1 Kings 5:14

14 And he sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in shifts. They would be a month in Lebanon and two months at home. 1Adoniram was in charge of the draft.

1 Kings 5:14 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 5:14

And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses,
&c.] In their turns; these are the servants of his he proposed to be with Hiram's servants, assisting in cutting down the trees, and squaring the timber in Lebanon, ( 1 Kings 5:6 ) ;

a month they were in Lebanon, [and] two months at home;
that they might not be overworked; for they wrought but four months in the year in the hard service in Lebanon, the rest of their time was spent in managing their domestic affairs; these were Israelites:

and Adoniram [was] over the levy:
the same that was over the tribute or the collectors of the tax, ( 1 Kings 4:6 ) ; and, according to the Targum, these were such persons.

1 Kings 5:14 In-Context

12 And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.
13 King Solomon drafted forced labor out of all Israel, and the draft numbered 30,000 men.
14 And he sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in shifts. They would be a month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the draft.
15 Solomon also had 70,000 burden-bearers and 80,000 stonecutters in the hill country,
16 besides Solomon's 3,300 chief officers who were over the work, who had charge of the people who carried on the work.

Cross References 1

  • 1. See 1 Kings 4:6
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.