1 Kings 9:21

1 Kings 9:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel also were not able utterly to destroy, upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of bondservice unto this day.
• New International Version (NIV)Solomon conscripted the descendants of all these peoples remaining in the land—whom the Israelites could not exterminate—to serve as slave labor, as it is to this day.
• English Standard Version (ESV)their descendants who were left after them in the land, whom the people of Israel were unable to devote to destruction—these Solomon drafted to be slaves, and so they are to this day.
• New King James Version (NKJV)that is, their descendants who were left in the land after them, whom the children of Israel had not been able to destroy completely—from these Solomon raised forced labor, as it is to this day.

Context of 1 Kings 9:21

19all the storage cities that he owned. He also built cities for his chariots, cities for his war horses, and whatever ⌞else⌟ he wanted to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, or the entire territory that he governed. 20The Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites had been left ⌞in the land⌟ because the Israelites had not been able to claim them for God by destroying them. They were not Israelites, but they had descendants who were still in the land. Solomon drafted them for slave labor. (They are still ⌞slaves⌟ today.) 22But Solomon didn’t make any of the Israelites slaves. Instead, they were soldiers, officials, officers, generals, and commanders of his chariot and cavalry units. 23These were the officers in charge of Solomon’s projects: 550 foremen for the people who did the work.

1 Kings 9:21 word by word

בְּנֵיהֶ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר נֹתְר֤וּ אַחֲרֵיהֶם֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹֽא־יָכְל֛וּ בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְהַֽחֲרִימָ֑ם וַיַּעֲלֵ֤ם שְׁלֹמֹה֙ לְמַס־עֹבֵ֔ד עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Their childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• that were leftיָתַרyâthar · to remainH3498
• afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• them in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• also were not ableיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
• utterly to destroyחָרַםchâram · to devote/destroyH2763
• upon those did Solomonשְׁלֹמֹהshelômôh · SolomonH8010
• levyעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: establishH5927
• a tributeמַסmas mis · taskworkerH4522
• of bondserviceעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: labourH5647
• unto this dayיוֹםyôm · day: todayH3117

Cross-references for 1 Kings 9:21

• Judges 1:21The men of Benjamin did not force out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem. The Jebusites still live with the tribe of Benjamin in Jerusalem today.
• Judges 2:20The Lord became angry with Israel. He said, “Because the people of this nation have rejected the promise I gave their ancestors and have not obeyed me,
• Judges 3:1These are the nations the Lord left behind to test all the Israelites who had not experienced any war in Canaan.
• Psalms 106:34They did not destroy the people as the Lord had told them.
• Joshua 15:63However, Judah was not able to force out the people of Jebus who lived in Jerusalem. So they still live with Judah in Jerusalem today.
• Joshua 17:12But Manasseh was not able to take possession of these cities since the Canaanites were determined to stay in this land.
• 1 Kings 9:15This is the record of the forced laborers whom King Solomon drafted to build the Lord’s house, his own house, the Millo, the walls of Jerusalem, and ⌞the cities of⌟ Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.
• 1 Kings 5:13King Solomon forced 30,000 men from all over Israel to work for him.
• Judges 1:28When the Israelites were strong enough, they made the Canaanites do forced labor. But they did not force all of them out.
• Genesis 9:25So he said, “Canaan is cursed! He will be the lowest slave to his brothers.
• Ezra 2:55These descendants of Solomon’s servants returned from exile: the descendants of Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,
• Nehemiah 7:57These descendants of Solomon’s servants returned from exile: the descendants of Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,
• Nehemiah 11:3These were the officials of the province who settled in Jerusalem. Some Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants, and descendants of Solomon’s servants settled in the cities of Judah. They lived on their own property in their own cities.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 9:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21A tribute of bond-service - He made them do the most laborious part of the public works, the Israelites being generally exempt. When Sesostris, king of Egypt, returned from his wars, he caused temples to be built in all the cities of Egypt, but did not employ one Egyptian in the work, having built the whole by the hands of the captives which he had taken in his wars. Hence he caused this inscription to be placed upon each temple: - . No native has labored…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21See 1 Kings 5:15 note.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-28Verses 15-28 Here is a further account of Solomon's greatness. He began at the right end, for he built God's house first, and finished that before he began his own; then God blessed him, and he prospered in all his other buildings. Let piety begin, and profit follow; leave pleasure to the last. Whatever pains we take for the glory of God, and to profit others, we are likely to have the advantage. Canaan, the holy land, the glory of all lands, had no gold…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21devote to destruction: See “Complete Dedication” Theme Note.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-2415-24. this is the reason of the levy--A levy refers both to men and money, and the necessity for Solomon making it arose from the many gigantic works he undertook to erect. Millo--part of the fort of Jerusalem on Mount Zion (2Sa 5:9; 1Ch 11:8), or a row of stone bastions around Mount Zion, Millo being the great corner tower of that fortified wall (1Ki 11:27; 2Ch 32:5). the wall of Jerusalem--either repairing some breaches in it (1Ki 11:27), or extending…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 9:21

• Amorites
• Hittites
• Hivites
• Jebusites
• Servant
• Solomon

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Solomon
• Children of Israel
• Canaanites
• Chief
• Levy
• Jerusalem
• Kings, Books of
• Solomon's Servants
• Stranger and Sojourner (in the Old Testament)

Commentaries on 1 Kings 9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings