קהלת, פרק ב׳, פסוק ז׳

King Solomon continued to expand his royal estate, accumulating wealth and manpower on an unprecedented scale. His household grew to include a vast array of servants, but not all held the same status. Some were acquired from outside, while others were born directly into the royal estate [אבן עזרא]. Beyond the standard laborers, the king established an elite class of household managers. Rather than performing basic manual chores, these individuals served as appointed overseers who managed the complex needs of the palace [מצודת דוד]. This workforce functioned as a highly organized royal administration, structured around twelve chief officers who each took responsibility for sustaining the king and his court for one month of the year [צאינה וראינה].

However, the endless acquisition of servants and property carried a darker undertone, hinting at a spiritual decline. The overwhelming drive to accumulate wealth signaled that the king's negative inclinations were beginning to overpower him. Ultimately, this insatiable desire led him to violate the Torah's explicit command forbidding a king from gathering too many horses [תעלומות חכמה].

Alongside his vast human workforce, the king amassed massive herds of livestock, acquiring sweeping flocks that included countless sheep and goats [אבן עזרא]. The sheer volume of this wealth was entirely unmatched. It far exceeded the riches of anyone who had ever lived in Jerusalem before him, surpassing even the ancient gentile kings who had previously ruled over the city [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].