It is curious to find Abiathar in this list of princes, after what has been said of his disgrace 1 Kings 2:27, 1 Kings 2:35. Some have supposed that after a while Solomon pardoned him. Perhaps the true explanation is that the historian here enumerates all those who were accounted "princes" in any part of Solomon's reign.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host,.... General of the army in the room of Joab, 1 Kings 2:35;

and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests; so they were when Solomon came to the throne; but Abiathar was deposed by him after some time, though he might retain the name afterwards, and be employed, as Ben Gersom thinks, in case of necessity, in the room of Zadok, or, however, be employed as a common priest at Jerusalem, upon a reconciliation with Solomon; though Kimchi thinks another Abiathar is meant, which is not so likely.

On Benaiah, compare 1 Kings 2:35 and the Commentary on 2 Samuel 23:20. On Zadok and Abiathar, see at 2 Samuel 8:17. It appears strange that Abiathar should be named as priest, i.e., as high priest, along with Zadok, since Solomon had deposed him from the priestly office (1 Kings 2:27, 1 Kings 2:35), and we cannot imagine any subsequent pardon. The only possible explanation is that proposed by Theodoret, namely, that Solomon had only deprived him of the ἀρχή, i.e., of the priest's office, but not of the ἱερωσύνη or priestly dignity, because this was hereditary.

(Note: Τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀφείλατο, ου ̓ τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἐγύμνωσεν· τὴν γὰρ τῆς ἱερωσύνης αξίαν οὐκ ἐκ χειροτονίας ἀλλ ̓ ἐκ γονικῆς εἶχον διαδοχῆς. - Theodoret.)

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and {c} Abiathar were the priests:

(c) Not Abiathar whom Solomon had put from his office, 1Ki 2:27 but another of that name.

4:4 Priests - That is, the high - priests, successively, first Abiathar, and then Zadok.

4. Benaiah . was over the host-formerly captain of the guard. He had succeeded Joab as commander of the forces.

Zadok and Abiathar were the priests-Only the first discharged the sacred functions; the latter had been banished to his country seat and retained nothing more than the name of high priest.

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.