1 Kings 9:23

1 Kings 9:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)These were the chief of the officers that were over Solomon’s work, five hundred and fifty, which bare rule over the people that wrought in the work.
• English Standard Version (ESV)These were the chief officers who were over Solomon's work: 550 who had charge of the people who carried on the work.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Others were chiefs of the officials who were over Solomon’s work: five hundred and fifty, who ruled over the people who did the work.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Solomon appointed 550 of them to supervise the people working on his various projects.

Context of 1 Kings 9:23

21Solomon conscripted the descendants of all these peoples remaining in the land—whom the Israelites could not exterminate—to serve as slave labor, as it is to this day. 22But Solomon did not make slaves of any of the Israelites; they were his fighting men, his government officials, his officers, his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and charioteers. They were also the chief officials in charge of Solomon’s projects—550 officials supervising those who did the work. 24After Pharaoh’s daughter had come up from the City of David to the palace Solomon had built for her, he constructed the terraces. 25Three times a year Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar he had built for the Lord, burning incense before the Lord along with them, and so fulfilled the temple obligations.

1 Kings 9:23 word by word

אֵ֣לֶּה׀ שָׂרֵ֣י הַנִּצָּבִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר עַל־הַמְּלָאכָה֙ לִשְׁלֹמֹ֔ה חֲמִשִּׁ֖ים וַחֲמֵ֣שׁ מֵא֑וֹת הָרֹדִ֣ים בָּעָ֔ם הָעֹשִׂ֖ים בַּמְּלָאכָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• the chiefשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
• of the officersנָצַבnâtsab · to standH5324
• over Solomon’sשְׁלֹמֹהshelômôh · SolomonH8010
• workמְלָאכָהmelâ'kâh · workH4399
• fiveחָמֵשׁchâmêsh chămishshâh · fiveH2568
• hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
• and fiftyחֲמִשִּׁיםchămishshîym · fiftyH2572
• which bare ruleרָדָהrâdâh · to ruleH7287
• over the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• that wroughtעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213

Cross-references for 1 Kings 9:23

• 1 Kings 5:16as well as thirty-three hundred foremen who supervised the project and directed the workers.
• 2 Chronicles 2:18He assigned 70,000 of them to be carriers and 80,000 to be stonecutters in the hills, with 3,600 foremen over them to keep the people working.
• 2 Chronicles 8:10They were also King Solomon’s chief officials—two hundred and fifty officials supervising the men.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 9:23

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23Five hundred and fifty - See 1 Kings 5:16 note.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-28Verses 15-28 Here is a further account of Solomon's greatness. He began at the right end, for he built God's house first, and finished that before he began his own; then God blessed him, and he prospered in all his other buildings. Let piety begin, and profit follow; leave pleasure to the last. Whatever pains we take for the glory of God, and to profit others, we are likely to have the advantage. Canaan, the holy land, the glory of all lands, had no gold…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-23Solomon's conscripted workers included early Canaanite settlers. There were 550 chief supervisors, and 250 of them were Israelites, overseeing the laborers (2 Chronicles 8:9–10; see 1 Kings 5:15–16 with 2 Chronicles 2:17–18).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-2415-24. this is the reason of the levy--A levy refers both to men and money, and the necessity for Solomon making it arose from the many gigantic works he undertook to erect. Millo--part of the fort of Jerusalem on Mount Zion (2Sa 5:9; 1Ch 11:8), or a row of stone bastions around Mount Zion, Millo being the great corner tower of that fortified wall (1Ki 11:27; 2Ch 32:5). the wall of Jerusalem--either repairing some breaches in it (1Ki 11:27), or extending…Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Chief
• Levy
• Solomon
• Jerusalem
• Kings, Books of
• Solomon's Servants

Commentaries on 1 Kings 9

• 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