1 Kings 5:13-18

Conscription of Laborers

13 Now ¹King Solomon levied forced laborers from all Israel; and the forced laborers numbered 30,000 * men.

14 He sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 * a month in relays; they were in Lebanon a month and two months at home. And ²Adoniram was over the forced laborers.

15 Now ³Solomon had 70,000 * transporters *, and 80,000 * hewers of stone in the mountains,

16 ⁴besides * Solomon's 3,300 * * * chief deputies who were over the project and who ruled over the people who were doing the work.

17 Then ⁵the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with cut stones.

18 So Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and ⁶the Gebalites cut them, and prepared the timbers and the stones to build the house.

1 Kings 5:13-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST KINGS 5

This chapter relates Solomon's preparation for building the temple: on Hiram, king of Tyre, sending a congratulatory letter to him, he returned another to him, signifying his intention to build an house for God, and requesting him to supply him with timber, and men to work it, 1Ki 5:1-6; to which Hiram readily agreed, and sent him cedar and fir, and Solomon in return sent him food for his household; and things went on very amicably between them, 1Ki 5:7-12; the chapter concludes with an account of Solomon's workmen, where, how, and in what they were employed, 1Ki 5:13-18.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Kings 4:6; 1 Kings 9:15
• 2. 1 Kings 4:6; 1 Kings 12:18
• 3. 1 Kings 9:20-22; 2 Chronicles 2:17, 18
• 4. 1 Kings 9:23
• 5. 1 Kings 6:7; 1 Chronicles 22:2
• 6. Joshua 13:5; Ezekiel 27:9

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "raised up"
• [b]. Lit "was"
• [c]. Or "burden bearers"
• [d]. Lit "work"
• [e]. Heb "Hirom's"
• [f]. Or "chiseled"