1 Kings 4:11

The son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife:

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(11) The fourth division, “all the region of Dor,” still lies along the coast, but to the north of the preceding districts, close under Mount Carmel, in the territory assigned to Manasseh. Dor is named in Joshua 11:2, as forming a part of the confederacy of the north under Jabin, and as subsequently conquered (1Kings 12:23), and given to Manasseh (1Kings 17:11).

Benson Commentary

1 Kings 4:11-13. The region of Dor — In Manasseh, where also were Taanach, Megiddo, and Beth-shean. Who had the daughter of Solomon to wife — Solomon had no daughters marriageable when these officers were appointed; but in process of time, this man and Ahimaaz, mentioned 1 Kings 4:15, had behaved themselves so well in their offices, that Solomon did them the honour to give them two of his daughters to wife. In Ramoth-Gilead — That is, Ramoth in the land of Gilead, Deuteronomy 4:43; so called, to distinguish it from Ramoth in Issachar, 1 Chronicles 6:73. The towns of Jair — In Manasseh beyond Jordan, Numbers 32:41. With walls and brazen bars — This is added by way of distinction from those towns of Jair mentioned before. For, being beyond Jordan, they were liable to the attempts of their enemies.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

4:1-19 In the choice of the great officers of Solomon's court, no doubt, his wisdom appeared. Several are the same that were in his father's time. A plan was settled by which no part of the country was exhausted to supply his court, though each sent its portion.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Dor - See Joshua 11:2 note. It has always been a practice among Oriental potentates to attach to themselves the more important of their officers by giving them for wives princesses of the royal house. Hence, the union here between Ben-Abinadab (probably Solomon's first cousin, compare 1 Samuel 16:8) and Taphath. Compare 1 Kings 4:15.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

8. The son of Hur—or, as the Margin has it, Benhur, Bendekar. In the rural parts of Syria, and among the Arabs, it is still common to designate persons not by their own names, but as the sons of their fathers.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The region of Dor, in Manasseh within Jordan, where also were Taanach, Megiddo, and Beth-shean, 1 Kings 4:12.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

The son of Abinadab in all the region of Dor,.... The same with Dor and her towns, belonged to the half tribe of Manasseh, on this side Jordan, Joshua 17:11;

which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife; not when he was first put into this office, when, in all probability, Solomon had not a daughter marriageable; but behaving well in it, in process of time he bestowed a daughter of his on him.

Geneva Study Bible

The son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife:

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

11. the son of Abinadab] Read Ben-Abinadab. Abinadab was a very common Jewish name. We have no further mention of this man.

in all the region of Dor] Hebrew Naphath Dor. Dor was an ancient city of the Canaanites, lying on the sea-coast under the side of Mount Carmel. It was in the tribe of Manasseh. It is first mentioned, and its king, in Joshua 11:1-2; Joshua 12:23. From the cognates of Naphath, the word should imply elevation. Hence the R.V. renders ‘the height of Dor,’ and its vicinity to the mountain gives support to that rendering. Being close to the north of the fertile plain of Sharon the country about Dor was doubtless well suited for supplying Solomon’s household.

Taphath the daughter of Solomon] Only mentioned here.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 11. - The son of Abinadab [Ben Abinadab. Possibly the Abinadab of 1 Samuel 16:8; 1 Samuel 17:13. If so, this officer, who married Solomon's daughter, was also his cousin], in [Heb. omits] all the region [נָפָה, height; the term is only used in connection with Dor] of Dor [Joshua 11:2; Joshua 12:23; Joshua 17:11. Dor, now represented by the miserable village of Tantura, lies on the strand of the Mediterranean, north of Caesarea. A "spur of Mount Camel, steep and partially wooded, runs parallel to the coastline, at the distance of about a mile and a half" (Porter). This is the "height of Dor." Thenius supposes this fourth district embraced the plain of Sharon. Josephus (8. 2. 3.) limits this prefecture to the sea coast, which may well include Sharon. Indeed, without it, this district would have been destitute of cornlands] which had Taphath, the daughter of Solomon, to wife. ["It has always been a practice amongst Oriental potentates to attach to themselves the more important of their officers by giving them for wives princesses of the royal house .... The practice of polygamy has generally enabled them to carry out this system to a very wide extent" (Rawlinson). 1 Kings 4:11

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Ben-Abinadab had the whole of the high range of Dor (דּאר נפת, Joshua 12:23), i.e., the strip of coast on the Mediterranean Sea below the promontory of Carmel, where the city of Dor, which has been preserved in the village of Tantura or Tortura, nine miles to the north of Caesarea, was situated (see at Joshua 11:2). Whether this district embraced the fruitful plain of Sharon is not so clearly made out as Thenius supposes. בּן־אבינדב stands at the head absolutely, without any grammatical connection with כּל־נפת: "Abinadab: the whole of the high range of Dor," etc. The person named was probably a son of David's eldest brother but one (1 Samuel 16:8; 1 Samuel 17:13), and therefore Solomon's cousin; and he had married Solomon's daughter.