That bare burdens Namely, porters, carters, seamen, and such like. Fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains That is, hewers of stone, for timber was hewed by Hiram's servants in Lebanon. Officers over the work three thousand three hundred Whereof three thousand were set over the one hundred and fifty thousand mentioned 1 Kings 5:15, each of these over fifty of them, and the odd three hundred were set over these three thousand; each of them to have the oversight of ten, to take an account of the work from them. But in 2 Chronicles 2:18, these overseers are said to be three thousand six hundred. The three hundred added in 2 Chronicles 2. might be a reserve to supply the places of the other three thousand; yea, or of the three thousand six hundred, as any of them should be taken off from the work by death, or sickness, or weakness, or any necessary occasion; which was a prudent provision, and not unusual in like cases. And so there were three thousand six hundred commissioned for the work, but only three thousand three hundred employed at one time; and therefore both computations fairly stand together.
Related Commentaries of 1 Kings 5:15
1 Kings 5:15-16
15 And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens, and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains;
16 Beside the chief of Solomon's officers which were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, which ruled over the people that wrought in the work.