Bible Strands
2 Chronicles 34:13
were over the laborers and supervised all who did the work, task by task. Some of the Levites were secretaries, officers, and gatekeepers.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The Chronicler documents the administrative structure established during Josiah’s temple restoration, specifying the personnel assigned to manage the reconstruction efforts.
The words — סַּבָּלִים (sa.ba.Lim) denotes the burden-bearers or laborers, while מְנַצְּחִים (me.na.tze.Chim) identifies those appointed as overseers to direct every worker.
The thread — This organizational pattern parallels 2 Chronicles 2:18, which lists Solomon’s porters and stonecutters, and 1 Chronicles 9:17, which records Levitical gatekeepers.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to observe how religious restoration depends on explicit role assignment, tracking labor, and Levitical administrative oversight.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and were overseers of all that wrought the work in any manner of service: and of the Levites there were scribes, and officers, and porters.
Cross-references
- Nehemiah 4:10 Meanwhile, the people of Judah said: “The strength of the laborer fails, and there is so much rubble that we will never be able to rebuild the wall.”
- 2 Chronicles 2:18 Solomon made 70,000 of them porters, 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 supervisors.
- 1 Chronicles 9:17 These were the gatekeepers: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their relatives. Shallum was their chief;
- 1 Chronicles 15:18 and with them their brothers next in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel.
- 1 Chronicles 16:38 along with Obed-edom and his sixty-eight relatives. Obed-edom son of Jeduthun, and also Hosah, were to be gatekeepers.
- 1 Chronicles 16:42 Heman and Jeduthun had with them trumpets and cymbals for the music and instruments for the songs of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were stationed at the gate.
- 1 Chronicles 23:4 “Of these,” said David, “24,000 are to oversee the work of the house of the LORD, 6,000 are to be officers and judges,
- 1 Chronicles 26:1 These were the divisions of the gatekeepers: From the Korahites: Meshelemiah son of Kore, one of the sons of Asaph.
- 1 Chronicles 26:29 From the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons had the outside duties as officers and judges over Israel.
- 2 Chronicles 2:10 I will pay your servants, the woodcutters, 20,000 cors of ground wheat, 20,000 cors of barley, 20,000 baths of wine, and 20,000 baths of olive oil.”