1 Kings 9:23

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

¹⁵This is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon imposed to build the house of the LORD, his own palace, the supporting terraces, and the wall of Jerusalem, as well as Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. ¹⁶Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire, killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and given it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon's wife. ¹⁷So Solomon rebuilt Gezer, Lower Beth-horon, ¹⁸Baalath, and Tamar in the Wilderness of Judah, ¹⁹as well as all the store cities that Solomon had for his chariots and horses-whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and throughout the land of his dominion. ²⁰As for all the people who remained of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites (the people who were not Israelites)- ²¹their descendants who remained in the land, those whom the Israelites were unable to devote to destruction-Solomon conscripted these people to be forced laborers, as they are to this day. ²²But Solomon did not consign any of the Israelites to slavery, because they were his men of war, his servants, his officers, his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and cavalry. ²³They were also the chief officers over Solomon's projects: 550 supervisors over the people who did the work.²⁴As soon as Pharaoh's daughter had come up from the City of David to the palace that Solomon had built for her, he built the supporting terraces.

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
Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

Leviticus 19:32
You are to rise in the presence of the elderly, honor the aged, and fear your God. I am the LORD.

Romans 13:7
Pay everyone what you owe him: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.

Galatians 6:1
Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.

1 Timothy 5:1
Do not rebuke an older man, but appeal to him as to a father. Treat younger men as brothers,

1 Timothy 5:17
Elders who lead effectively are worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.

1 Timothy 5:19
Do not entertain an accusation against an elder, except on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

1 Peter 2:17
Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of 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.