1 Kings 5:15

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

1 Kings 5:15 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 5:15

And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens,
&c.] Seventy thousand to carry the stones from the mountains out of which they were dug, and which were near Jerusalem, to the city; these were strangers in Israel, as were those that follow:

and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains:
eighty thousand that dug the stones out of the quarries, and squared them; these, with the others, made 150,000, see ( 2 Chronicles 2:17 ) ; according to Jacob Leon ^F7, the number of workmen at the temple for seven years was 163,600, and some make them more.

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 Relation of Memorable Things in the Temple, ch. 3. p. 14.

1 Kings 5:15 In-Context

13 King Shlomo conscripted 30,000 men from all Isra'el for forced labor.

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.