1 Kings 4:21
And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life. And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.
Solomon reigned from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt, and the kingdoms under his authority brought presents and served him all the days of his life, with dominion over all the kings west of the Euphrates and peace on every side, so that Judah and Israel dwelt safely every man under his vine and fig tree from Dan to Beersheba all his days. This extent fulfilled the promise given to Abraham and repeated through Moses that if Israel diligently kept God's commandments to love the Lord and walk in His ways and cleave to Him, God would drive out greater and mightier nations before them and give them every place their feet trod from the wilderness and Lebanon and the Euphrates to the uttermost sea, with no man able to stand before them. This broad dominion marked a time when his influence and prosperity were great, and in the early part of his reign this reach and tribute were part of Israel's great honor and testified to surrounding nations of Jehovah's power.
Its breadth is also described as extending from the north to Egypt in the south and from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates, its northern limit being Hamath with the southern limit the border of Egypt. Its position along major trade routes and natural highways of world commerce brought people and caravans from distant lands through Israel and to its principal cities, with caravans constantly passing to and from distant lands and tarrying at the principal cities, giving Solomon and his people opportunity to reveal God's character and teach reverence and obedience to Him so clearly that men of all nations would be taught to reverence and obey the King of kings. Through the sacrificial offerings they were to present Christ to the nations so that all who chose to look to Him could receive life. Thereby they were to give the gospel invitation to all the world, to uplift Christ through the teaching of the sacrificial service so that all who looked to Him should live, to unite with the chosen people all who like Rahab the Canaanite and Ruth the Moabitess turned from idolatry, and to enlarge Israel's borders as numbers increased until the kingdom embraced the world. Instead Solomon lost sight of that purpose and failed to enlighten the representatives of all nations, making selfish use of the strategic points to strengthen his position by fortified cities at the gateways of commerce and by Red Sea shipping for gold, almug trees and precious stones, supplanting the missionary spirit with commercialism for personal aggrandizement and increased revenue, and leaving the multitudes thronging the thoroughfares in ignorance of the true God.