Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, July 8th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

Good News Translation

1 Kings 9:23

There were 550 officials in charge of the forced labor working on Solomon's various building projects.

Bible Study Resources

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Egypt;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Chief;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Alliance;   Israel;   Solomon;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Hiram ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Millo;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Jerusalem;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
These were the deputies who were over Solomon’s work: 550 who supervised the people doing the work.
Hebrew Names Version
These were the chief officers who were over Shlomo's work, five hundred fifty, who bore rule over the people who labored in the work.
King James Version
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
These were the chief officers who were over Solomon's work: 550 who had charge of the people who carried on the work.
New Century Version
These were his most important officers over the work. There were five hundred fifty supervisors over the people who did the work on Solomon's projects.
New English Translation
These men were also in charge of Solomon's work projects; there were a total of 550 men who supervised the workers.
Amplified Bible
These were the chief officers who were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, who ruled over the people doing the work.
New American Standard Bible
These were the chief officers who were in charge of Solomon's work, 550, who ruled over the people doing the work.
Geneva Bible (1587)
These were the princes of the officers, that were ouer Salomons worke: euen fiue hundreth and fiftie, and they ruled the people that wrought in the worke.
Legacy Standard Bible
These were the chief deputies who were over Solomon's work, 550, who had dominion over the people doing the work.
Contemporary English Version
Solomon appointed five hundred fifty officers to be in charge of his workers and to watch over his building projects.
Complete Jewish Bible
There were 550 chief officers over Shlomo's work, in charge of the workers.
Darby Translation
These were the chief superintendents that were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, that ruled over the people that wrought in the work.
Easy-to-Read Version
There were 550 supervisors over Solomon's projects. They supervised the men who did the work.
George Lamsa Translation
These were the superintendents who were over Solomons work, five hundred and fifty, who had charge of the people and who supervised the work.
Lexham English Bible
These were the commanders of the overseers who were over the work for Solomon, five hundred and fifty, ruling over the people doing the work.
Literal Translation
These were the commanders of the officers who were over the work of Solomon: five hundred and fifty, those ruling among the people who were working in the work.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the officers which were ouer Salomons busynesse, were fyue hundreth and fyftye, which ruled the people, and perfourmed the worke.
American Standard Version
These were the chief officers that were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, who bare rule over the people that wrought in the work.
Bible in Basic English
These were the chiefs of the overseers of Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, in authority over the people who did the work.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And these were the lordes that were set ouer Solomons worke [euen] fiue hundred were they and fiftie, and they ruled the people that wrought ye worke.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
These were the chief officers that were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, who bore rule over the people that wrought in the work.
King James Version (1611)
These were the chiefe of the officers that were ouer Solomons worke, fiue hundred and fiftie, which bare rule ouer the people that wrought in the worke.
English Revised Version
These were the chief officers that were over Solomon’s work, five hundred and fifty, which bare rule over the people that wrought in the work.
Berean Standard Bible
They were also the chief officers over Solomon's projects: 550 supervisors over the people who did the work.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli fyue hundrid and fifti `souereynes weren princes ouer alle the werkis of Salomon, whiche princes hadden the puple suget, and comaundiden to werkis ordeyned.
Young's Literal Translation
These [are] the heads of the officers who [are] over the work of Solomon, fifty and five hundred, those ruling among the people who are labouring in the work.
Update Bible Version
These were the chief officers that were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, who bore rule over the people that wrought in the work.
Webster's Bible Translation
These [were] the chief of the officers that [were] over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, who bore rule over the people that wrought in the work.
World English Bible
These were the chief officers who were over Solomon's work, five hundred fifty, who bore rule over the people who labored in the work.
New King James Version
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
Solomon appointed 550 of them to supervise the people working on his various projects.
New Life Bible
These were the heads of the captains over Solomon's work. There were 550 of them who ruled over the people doing the work.
New Revised Standard
These were the chief officers who were over Solomon's work: five hundred fifty, who had charge of the people who carried on the work.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
These, were the chiefs of the officers, who were over the work, for Solomon, five hundred and fifty, - who ruled over the people that wrought in the work.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And there were five hundred and fifty chief officers set over all the works of Solomon, and they had people under them, and had charge over the appointed works.
Revised Standard Version
These were the chief officers who were over Solomon's work: five hundred and fifty, who had charge of the people who carried on the work.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
These were the chief officers who were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, who ruled over the people doing the work.

Contextual Overview

15 King Solomon used forced labor to build the Temple and the palace, to fill in land on the east side of the city, and to build the city wall. He also used it to rebuild the cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. 16 (The king of Egypt had attacked Gezer and captured it, killing its inhabitants and setting fire to the city. Then he gave it as a wedding present to his daughter when she married Solomon, 17 and Solomon rebuilt it.) Using his forced labor, Solomon also rebuilt Lower Beth Horon, 18 Baalath, Tamar in the wilderness of Judah, 19 the cities where his supplies were kept, the cities for his horses and chariots, and everything else he wanted to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and elsewhere in his kingdom. 20For his forced labor Solomon used the descendants of the people of Canaan whom the Israelites had not killed when they took possession of their land. These included Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, whose descendants continue to be slaves down to the present time. 22 Solomon did not make slaves of Israelites; they served as his soldiers, officers, commanders, chariot captains, and cavalry. 23 There were 550 officials in charge of the forced labor working on Solomon's various building projects. 24 Solomon filled in the land on the east side of the city, after his wife, the daughter of the king of Egypt, had moved from David's City to the palace Solomon built for her. 25 Three times a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar he had built to the Lord . He also burned incense to the Lord . And so he finished building the Temple.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

chief: 1 Kings 5:16, 2 Chronicles 2:18, 2 Chronicles 8:10

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 8:11 - He will take 1 Kings 12:4 - our yoke

Cross-References

Exodus 20:12
"Respect your father and your mother, so that you may live a long time in the land that I am giving you.
Leviticus 19:32
"Show respect for old people and honor them. Reverently obey me; I am the Lord .
Romans 13:7
Pay, then, what you owe them; pay them your personal and property taxes, and show respect and honor for them all.
Galatians 6:1
My friends, if someone is caught in any kind of wrongdoing, those of you who are spiritual should set him right; but you must do it in a gentle way. And keep an eye on yourselves, so that you will not be tempted, too.
1 Timothy 5:1
Do not rebuke an older man, but appeal to him as if he were your father. Treat the younger men as your brothers,
1 Timothy 5:17
The elders who do good work as leaders should be considered worthy of receiving double pay, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.
1 Timothy 5:19
Do not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or more witnesses.
1 Peter 2:17
Respect everyone, love other believers, honor God, and respect the Emperor.
1 Peter 4:8
Above everything, love one another earnestly, because love covers over many sins.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

These were the chief of the officers over Solomon's work,.... In building the above houses and cities:

five hundred and fifty which bore rule over the people that wrought in the work; in 2 Chronicles 8:10 they are said to be but two hundred and fifty; now it may be observed, as is by the Jewish writers, that there were three sorts of those rulers; the lowest rank and order of them consisted of 3300, the next of three hundred which were over the 3300, and being numbered with them made 3600, 2 Chronicles 2:18 and the highest rank of them were two hundred and fifty, and the middlemost and highest being joined together, as they are here, made five hundred and fifty. Abarbinel reconciles the places thus, the two hundred and fifty were only over those that wrought in the temple; and the five hundred and fifty here were those that were over such that were employed in the various parts of the kingdom.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Five hundred and fifty - See 1 Kings 5:16 note.


 
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