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

11Then Solomon supplied Hiram with 2,000 tons of wheat as food for the people in his palace. He also supplied 450,000 litres of olive oil. Solomon sent this every year to Hiram. 12The Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, as he had promised to do. King Hiram and King Solomon made an agreement that their nations would not fight against each other. So there was peace between them. King Solomon commanded 30,000 men from everywhere in Israel to do the work. 14He sent them to Lebanon in groups of 10,000 men each month. They worked in Lebanon for one month, then they lived at home for two months. Adoniram was the officer who had authority over them. 15Solomon also had 80,000 men to cut stones in the hills. He had 70,000 men to carry the stones to Jerusalem.

1 Kings 5:13 word by word

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• And kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• Solomonשְׁלֹמֹהshelômôh · SolomonH8010
• raisedעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: establishH5927
• a levyמַסmas mis · taskworkerH4522
• out of all Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• was thirtyשְׁלֹשִׁיםshelôshîym shelôshîym · thirtyH7970
• thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
• menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376

Cross-references for 1 Kings 5:13

• 1 Kings 4:6Ahishar had authority over work in the palace. Abda's son Adoniram had authority over the groups of workers.
• 1 Kings 9:15Solomon made people work on the buildings for him. This is how he used them to build the Lord's temple, the king's palace, the Millo and the wall around Jerusalem. They also did work on the towns called Hazor, 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