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 belonged to him, and the cities where chariots and horses were kept. He built whatever he wanted in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and throughout his entire kingdom. 20Now several non-Israelite peoples were left in the land after the conquest of Joshua, including the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Their descendants remained in the land (the Israelites were unable to wipe them out completely). Solomon conscripted them for his work crews, and they continue in that role to this very day. 22Solomon did not assign Israelites to these work crews; the Israelites served as his soldiers, attendants, officers, charioteers, and commanders of his chariot forces. 23These men were also in charge of Solomon’s work projects; there were a total of 550 men who supervised the workers.

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, however, did not conquer the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. The Jebusites live with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this very day.
• Judges 2:20The Lord was furious with Israel. He said, “This nation has violated the terms of the agreement I made with their ancestors by disobeying me.
• Judges 3:1These were the nations the Lord permitted to remain so he could use them to test Israel – he wanted to test all those who had not experienced battle against the Canaanites.
• Psalms 106:34They did not destroy the nations, as the Lord had commanded them to do.
• Joshua 15:63The men of Judah were unable to conquer the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. The Jebusites live with the people of Judah in Jerusalem to this very day.
• Joshua 17:12But the men of Manasseh were unable to conquer these cities; the Canaanites managed to remain in those areas.
• 1 Kings 9:15Here are the details concerning the work crews King Solomon conscripted to build the Lord’s temple, his palace, the terrace, the wall of Jerusalem, and the cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.
• 1 Kings 5:13King Solomon conscripted work crews from throughout Israel, 30,000 men in all.
• Judges 1:28Whenever Israel was strong militarily, they forced the Canaanites to do hard labor, but they never totally conquered them.
• Genesis 9:25So he said, “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves he will be to his brothers.”
• Ezra 2:55The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, the descendants of Hassophereth, the descendants of Peruda,
• Nehemiah 7:57The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, the descendants of Sophereth, the descendants of Perida,
• Nehemiah 11:3These are the provincial leaders who settled in Jerusalem. (While other Israelites, the priests, the Levites, the temple attendants, and the sons of the servants of Solomon settled in the cities of Judah, each on his own property in their 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