Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
2 Chronicles 8:7 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 7. 7As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which were not of Israel,
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
This verse opens the thought unit and establishes its first action or speech: “As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and….” Its responsible meaning belongs to the complete movement “Forced labor and Israelite command are distinguished.”
The leftover peoples are put to a continuing levy
This verse is one part of that explanation in 2 Chronicles 8:7–10. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- 2 Chronicles 8:7–10
Read 2 Chronicles 8:7 with 8:7–10. The selected wording supplies one opening in the thought unit and establishes its first action or speech; the surrounding verses supply the causes, responses, and outcome summarized here: Surviving non-Israelite peoples are subjected to continuing levy labor, while Israelites serve as soldiers and chief officers over the work.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Within “Forced labor and Israelite command are distinguished,” 2 Chronicles 8:7 opens the thought unit and establishes its first action or speech through the wording “As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and….” Its placement is governed by this reviewed relationship: The social hierarchy behind royal achievement is stated plainly before the worship summary. 2 Chronicles 8:1–6 has just established this prior movement: After twenty years Solomon rebuilds towns returned by Huram, resettles Israelites, campaigns at Hamath-zobah, and expands fortified, storage, chariot, and cavalry centers. Together those details explain why “Forced labor and Israelite command are distinguished” belongs here rather than merely following a database record.
Read 2 Chronicles 8:7–10 together
Why these verses belong together: 2 Chronicles 8:7–10 forms the complete movement “Forced labor and Israelite command are distinguished”: Surviving non-Israelite peoples are subjected to continuing levy labor, while Israelites serve as soldiers and chief officers over the work.
Verse 7. 7 As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which were not of Israel,
Verse 8. 8 But of their children, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, them did Solomon make to pay tribute until this day.
Verse 9. 9 But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen.
Verse 10. 10 And these were the chief of king Solomon’s officers, even two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people.
Follow the Context
- Surviving non-Israelite peoples are subjected to continuing levy labor, while Israelites serve as soldiers and chief officers over the work.
- The social hierarchy behind royal achievement is stated plainly before the worship summary.
What This Verse Is Not Saying
2 Chronicles 8:7 does not permit the wording “As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and…” to be read apart from the selected verse's context. Ancient conquest categories do not authorize slavery, ethnic caste, forced labor, colonial rule, or treating descendants as permanently subordinate.
What Remains True
Worship and wisdom remain accountable to covenant, labor, outsiders, resources, and God's freedom; sacred scale never makes royal power or a building immune from review. This unit tests that truth through the narrated movement: Surviving non-Israelite peoples are subjected to continuing levy labor, while Israelites serve as soldiers and chief officers over the work. In 2 Chronicles 8:7, the concrete line “As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and…” keeps that truth accountable to the narrated evidence.
Teach It Back
Explain why 2 Chronicles 8:7 identifies surviving non-Israelite populations within Solomon's territory. Use 8:7–10, paraphrase “As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and…,” state one source or reconstruction limit, identify one person or group power can obscure, and reject one conclusion this verse does not authorize.
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Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read 2 Chronicles 8:7–10 — Forced labor and Israelite command are distinguishedSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? probable
Where care is needed
The status of these populations and the relation to 1 Kings' corvee notices are historically debated; the text's unequal assignment must not be euphemized.
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact KJV wording, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage for this thought unit.
Exact location: 2 Chronicles 8:7–10, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: 2 Chronicles
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Hebrew wording, morphology, names, clauses, regnal formulas, temple vocabulary, older-English controls, and translation limits.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v.2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/2Chr.xml, Masoretic words and morphology for 8:7–10
Open source ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible Full Notes: 2 Chronicles
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press; STEP Bible presentation, 2019 edition; current web presentation
Supports: Unit-bounded translation comparisons and only those lexical, textual, grammatical, numerical, historical, and parallel-passage notes attached to these verses.
Exact location: STEP Bible NET2full, 2 Chronicles 8:7–10, verse-attached translation and translator notes
Open source ↗