Bible Problem: 1 Kings 4:26 vs 2 Chronicles 9:25. Did Solomon Have 40,000 Stalls for His Horses or 4,000?
Problem:
1 Kings 4:26 says:
And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.
But 2 Chronicles 9:25 says:
And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.
Did King Solomon have forty thousand stalls or four thousand stalls?
Solution:
Solomon had four thousand stalls for his horses AND chariots. There were ten horses assigned to each chariot.
There were forty thousand stalls for horses. Each of the four thousand chariot stalls had ten smaller stalls to house the chariot horses.
Each chariot was assigned ten men and ten horses so when something happened to the men and horses in battle they could be exchanged for fresh men and horses; “the ones who were sitting on the bench.”
So, for example, Let’s say we have a chariot with four horses and two men in battle. When a man or horse gets too tired, injured or killed, they are swapped out for any of the other six horses and eight men waiting on the side lines.
This strategy would keep the chariots continuously in battle.
See my video on 2 Samuel 10:18 to learn more about ten men being assigned to each chariot and the supposed contradiction.