1 Kings 9:23

Modern

They were also the chief officers over Solomon’s projects: 550 supervisors over the people who did the work.

Traditional

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.

Literal

These were the chiefs of the officials who were over the work of Solomon, fifty-five hundred who ruled over the people who did the work.

Latin

Erant autem principes super omnia opera Salomonis præpositi quingenti quinquaginta, qui habebant subjectum populum, et statutis operibus imperabant.

Hebrew

English

They were also the chief officers over Solomon’s projects: 550 supervisors over the people who did the work.

Solomon'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).

Solomon used forced labor to finish many construction projects (1 Kings 4:6; 5:13–18; 9:20–23; 12:4, 18–19; compare 1 Samuel 8:10–18).

Theme notes and profiles

1 Kings 5:16
…not including his 3,300 foremen who supervised the workers.
2 Chronicles 8:10
They were also the chief officers for King Solomon: 250 supervisors.
2 Chronicles 2:18
Solomon made 70,000 of them porters, 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 supervisors.

Solomon: Son of David, king of Israel, known for his wisdom