Question 1

What actions does the passage say Solomon took, and in what order?

Accepted Answer

The sequence is administrative and then logistical. First, Solomon orders a count of the resident foreigners living in Israel. The text ties this action to an earlier count done under David, which signals continuity with prior royal planning. Second, the passage reports the total number found: 153,600. Third, Solomon assigns the counted people into work roles connected to temple construction: 70,000 as load-bearers and 80,000 as stonecutters working in the hill country. Finally, he appoints 3,600 overseers with the stated purpose of keeping people working, showing an added management layer rather than only raw labor.

Question 2

How does the text describe the relationship between Solomon’s count and David’s earlier numbering?

Accepted Answer

The passage explicitly says Solomon numbered the sojourners “after” (i.e., in connection with) the numbering David had done. At minimum, that means Solomon’s action is not presented as isolated; it stands in line with David’s prior administrative work. The text does not explain whether Solomon repeated the census from scratch, audited it, or used David’s records as a basis. What is clear is the narrative emphasis: the workforce organization for the temple is portrayed as a multi-reign effort, with David’s preparations providing a foundation and Solomon executing the next stage by counting and deploying labor.

Question 3

Based on the roles listed, what kinds of work are emphasized, and where does it take place?

Accepted Answer

Two main labor categories are emphasized: carrying heavy loads and cutting stone. Load-bearing suggests transport and moving materials—an essential, large-scale task for construction. Stonecutting in the mountains points to quarrying and shaping building stone in the hill country, away from the main build site but necessary to supply it. The passage does not focus on artistic or skilled craft here (that was highlighted earlier in the chapter); instead it highlights physically demanding and resource-extraction work. The location detail (“in the mountains”) grounds the account in the practical realities of acquiring building materials.

Question 4

What is the stated purpose of the 3,600 overseers, and what does that imply about the project?

Accepted Answer

The passage says the overseers are appointed “to set the people at work,” meaning to keep the labor force working and organized. This implies the project required ongoing coordination, not just initial recruitment. Oversight suggests schedules, task assignment, and accountability to maintain productivity across a very large workforce. It also implies a hierarchy: workers are not portrayed as acting independently but as operating under supervision within a planned system. Even without additional details, the text presents the temple construction as a managed operation with leadership layers designed to sustain a long, complex building effort.

Question 5

How do the numbers relate to each other, and what two main readings are possible?

Accepted Answer

The passage reports a total of 153,600 sojourners, then lists 70,000 load-bearers, 80,000 stonecutters, and 3,600 overseers. One straightforward reading is that these three groups together make up the total; notably, 70,000 + 80,000 + 3,600 equals 153,600 exactly, which fits the idea of a full breakdown of the counted population. Another possible reading is that the 70,000 and 80,000 come from the counted group while the overseers are appointed over them and may be additional. The text does not explicitly clarify which is intended.

Question 6

What does the passage explicitly say about who is being mobilized, and what does it not explicitly say?

Accepted Answer

Explicitly, the people mobilized are “sojourners…in the land of Israel,” understood as resident foreigners rather than travelers. The text clearly states they are counted and assigned to labor connected to temple building, with overseers appointed to manage the work. The passage does not explicitly describe their legal status, whether the labor is voluntary or coerced, or whether they are being paid. It also does not describe Israelites’ participation in these specific labor categories here, even though other texts may discuss broader workforce arrangements. The focus stays on the resident-foreigner population and the project’s administration.

2 Chronicles 2:17-18

Scripture

What this passage is saying