I Kings 5:13 · Bible study
1 Kings 5:13 Commentary: Solomon's Levy of 30,000
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why did Solomon conscript 30,000 Israelites for temple work? Explore the historical context, interpretive debates, and the legacy of this levy.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Solomon imposed a rotational forced labor of 30,000 Israelites to supply timber for the temple from Lebanon.
- Key words: “Levy” (mas, tribute or forced labor); distinguishes Israelite labor from Canaanite slave labor (Keil).
- Main debate: Was this levy a wise, light duty (Josephus, Keil) or an oppressive burden that caused the later revolt (Barnes, JFB)?
- Theological theme: The tension between using worldly means for sacred ends, and the human cost of even God-honoring projects.
- Best use: A case study in leadership, unintended consequences, and the need to care for people while building God’s house.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel.
WEB World English Bible 2000
King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.
KJV King James Version 1769
And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And king Solomon lifteth up a tribute out of all Israel, and the tribute is thirty thousand men,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And king Solomon chose workmen out of all Israel, and the levy was of thirty thousand men.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y el rey Salomón impuso tributo á todo Israel, y el tributo fué de treinta mil hombres:
E o rei Salomão impôs tributo a todo Israel, e o tributo foi de trinta mil homens:
Le roi Salomon leva sur tout Israël des hommes de corvée; ils étaient au nombre de trente mille.
Und Salomo hob Fronarbeiter aus von ganz Israel, und ihre Zahl war dreißigtausend Mann,
En de koning Salomo deed een uitschot opkomen uit gans Israel; en het uitschot was dertig duizend man.
Il re Salomone fece una comandata d’operai in tutto Israele e furon comandati trentamila uomini.
Tedy kazał wybierać król Salomon robotniki ze wszystkiego Izraela, a było wybranych trzydzieści tysięcy mężów.
И обложил царь Соломон повинностью весь Израиль; повинность же состояла в тридцати тысячах человек.
所羅門 王 從 以色列人 中挑取 服苦的人 共有 三萬，
Then King Solomon got together men for the forced work through all Israel, thirty thousand men in number;
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
The supplied commentators agree that Solomon raised a levy of 30,000 men from all Israel for temple construction labor. Adam Clarke, Barnes, and others note that these men served in rotation: ten thousand at a time, one month in Lebanon, two months at home. Barnes and the Cambridge Bible see this as the first time Israelites were subjected to forced labor, though David had conscripted non-Israelites. Keil and Delitzsch carefully distinguish these Israelite laborers from the Canaanite tribute-slaves, stressing that the Israelites were not treated as bondsmen. There is shared recognition that this levy was unprecedented in Israel and that it contributed to the later revolt under Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:4). Yet commentators differ on whether the arrangement was wise, Josephus considered it no hardship, while Barnes and JFB call it a form of oppression that stirred deep discontent.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Light rotational duty view: Emphasizes the one-month-on, two-months-off schedule, Josephus’s assessment, and the sacred purpose of the work (Keil, Cambridge).
- Oppressive burden view: Points to Samuel’s warning (1 Sam 8:16), the later revolt (1 Kings 12:4), and the unprecedented nature of Israelite forced labor (Barnes, JFB).
What is clear: Solomon conscripted 30,000 free Israelites for rotational labor to build the temple, and this levy is remembered as a grievance leading to the kingdom’s division.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the levy | It was a compulsory rotation of 30,000 free Israelites, one month on, two months off, supervised by Adoniram. | Josephus and Keil see it as light and not oppressive; Barnes and JFB see it as a significant burden that fomented rebellion. |
| Comparison with Canaanite labor | The Israelites were not made permanent slaves; the Canaanites were (1 Kings 9:20-22). | Some commentators stress the distinction to minimize the levy’s harshness; others note that the same word <em>mas</em> is used for both groups. |
| Wisdom of the policy | Solomon designed the rotation to allow men to maintain their farms most of the year. | Whether this shows prudence (Keil, Cambridge) or reveals a failure to foresee long-term discontent (Barnes). |
| Connection to the kingdom’s division | The levy is cited as a direct cause of the northern tribes’ grievance at Rehoboam’s accession (1 Kings 12:4). | Some attribute the revolt primarily to Rehoboam’s harsh reply; others see the levy itself as the root injustice. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Solomon's temple project was the largest public work in Israel's history. To supply timber from Lebanon, he needed a workforce that could fell trees and transport them. The arrangement with King Hiram of Tyre (1 Kings 5:1, 12) made this possible, but required Israelite participation.
The Hebrew word translated “levy” is mas, a term for forced labor, often used of conquered peoples (Joshua 16:10; 1 Kings 9:21). Samuel had warned that kings would take sons for service (1 Samuel 8:16), and Solomon’s levy fulfilled that prophecy in a new way. The rotation system, one month on, two months off, was meant to lighten the burden, allowing men to tend their farms most of the year. But the fact that it was compulsory, and that the temple served as the religious center of a united kingdom, did not erase the sense of coercion.
Barnes calculates that 30,000 men out of 1,300,000 able-bodied Israelites meant one in every 44 men was taken. The burden fell on free citizens, not just resident aliens or captives. Keil stresses that the Israelites here are called “tribute-labourers” but not “tribute-slaves”, a status distinction Solomon himself maintained (1 Kings 9:22). Still, the levy became a symbol of royal overreach, and Adoniram, the overseer, would later be stoned during the revolt (1 Kings 12:18). The seeds of division were planted on the slopes of Lebanon.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and the number “thirty thousand” appears consistently.
Reception History
Josephus (cited in the Cambridge Bible) regarded the levy as no hardship, noting Solomon’s arrangement made the work light. Later Protestant commentators, especially in the wake of the Reformation emphasis on liberty, read the passage more critically. Barnes and JFB highlight the levy as a first step toward royal tyranny. In Jewish tradition, the labor for the temple is often celebrated as a noble undertaking, but the mas is remembered as a cause of the schism. The verse has been used in sermons on leadership as a caution that even the best projects can wound a community when people are treated as resources.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Task Before the Kingdom. Building Yahweh’s house required massive resources. Solomon used his wisdom to secure timber from Hiram and organize a workforce. The levy was not arbitrary, it served a sacred purpose.
- The Wisdom of Rest. The rotation system let men work one month and rest two. This reflects a practical and humane design (Keil notes they received remuneration). Good leadership finds ways to balance duty with dignity.
- The Weight on Free Shoulders. Even light forced labor feels heavy when it is not voluntary. The Israelites remembered this levy when Rehoboam refused to lighten it (1 Kings 12:4). A good work can be undone by the way it is carried out.
Five-point outline
- Sacred work does not justify every means.
- Systems of labor reveal a leader's heart.
- Rest and rotation protect people from burnout.
- What is “light” to one may be “oppressive” to another.
- Unresolved grievances resurface at the next crisis.
Illustration hooks
- A church building project that required members to give time and money, enthusiasm faded when the work felt endless.
- A manager who rotates tough tasks among a team, so no one bears the whole burden alone.
- A nation’s wartime draft: necessary but rarely popular, and often remembered long after the war ends.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Was it wrong for Solomon to use forced labor for the temple, or was it a necessary part of a great work for God?
- How can we tell when a leader’s demand is wise stewardship and when it is exploitation?
- What does this passage teach about the relationship between good intentions and unintended consequences?
Leading a Discussion
This verse opens a window into the costs of building the temple. Solomon had wisdom and good plans, but the levy of free Israelites created a burden that later tore the kingdom apart. As you discuss, notice both the practical wisdom in the rotation system and the human weight of compulsion.
Discussion questions
- What do you learn about Solomon’s leadership from the way he organized the workforce?
- Read 1 Kings 12:4. How does the memory of this levy shape the request of the northern tribes?
- Barnes calls the levy “a very light form of task work.” JFB calls it “a great stretch of arbitrary power.” Which view do you find more convincing, and why?
- Why do you think the sacred purpose of the building did not prevent resentment?
- Where in your own life or community do you see a tension between accomplishing a worthy goal and the methods used to reach it?
- How does the rotation system (one month on, two months off) challenge or affirm your understanding of healthy work and rest?
- What safeguards could Solomon have put in place to prevent the levy from becoming a source of bitterness?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Kings 4:6 | Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the men subject to forced labor. |
| I Kings 9:15 | This is the reason of the forced labor which King Solomon conscripted: to build Yahweh’s house, his own house, Millo, Jerusalem’s wall, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke clarifies that Solomon's levy of thirty thousand Israelites worked in rotation: only ten thousand at a time, one month on duty followed by two months off. He emphasizes that these were Israelite men, not foreign captives, placed under Adoniram's supervision.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes this was the first time Israelites themselves were forced into labor, unlike David who only conscripted foreigners. Though the burden was light, with only one in forty-four men serving a third of the time, it was felt as severe oppression and became the chief cause of the ten tribes' revolt after Solomon's death.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge commentary notes that Solomon's levy of 30,000 laborers from Israel was temporary and involved only about two percent of the male population. Josephus considered it no hardship, and the purpose of the work on Lebanon likely gave the laborers some enthusiasm. This levy differed from the permanent forced labor imposed on foreigners.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And King Salomon raised a summe out of all Israel, and the summe was thirtie thousand men:
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill clarifies that the levy King Solomon raised from Israel was not a tax of money but a conscription of thirty thousand men. He points to the following verse for how these men were employed, emphasizing that the burden was one of labor, not payment.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB sees Solomon's wise arrangement as the key to making forced labor acceptable: letting workers rest two months out of three, combined with the sacred purpose of the project, kept discontent down. The heaviest burdens fell on Canaanite captives and war prisoners, which further softened public reaction.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stresses that the 30,000 Israelite laborers Solomon raised were not slaves but free citizens performing rotating service: one month cutting timber in Lebanon, then two months at home. This distinguishes them from the Canaanite tribute-slaves, since Israel provided only partial, temporary labor and was never made into permanent bondsmen.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that both parties kept their word in the trade agreement, showing that justice must govern every bargain. He also notes that God's gift of wisdom to Solomon secured the peace and lasting league between Hiram and Israel.