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2 Chronicles 8 · a question people ask

Do 2 Chronicles 8 and 1 Kings 9 give the same numbers?

In the text

Two numbers differ. Of the officers, 2 Chronicles says, "These were the chief officers of King Solomon, even two-hundred fifty, who ruled over the people" (8:10), and 1 Kings says, "These were the five hundred fifty chief officers who were over Solomon’s work, who ruled over the people who labored in the work" (1 Kings 9:23). Of the gold from Ophir, 2 Chronicles has "four hundred fifty talents of gold" (8:18), and 1 Kings has "gold, four hundred and twenty talents" (1 Kings 9:28). Chapter 2 set its overseers (2:2, 2:18) beside 1 Kings 5:16 the same way. The Bible doesn't explain the differences, and these notes set the verses side by side without joining them.

The verses

“These were the chief officers of King Solomon, even two-hundred fifty, who ruled over the people.”
2 Chronicles 8:10 · World English Bible
“Huram sent him ships and servants who had knowledge of the sea by the hands of his servants; and they came with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and brought from there four hundred fifty talents of gold, and brought them to King Solomon.”
2 Chronicles 8:18 · World English Bible
“These were the five hundred fifty chief officers who were over Solomon’s work, who ruled over the people who labored in the work.”
1 Kings 9:23 · World English Bible
“They came to Ophir, and fetched from there gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to King Solomon.”
1 Kings 9:28 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of 2 Chronicles 8

2 Chronicles 8: So the house was completed

"So the LORD’s house was completed" (8:16) uses the word 2 Chronicles also uses for a heart "perfect toward him" (16:9). And Solomon built "storage cities" (8:4), as Israel once built "storage cities for Pharaoh" (Exodus 1:11), but "of the children of Israel, Solomon made no servants for his work" (8:9).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions