1 Kings 5:13

1 Kings 5:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.
• New International Version (NIV)King Solomon conscripted laborers from all Israel—thirty thousand men.
• English Standard Version (ESV)King Solomon drafted forced labor out of all Israel, and the draft numbered 30,000 men.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then King Solomon raised up a labor force out of all Israel; and the labor force was thirty thousand men.

Context of 1 Kings 5:13

11And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year. 12And Jehovah gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together. And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men. 14And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses; a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home: and Adoniram was over the men subject to taskwork. 15And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens, and fourscore thousand that were hewers in the mountains;

1 Kings 5:13 word by word

וַיַּ֨עַל הַמֶּ֧לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֛ה מַ֖ס מִכָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיְהִ֣י הַמַּ֔ס שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף אִֽישׁ׃Read the interlinear

Cross-references for 1 Kings 5:13

• 1 Kings 4:6and Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the men subject to taskwork.
• 1 Kings 9:15And this is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised, to build the house of Jehovah, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 5:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13The levy was thirty thousand men - We find from the following verse that only ten thousand were employed at once, and those only for one month at a time; and having rested two months, they again resumed their labor. These were the persons over whom Adoniram was superintendent, and were all Israelites.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13A levy out of all Israel - This was, apparently, the first time that the Israelites had been called upon to perform forced labor, though it had been prophesied 1 Samuel 8:16. David had bound to forced service “the strangers” 1 Chronicles 22:2; but hitherto the Israelites had escaped. Solomon now, in connection with his proposed work of building the temple, with the honor of God as an excuse, laid this burden upon them. Out of the 1,300,000 able-bodied…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-18Verses 10-18 The temple was chiefly built by the riches and labour of Gentiles, which typified their being called into the church. Solomon commanded, and they brought costly stones for the foundation. Christ, who is laid for a Foundation, is a chosen and precious Stone. We should lay our foundation firm, and bestow most pains on that part of our religion which lies out of the sight of men. And happy those who, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13Foreigners who lived permanently in Israel made up most of Solomon’s labor force. Israelites themselves usually served only as temporary supervisors for Solomon’s building projects (1 Kings 9:22–23; 11:28).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel--The renewed notice of Solomon's divine gift of wisdom (1Ki 5:12) is evidently introduced to prepare for this record of the strong but prudent measures he took towards the accomplishment of his work. So great a stretch of arbitrary power as is implied in this compulsory levy would have raised great discontent, if not opposition, had not his wise arrangement of letting the laborers remain at home two months out…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 5:13

• Temple

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Solomon
• Levy
• Adoniram
• Alliance
• Commerce
• King; Kingdom
• Kings, Books of
• Tax; Taxing
• Temple

Commentaries on 1 Kings 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings