1 Kings 9:23 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.
1 Kings 9:23 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.
1 Kings 9:23 niv
They were also the chief officials in charge of Solomon's projects?550 officials supervising those who did the work.
1 Kings 9:23 esv
These were the chief officers who were over Solomon's work: 550 who had charge of the people who carried on the work.
1 Kings 9:23 nlt
Solomon appointed 550 of them to supervise the people working on his various projects.
1 Kings 9 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Kgs 5:13-16 | King Solomon conscripted forced labor out of all Israel… three thousand three hundred officers who supervised... | Solomon's broader labor force and Israelite officials. |
| 2 Chr 2:17-18 | Solomon enumerated all the foreign residents who were in the land of Israel… three thousand six hundred overseers. | Parallel account detailing foreign labor and supervisors. |
| 1 Kgs 9:20-22 | All the people who were left of the Amorites… Solomon conscripted for forced labor… Israelites he made no slaves... | Immediate context: forced labor was Canaanite, Israelites were officials. |
| Exod 1:11 | Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens... | Example of "taskmasters" in ancient labor. |
| Exod 18:21 | You shall select out of all the people able men… and set them as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. | Principle of delegated oversight and leadership selection. |
| Num 11:16-17 | The LORD said to Moses, "Gather for Me seventy men of the elders of Israel… and I will take of the Spirit..." | Divine instruction for establishing delegated authority. |
| Deut 20:11 | If it listens to you and opens to you, then all the people in it shall be make forced labor for you... | Law regarding conquered people providing forced labor. |
| Josh 16:10 | They did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, but the Canaanites live among Ephraim to this day and became forced labor. | Historical precedent of Canaanites performing forced labor. |
| 1 Sam 8:11-17 | He will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots… some to plow his ground... | Samuel's warning about the king's rights and use of people. |
| Neh 4:16-19 | From that time on, half of my servants carried on the work while half of them held the spears… our officials stood behind the whole house of Judah. | Later large-scale building project management. |
| Prov 11:14 | Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in abundance of counselors there is victory. | Principle of good governance and leadership. |
| Prov 13:4 | The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. | Emphasis on diligent work and productivity. |
| Prov 22:29 | Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings... | Recognizes skill and competence in work and administration. |
| Eccl 3:9-10 | What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the task that God has given to the children of man to be absorbed in. | Reflection on the purpose and nature of human labor. |
| Rom 13:1 | Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God... | Authority as ordained by God. |
| Eph 6:7 | Render service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man... | Christian principle for all labor. |
| Col 3:23 | Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men... | God's ultimate oversight and the spiritual nature of work. |
| 1 Tim 5:17 | Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. | Honoring good leadership and oversight. |
| Tit 3:1 | Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work... | Respect for governmental structures and authority. |
| Heb 13:17 | Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account... | Submission to leaders and their accountability. |
| 1 Pet 5:2 | Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you... | Principle of spiritual oversight within God's people. |
| Jer 22:13 | Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice, who makes his neighbor serve without wages... | A cautionary contrast on the ethics of building with exploited labor. |
1 Kings 9 verses
1 Kings 9 23 Meaning
The verse states that 550 individuals served as the principal supervisors within Solomon’s extensive construction projects. Their primary role was to oversee and direct the people who were performing the physical labor, primarily the non-Israelite forced laborers, ensuring the execution of the various building tasks undertaken by King Solomon throughout his reign. This highlights the sophisticated administrative structure necessary to manage such colossal undertakings.
1 Kings 9 23 Context
First Kings chapter 9 marks a pivotal point in Solomon’s reign. Following the dedication of the temple and his own palace, God appears to Solomon for a second time, reiterating conditional promises of enduring dynasty contingent on obedience (1 Kgs 9:1-9). The latter part of the chapter details the completion of his ambitious building programs, financed by Hiram of Tyre and significant taxation, leading to a critical administrative need for vast numbers of laborers. Verses 20-21 explicitly state that the forced labor for these projects came from the remnant of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—peoples not eradicated by Israel and living in the land. Crucially, verse 22 emphasizes that "Solomon did not make slaves of the people of Israel." Instead, Israelites served as soldiers, officials, and officers. Against this backdrop, verse 23 specifies the "chief officers" who supervised the foreign laborers, underscoring the structured approach to managing the multi-ethnic workforce of his grand empire.
1 Kings 9 23 Word analysis
- These: (Hebrew: אֵ֣לֶּה, elleh) – Refers specifically to the numerical group mentioned, signaling a particular set of individuals being described. It functions as a deictic, pointing back to the subject of the clause.
- were the chief officers: (Hebrew: שָׂרֵ֥י הַנִּצָּבִ֖ים, sarei han-nitṣṣabim) –
- Sarei (שָׂרֵי): "chiefs," "princes," "commanders," indicating a position of high authority and leadership. It signifies principal leaders or heads.
- Ha-nitṣṣabim (הַנִּצָּבִים): "the stationed ones," "the appointed ones," "the deputies," or "the overseers." Derived from the verb natṣab (נָצַב), meaning "to stand," "to be stationed," or "to set in place." This denotes individuals specifically assigned to a fixed supervisory role, emphasizing their direct oversight function rather than being mere functionaries.
- of Solomon’s work: (Hebrew: מְלֶ֥אכֶת שְׁלֹמֹה, melekhet Shlomo) – Refers to the colossal construction projects initiated by King Solomon, including the temple, his royal palace complex, fortifications, and store cities. Melekhet means "work" or "undertaking."
- who superintended: (Hebrew: הָעֹשִׂ֔ים עַל־הָעָ֖ם, ha-osim al-ha'am) –
- Ha-osim (הָעֹשִׂים): "the ones doing" or "the ones making." With the following preposition, it takes on the meaning of "those who administered," "exercised authority over," or "managed."
- Al-ha'am (עַל־הָעָ֖ם): "upon/over the people." This preposition al clearly denotes a position of authority and oversight exercised over the common laborers.
- who did the work: (Hebrew: הָעֹשִׂ֔ים הַמְּלָאכָה, ha-osim ha-m’lakah) – Lit. "the doers of the work." This clause clarifies that these "chief officers" were not the ones physically toiling but were the directors of the laborers who were performing the actual construction tasks.
- 550 of them: (Hebrew: חֲמֵ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת וַחֲמִשִּׁ֑ים, ḥameš me'ot va-ḥamišim) – This specific number highlights the meticulous organizational detail and the structured hierarchy of Solomon’s administration. This group of 550 likely represents the highest echelon of the Israelite leadership directly over the foreign forced labor. They are distinct from the 3,300 or 3,600 mentioned in 1 Kings 5:16 and 2 Chronicles 2:18 respectively, which are understood to be either lower-level Israelite foremen or possibly total supervisors including the foreign-born ones. The 550 might have been the elite who then delegated to those larger groups, indicating a complex chain of command.
1 Kings 9 23 Bonus section
- Reconciling the Numbers: Scholars extensively discuss the discrepancy in the numbers of overseers found in the Bible. While 1 Kings 5:16 mentions 3,300 Israelite officers and 2 Chronicles 2:18 states 3,600 overseers for Solomon's work, the 550 in 1 Kings 9:23 are often interpreted as the highest rank within this larger administrative structure, possibly representing the "chiefs" of the deputies, who then themselves commanded lower-level supervisors. Alternatively, the 550 might specifically pertain to the supervisors of the foreign labor, while other numbers refer to the Israelite levy or the overall administration. This showcases the complexity and large scale of the workforce managed.
- Echoes of Egyptian System: Solomon's extensive use of conscripted labor and specialized administrative officers may reflect a borrowing from established systems of large-scale public works in ancient Egypt, a dominant power of the time, with which Solomon had a strategic alliance (e.g., marriage to Pharaoh's daughter in 1 Kgs 9:16). This sophisticated organizational structure was typical of advanced ancient empires.
- The Weight of Labor: The careful distinction between Israelites (serving as officers) and Canaanites (performing the heavy labor) points to Solomon's sensitivity to Israelite identity and law (Lev 25:39-43 prohibits enslaving fellow Israelites). However, it also underscores the considerable burden of labor placed on conquered peoples within Solomon's expanding domain, a common practice in the ancient Near East that sometimes conflicted with prophetic ideals of justice, as warned in later books (e.g., Jer 22:13).
1 Kings 9 23 Commentary
First Kings 9:23 concisely outlines the top-tier administrative framework employed by King Solomon to manage his grand building endeavors. These 550 "chief officers of the deputies" represent an Israelite elite, strategically positioned to oversee the immense workforce primarily comprised of non-Israelite, conscripted laborers. Their role was critical in translating Solomon's architectural visions into reality, highlighting the systematic and hierarchical nature of his royal administration. This verse, read alongside 1 Kings 9:22, emphasizes the distinct roles of Israelites (as officers) versus foreign populations (as laborers), reflecting Solomon's adherence to certain Israelite legal traditions while demonstrating pragmatic (and sometimes morally questionable) aspects of ancient Near Eastern kingship. It showcases both the impressive scale of his projects and the detailed planning required to execute them.