1 Kings 5:16

16 besides Shlomo's chief officers who were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, who bore rule over the people who labored in the work.

1 Kings 5:16 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 5:16

Besides the chief of Solomon's officers which [were] over the
work
Over the whole work, preparatory for the building of the temple; though it seems chiefly to have respect to that of hewing the stones, and bringing them to the city:

three thousand and three hundred which ruled over the people that
wrought in the work;
to keep them to their work, and to see that they performed it well: in ( 2 Chronicles 2:18 ) ; they are said to be 3600, which is three hundred more than here; those three hundred are the chief officers mentioned in the former part of this verse, which were over the whole work, and even over the 3600 overseers, and with them made up the sum of 3600; so Jacob Leon ^F8 observes there were 3300 master workmen, and three hundred commanders over them all.

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 Relation of Memorable Things in the Temple, ch. 3. p. 14.

1 Kings 5:16 In-Context

14 He sent them to Levanon, ten thousand a month by courses; a month they were in Levanon, and two months at home; and Adoniram was over the men subject to forced labor.

15 Shlomo had seventy thousand who bore burdens, and eighty thousand who were stone cutters in the mountains;

16 besides Shlomo's chief officers who were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, who bore rule over the people who labored in the work.

17 The king commanded, and they hewed out great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with worked stone.

18 Shlomo's builders and Hiram's builders and the Givli did fashion them, and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house.