1 Kings 5:13
New International Version
King Solomon conscripted laborers from all Israel—thirty thousand men.

New Living Translation
Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel.

English Standard Version
King Solomon drafted forced labor out of all Israel, and the draft numbered 30,000 men.

Berean Standard Bible
Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel.

King James Bible
And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.

New King James Version
Then King Solomon raised up a labor force out of all Israel; and the labor force was thirty thousand men.

New American Standard Bible
Now King Solomon conscripted forced laborers from all Israel; and the forced laborers numbered thirty thousand men.

NASB 1995
Now King Solomon levied forced laborers from all Israel; and the forced laborers numbered 30,000 men.

NASB 1977
Now King Solomon levied forced laborers from all Israel; and the forced laborers numbered 30,000 men.

Legacy Standard Bible
And King Solomon raised up forced laborers from all Israel; and the forced laborers numbered 30,000 men.

Amplified Bible
King Solomon levied forced laborers from all Israel; and the forced laborers numbered 30,000 men.

Christian Standard Bible
Then King Solomon drafted forced laborers from all Israel; the labor force numbered thirty thousand men.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then King Solomon drafted forced laborers from all Israel; the labor force numbered 30,000 men.

American Standard Version
And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.

Contemporary English Version
Solomon ordered 30,000 people from all over Israel to cut logs for the temple,

English Revised Version
And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
King Solomon forced 30,000 men from all over Israel to work for him.

Good News Translation
King Solomon drafted 30,000 men as forced labor from all over Israel,

International Standard Version
King Solomon conscripted laborers from throughout Israel. The work force numbered 30,000 men.

Majority Standard Bible
Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel.

NET Bible
King Solomon conscripted work crews from throughout Israel, 30,000 men in all.

New Heart English Bible
King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.

Webster's Bible Translation
And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.

World English Bible
King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And King Solomon lifts up a tribute out of all Israel, and the tribute is thirty thousand men,

Young's Literal Translation
And king Solomon lifteth up a tribute out of all Israel, and the tribute is thirty thousand men,

Smith's Literal Translation
And king Solomon will bring up a tribute from all Israel; and the tribute will be thirty thousand men.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And king Solomon chose workmen cut of all Israel, and the levy was of thirty thousand men.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And king Solomon chose workers from all of Israel, and the conscription was of thirty thousand men.

New American Bible
King Solomon raised thirty thousand forced laborers from all Israel.

New Revised Standard Version
King Solomon conscripted forced labor out of all Israel; the levy numbered thirty thousand men.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And King Solomon raised up taxes from all Israel, and the taxes were thirty thousand men.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the king raised a levy out of all Israel, and the levy was thirty thousand men.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Solomon's Workmen and Laborers
13Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel. 14He sent them to Lebanon in monthly shifts of 10,000 men, so that they would spend one month in Lebanon and two months at home. And Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor.…

Cross References
1 Kings 9:15-22
This 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. / Pharaoh 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. / So Solomon rebuilt Gezer, Lower Beth-horon, ...

2 Chronicles 2:17-18
Solomon numbered all the foreign men in the land of Israel following the census his father David had conducted, and there were found to be 153,600 in all. / Solomon made 70,000 of them porters, 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 supervisors.

Exodus 1:11
So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

2 Samuel 5:11
Now Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs, carpenters, and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David.

1 Kings 4:6
Ahishar was in charge of the palace; and Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of the forced labor.

1 Kings 12:4
“Your father put a heavy yoke on us. But now you must lighten the burden of your father’s service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

1 Kings 12:18
Then King Rehoboam sent out Adoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste and escaped to Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 10:4
“Your father put a heavy yoke on us. But now you must lighten the burden of your father’s service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

2 Chronicles 10:18
Then King Rehoboam sent out Hadoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste and escaped to Jerusalem.

1 Samuel 8:11-17
He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to serve his own chariots and horses, and to run in front of his chariots. / He will appoint some for himself as commanders of thousands and of fifties, and others to plow his ground, to reap his harvest, and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. / And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. ...

1 Kings 6:38
In the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, the eighth month, the temple was finished in every detail and according to every specification. So he built the temple in seven years.

1 Kings 7:13-14
Now King Solomon sent to bring Huram from Tyre. / He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a craftsman in bronze. Huram had great skill, understanding, and knowledge for every kind of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and carried out all his work.

2 Chronicles 8:7-10
As for all the people who remained of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites (these people were not Israelites)— / their descendants who remained in the land, those whom the Israelites had not destroyed—Solomon conscripted these people to be forced laborers, as they are to this day. / But Solomon did not consign any of the Israelites to slave labor, because they were his men of war, the leaders of his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and cavalry. ...

1 Kings 9:23
They were also the chief officers over Solomon’s projects: 550 supervisors over the people who did the work.

1 Kings 11:28
Now Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. So when Solomon noticed that the young man was industrious, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the house of Joseph.


Treasury of Scripture

And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.

levy [heb] tribute of men

1 Kings 4:6
And Ahishar was over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute.

the levy

1 Kings 9:15
And this is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised; for to build the house of the LORD, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.

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Conscripted Forced Israel Labor Levy Numbered Raised Solomon Thirty Thousand Together Tribute Work
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Conscripted Forced Israel Labor Levy Numbered Raised Solomon Thirty Thousand Together Tribute Work
1 Kings 5
1. Hiram, sending to congratulate Solomon, is desired to furnish him with timber
7. Hiram, blessing God for Solomon, furnishes him with trees.
13. The number of Solomon's workmen and laborers














Then King Solomon
The phrase introduces Solomon, the son of David, who is now the reigning king of Israel. Solomon is renowned for his wisdom, wealth, and building projects, most notably the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem. His reign marks a period of peace and prosperity for Israel. The Hebrew root for Solomon is "Shlomo," which is derived from "shalom," meaning peace. This reflects the peaceful nature of his reign and the divine favor upon him as he undertakes the monumental task of building the Temple.

conscripted a labor force
The act of conscription here indicates that Solomon organized a workforce for a specific purpose. The Hebrew word used is "mas," which refers to a levy or forced labor. This was a common practice in ancient Near Eastern monarchies for large state projects. Solomon's conscription of labor reflects the centralized power of the monarchy and the administrative capabilities required to manage such a large workforce. It also foreshadows the later discontent among the Israelites due to the heavy burdens placed upon them, which would eventually lead to the division of the kingdom.

of thirty thousand men
This specific number highlights the scale of the project Solomon is undertaking. Thirty thousand men represent a significant portion of the population, indicating the importance and magnitude of the Temple construction. The use of such a large workforce underscores the national effort and unity required to build a house for the Lord, a central place of worship for all Israel.

from all Israel
This phrase emphasizes the collective involvement of the entire nation in the building of the Temple. It was not just a project for Jerusalem or the tribe of Judah, but for all the tribes of Israel. This unity in purpose and action reflects the spiritual and national significance of the Temple as a symbol of God's presence among His people. It also serves as a reminder of the covenant relationship between God and Israel, where the Temple would be the focal point of worship and divine encounter.

Persons / Places / Events
1. King Solomon
The son of King David and Bathsheba, Solomon is known for his wisdom, wealth, and building projects, including the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem.

2. Israel
The united kingdom under Solomon's rule, consisting of the twelve tribes of Israel. This period is marked by peace and prosperity.

3. Labor Force
Thirty thousand men conscripted from all Israel to work on Solomon's building projects, particularly the Temple. This conscription reflects the organizational and administrative skills of Solomon's reign.
Teaching Points
Leadership and Responsibility
Solomon's conscription of labor highlights the responsibility of leaders to manage resources wisely and justly. Leaders today can learn from Solomon's example to balance ambition with the welfare of their people.

Purposeful Work
The labor force was conscripted for a divine purpose—the building of the Temple. This reminds us that our work should have a higher purpose and align with God's will.

Community Involvement
The involvement of all Israel in the labor force underscores the importance of community participation in achieving significant goals. It encourages believers to contribute to their communities and churches.

Historical Context
Understanding the historical and cultural context of Solomon's reign helps us appreciate the complexities of leadership and governance in biblical times.

Spiritual Legacy
Solomon's building projects, especially the Temple, left a lasting spiritual legacy. Believers are encouraged to consider the spiritual impact of their actions and decisions.(13) Levy out of all Israel.--This, though far from being onerous, appears to have been at this time exceptional. For in 1Kings 9:22 we read that "of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen: but they were men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains." Thus exceptionally introduced at first for the special service of God, it may have been the beginning of what was hereafter an oppressive despotism over the Israelites themselves. Probably even now the Israelite labourers were (under the chief officers) put in authority over the great mass of 150,000 bondmen, evidently drawn from the native races. (See 2Chronicles 2:17.) But the whole description suggests to us--what the history of Exodus, the monuments of Egypt, and the description by Herodotus of the building of the Pyramids confirm--the vast sacrifice of human labour and life, at which (in the absence of machinery to spare labour) the great monuments of ancient splendour were reared.

Verse 13. - And King Solomon raised a levy [Marg., tribute of men, i.e., conscription] out of all Israel [i.e., the people, not the land - Ewald] and the levy was thirty thousand men. [That is, if we may trust the figures of the census given in 2 Samuel 24:9 (which do not agree, however, with those of 1 Chronicles 21:5), the conscription only affected one in forty of the male population. But even the lower estimate of Samuel is regarded with some suspicion. Such a levy was predicted (1 Samuel 8:16).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then King
הַמֶּ֧לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

Solomon
שְׁלֹמֹ֛ה (šə·lō·mōh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8010: Solomon -- David's son and successor to his throne

conscripted
וַיַּ֨עַל (way·ya·‘al)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

a labor force
מַ֖ס (mas)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4522: Body of forced laborers, forced service, taskworkers, taskwork, serfdom

of thirty
שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים (šə·lō·šîm)
Number - common plural
Strong's 7970: Thirty, thirtieth

thousand
אֶ֖לֶף (’e·lep̄)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 505: A thousand

men
אִֽישׁ׃ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

from all
מִכָּל־ (mik·kāl)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

Israel.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc


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OT History: 1 Kings 5:13 King Solomon raised a levy out (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 5:12
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