1 Kings 9:23

23 There were 550 officials in charge of the forced labor working on Solomon's various building projects.

1 Kings 9:23 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 9:23

These were the chief of the officers over Solomon's work
In building the above houses and cities:

five hundred and fifty which bore rule over the people that wrought
in the work;
in ( 2 Chronicles 8:10 ) they are said to be but two hundred and fifty; now it may be observed, as is by the Jewish writers, that there were three sorts of those rulers; the lowest rank and order of them consisted of 3300, the next of three hundred which were over the 3300, and being numbered with them made 3600, ( 2 Chronicles 2:18 ) and the highest rank of them were two hundred and fifty, and the middlemost and highest being joined together, as they are here, made five hundred and fifty. Abarbinel reconciles the places thus, the two hundred and fifty were only over those that wrought in the temple; and the five hundred and fifty here were those that were over such that were employed in the various parts of the kingdom.

1 Kings 9:23 In-Context

22 Solomon did not make slaves of Israelites; they served as his soldiers, officers, commanders, chariot captains, and cavalry.

23 There were 550 officials in charge of the forced labor working on Solomon's various building projects.

24 Solomon filled in the land on the east side of the city, after his wife, the daughter of the king of Egypt, had moved from David's City to the palace Solomon built for her.

25 Three times a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar he had built to the Lord. He also burned incense to the Lord. And so he finished building the Temple.