And Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred.
Solomon counted all the foreigners living in Israel, following the same method his father David had used to count them. The total number was 153,600 people.
This verse shows Solomon taking a census of all the foreign workers in Israel, finding over 150,000 people who could help with his building projects.
📚 Historical Context
This census took place as Solomon was preparing to build the temple and his palace, requiring massive amounts of skilled and unskilled labor. These 'strangers' were likely descendants of the Canaanite peoples who remained in Israel after Joshua's conquest, along with other foreigners who had settled there. David had previously counted these same people, probably for similar construction projects during his reign.
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