1 Kings 5:16

16 besides Shlomo's 3,300 supervisors who were in charge of the people doing the work.

1 Kings 5:16 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 5:16

Besides the chief of Solomon's officers which [were] over the
work
Over the whole work, preparatory for the building of the temple; though it seems chiefly to have respect to that of hewing the stones, and bringing them to the city:

three thousand and three hundred which ruled over the people that
wrought in the work;
to keep them to their work, and to see that they performed it well: in ( 2 Chronicles 2:18 ) ; they are said to be 3600, which is three hundred more than here; those three hundred are the chief officers mentioned in the former part of this verse, which were over the whole work, and even over the 3600 overseers, and with them made up the sum of 3600; so Jacob Leon ^F8 observes there were 3300 master workmen, and three hundred commanders over them all.

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 Relation of Memorable Things in the Temple, ch. 3. p. 14.

1 Kings 5:16 In-Context

14 He sent them to the L'vanon in monthly relays of 10,000; they would stay a month in the L'vanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor.

15 Shlomo had 70,000 men to carry loads and another 80,000 stonecutters in the hills,

16 besides Shlomo's 3,300 supervisors who were in charge of the people doing the work.

17 The king gave orders; and they quarried large stones, expensive stones, to lay the foundation of the house with cut stone.

18 Shlomo's and Hiram's builders, along with the men from G'val, worked the stones and prepared the timber and stones for building the house.