One who quarries stones may be injured by them; one who splits logs may be endangered by them.

As the temple was being built, only stones shaped at the quarry ¹  were used; the sound of hammers, pickaxes, or any other iron tool was not heard at the temple while it was being built.

“Listen to me, you who pursue godliness, ¹  who seek the Lord! Look at the rock from which you were chiseled, at the quarry ²  from which you were dug! ³ 

By royal order ¹  they supplied large valuable stones in order to build the temple’s foundation with chiseled stone.

(2:1) Solomon had ¹  70,000 common laborers ²  and 80,000 stonecutters ³  in the hills, in addition to 3,600 supervisors. ⁴ 

He designated ¹  70,000 as common laborers, ²  80,000 as stonecutters ³  in the hills, and 3,600 as supervisors to make sure the people completed the work. ⁴ 

including craftsmen, builders, and masons, and should buy wood and chiseled stone for the repair work. ¹ 

as well as masons and stonecutters. They bought wood and chiseled stone to repair the damage to the Lord’s temple and also paid for all the other expenses. ¹ 

They gave money to the craftsmen and builders to buy chiseled stone and wood for the braces and rafters of the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to fall into disrepair. ¹ 

The men of Ai killed about thirty-six of them and chased them from in front of the city gate all the way to the fissures ¹  and defeated them on the steep slope. ²  The people’s ³  courage melted away like water. ⁴ 

Now Ehud had escaped while they were delaying. When he passed the carved images, he escaped to Seirah.

Solomon also had 70,000 common laborers ¹  and 80,000 stonecutters ²  in the hills,

He has blocked ¹  every road I take ²  with a wall of hewn stones; he has made every path impassable. ³ 

But he went back ¹  once he reached ²  the carved images ³  at Gilgal. He said to Eglon, ⁴  “I have a secret message for you, O king.” Eglon ⁵  said, “Be quiet!” ⁶  All his attendants left.

Solomon’s and Hiram’s construction workers, ¹  along with men from Byblos, ²  did the chiseling and prepared the wood and stones for the building of the temple. ³ 

David ordered the resident foreigners in the land of Israel to be called together. He appointed some of them to be stonecutters to chisel stones for the building of God’s temple.

No one will use any of your stones as a cornerstone. No one will use any of them in the foundation of his house. For you will lie desolate forever,” ¹  says the Lord. ²