And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision.
Twelve officers over all Israel. The royal revenues were raised according to the ancient, and still existing in many parts, usage of the East, not in money payments, but in the produce of the soil. There would always be a considerable difficulty in the collection and transmission of these tithes (1 Samuel 8:15); and therefore, to facilitate the work, Solomon appointed twelve officers, who had each the charge of a tribe or particular district of country, from which, in monthly rotation, the supplies for the maintenance of the king's household were drawn, having first been deposited in 'the store cities' which were erected for their reception (1 Kings 9:19; 2 Chronicles 8:4-6).