar," and (II Kings 14:9) "The thornbush in Levanon (once) sent (word) to the cedar of Levanon, saying: Give your daughter to my son for a wife. The wild beast of Levanon then came by and trampled the thornbush." Variantly: "Levanon" is the Temple, as it is written (Jeremiah 22:6) "Gilead are you (the Temple) unto Me, the summit of the Levanon," and (Isaiah 10:34) "The Levanon will fall by a mighty one."

And Shechem spoke unto his father Hamor, saying: “Get me this damsel to wife” (ibid., v. 4). He (Hamor) went to Jacob and said: Ask me ever so much dowry and gift (ibid., v. 7). And he said: I know that her grandfather Abraham was a prince, but I am also a prince. Jacob replied: He was not called a prince, but an ox, as is said: And Abraham ran to the oxen (ibid. 18:7) and Much grain (can be harvested) through the strength of ox (Prov. 14:4), but you are an ass (hamor), and it is impossible for an ox and an ass to plow together, as it is said: Thou must not plow with an ox and an ass together (Deut. 22:10). The prophet declared: You seek your own misfortune, as is said: The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying: “Give thy daughter to my son to wife”; and there passed by the wild beasts that were in Lebanon, and trod down the thistle (II Kings 14:9).