1 Kings 5 15

1 Kings 5:15 kjv

And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens, and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains;

1 Kings 5:15 nkjv

Solomon had seventy thousand who carried burdens, and eighty thousand who quarried stone in the mountains,

1 Kings 5:15 niv

Solomon had seventy thousand carriers and eighty thousand stonecutters in the hills,

1 Kings 5:15 esv

Solomon also had 70,000 burden-bearers and 80,000 stonecutters in the hill country,

1 Kings 5:15 nlt

Solomon also had 70,000 common laborers, 80,000 quarry workers in the hill country,

1 Kings 5 verses

1 Kings 5 15 Meaning

First Kings chapter 5, verse 15 states that King Solomon had seventy thousand burden-bearers and eighty thousand hewers of stone in the mountains, recruited for his monumental building projects, primarily the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. This verse highlights the vast human resources and the immense scale of labor dedicated to God's house and Solomon's other royal constructions.

1 Kings 5 15 Context

First Kings chapter 5 focuses on King Solomon's extensive preparations for building the Temple of the Lord, as commissioned by his father David. Following the initial contact between Solomon and Hiram, King of Tyre, regarding the supply of cedars and skilled labor, this verse details the massive Israelite and resident-foreigner workforce Solomon organized. These 150,000 laborers (70,000 burden-bearers and 80,000 hewers of stone) were crucial for the quarrying of vast amounts of stone and their transportation, complementing the supply of timber from Lebanon. The immediate preceding verse (1 Ki 5:14) mentions the specific levy of 30,000 Israelites sent to Lebanon in shifts. This verse specifies the much larger number involved in the local stone-quarrying and transporting effort for the foundation and structure of the Temple and Solomon's palace complex. This massive human resource deployment indicates the immense scale and national commitment to these royal and divine construction projects during the peaceful and prosperous early years of Solomon's reign.

1 Kings 5 15 Word Analysis

• Solomon (שְׁלֹמֹה, Shelomoh): King of Israel, son of David, renowned for wisdom and the construction of the First Temple. His name means "peaceful," which characterizes the early part of his reign allowing such building projects. The scale of the workforce under his command underscores the strength and organization of his kingdom, albeit with potential long-term socio-economic implications.
• had (וַיְהִי, vayhi): A common Hebrew verb conveying existence or occurrence. Here, it introduces the factual statement of Solomon possessing or organizing these immense numbers of laborers.
• seventy thousand (שִׁבְעִים אֶלֶף, shiv'im elef): This precise, large number emphasizes the immense scale of the undertaking. In ancient Near Eastern accounts, specific high numbers often convey the overwhelming power and resources of a ruler. It denotes a carefully counted and managed labor force, likely part of a broader census.
• bearers of burdens (נֹשְׂאֵי סַבָּל, nosei sabbal): Nosei means "those who carry," and sabbal refers to a "heavy burden" or "toil." These were manual laborers engaged in hauling heavy materials—stones from quarries, timber from transport sites, and other construction components. Their work was physically demanding and foundational to the building process. The term "sabbal" itself evokes hardship and arduous toil.
• and eighty thousand (וּשְׁמוֹנִים אֶלֶף, u'shmonim elef): Another substantial and precise number, totaling 150,000 when combined with the burden-bearers. This signifies a meticulous record-keeping and an extensive labor pool managed by the kingdom.
• hewers of stone (חֹצְבֵי בָהָר, hotzvei bahar): Hotzvei means "those who cut" or "hew," and bahar means "in the mountain." These were skilled or semi-skilled laborers specifically working in quarries. Their task involved extracting massive stone blocks from mountains, shaping them, and preparing them for transport and construction. This indicates not only sheer numbers but also a specific division of labor within Solomon's workforce.
• in the mountains (בָהָר, bahar): Specifies the location of their primary work. This means the laborers were quarrying stones directly from the natural rock formations in the hills or mountains of Israel, then likely transported to Jerusalem. It highlights the raw, physical nature of the work.
• Words-group: "seventy thousand bearers of burdens and eighty thousand hewers of stone": This grouping defines a significant portion of Solomon's corvée (forced labor) workforce dedicated to material extraction and primary transportation. This number (150,000) is distinct from the 30,000 Israelites mentioned in 1 Ki 5:14 (sent to Lebanon, rotating shifts), suggesting different tasks or origins. While 1 Kings 9:20-22 clarifies that the forced labor force consisted of non-Israelite peoples remaining in the land (Canaanites), earlier passages imply some Israelite conscription for various duties (1 Ki 4:6 lists Adoniram over "the tribute" which includes corvée). The existence of such a massive workforce for divine and royal building projects, while showcasing God's blessing and the kingdom's prosperity, also echoes Israel's history of servitude in Egypt (Exod 1:11), prompting a nuanced understanding of royal power and its cost to the populace, even for righteous ends.

1 Kings 5 15 Bonus section

The specific numbers cited in 1 Ki 5:15 (and its parallel in 2 Chr 2:17-18) reflect ancient administrative practices of taking censuses and levying populations for grand state projects. This large workforce was part of Solomon's total labor force for building the Temple and his own royal palace, millo, and city walls (1 Ki 9:15-19). This number is distinct from the 3,300 (1 Ki 5:16) or 3,600 (2 Chr 2:18) overseers who supervised this massive group, indicating multiple layers of management for such a monumental undertaking. The presence of such a vast, organized, and specifically enumerated labor force, particularly those involved in demanding physical work like quarrying and transporting, points to Solomon's profound administrative capability and the period's unparalleled prosperity and stability under divine favor. The resource extraction and logistical challenges were immense, demanding significant leadership and coordination to complete projects on this scale within the ancient world.

1 Kings 5 15 Commentary

First Kings 5:15 paints a vivid picture of the sheer human scale involved in Solomon's ambitious construction projects, especially the Temple. The enumeration of 70,000 burden-bearers and 80,000 stone hewers in the mountains—a combined 150,000 workers—reveals an organized, centralized system of labor recruitment and deployment. This massive force, primarily composed of non-Israelite subjugated peoples as detailed in later verses (1 Ki 9:20-21), but also managed by Israelite overseers (1 Ki 4:6), was essential for providing the raw materials. The phrase "hewers of stone in the mountains" precisely defines their arduous quarrying task, while "bearers of burdens" denotes the transportation of these massive materials. This verse highlights the practical implications of a united, prosperous kingdom capable of mobilizing unprecedented resources for the worship of YHWH. It underscores God's blessing on Solomon, enabling the fulfillment of David's vision for a permanent house for the Lord. However, this vast forced labor system, even when not directly affecting Israelites as "slaves," represented a significant societal levy that ultimately contributed to future discontent and the division of the kingdom following Solomon's reign (1 Ki 12). The description implicitly sets the stage for the narrative of the monarchy's power and its potential abuses.