New King James Version
1 Kings 9:22
22But of the children of Israel Solomon made no forced laborers, because they were men of war and his servants: his officers, his captains, commanders of his chariots, and his cavalry.
1 Kings 9:22 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen: but they were men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots, and his horsemen.
- New International Version (NIV)But Solomon did not make slaves of any of the Israelites; they were his fighting men, his government officials, his officers, his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and charioteers.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But of the people of Israel Solomon made no slaves. They were the soldiers, they were his officials, his commanders, his captains, his chariot commanders and his horsemen.
- New Living Translation (NLT)But Solomon did not conscript any of the Israelites for forced labor. Instead, he assigned them to serve as fighting men, government officials, officers and captains in his army, commanders of his chariots, and charioteers.
Context of 1 Kings 9:22
20All the people who were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not of the children of Israel— 21that 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. But of the children of Israel Solomon made no forced laborers, because they were men of war and his servants: his officers, his captains, commanders of his chariots, and his cavalry. 23Others were chiefs of the officials who were over Solomon’s work: five hundred and fifty, who ruled over the people who did the work. 24But Pharaoh’s daughter came up from the City of David to her house which Solomon had built for her. Then he built the Millo.
Read all of 1 Kings 91 Kings 9:22 word by word
וּמִבְּנֵי֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לֹֽא־נָתַ֥ן שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה עָ֑בֶד כִּי־הֵ֞ם אַנְשֵׁ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה וַעֲבָדָיו֙ וְשָׂרָ֣יו וְשָׁלִשָׁ֔יו וְשָׂרֵ֥י רִכְבּ֖וֹ וּפָרָשָֽׁיו׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- But of the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- did Solomonשְׁלֹמֹהshelômôh · SolomonH8010
- makeנָתַןnâthan · to give: makeH5414
- no bondmenעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- of warמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
- and his princesשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
- and his captainsשָׁלִישׁshâlîysh shâlôsh shâlôsh · officerH7991
- of his chariotsרֶ֫כֶבrekeb · chariotH7393
- and his horsemenפָּרָשׁpârâsh · horsemanH6571
People and places in 1 Kings 9:22
Cross-references for 1 Kings 9:22
- Leviticus 25:39‘And if one of your brethren who dwells by you becomes poor, and sells himself to you, you shall not compel him to serve as a slave.
- 1 Kings 4:1So King Solomon was king over all Israel.
- 1 Samuel 8:11And he said, “This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots.
- 2 Chronicles 8:9But Solomon did not make the children of Israel servants for his work. Some were men of war, captains of his officers, captains of his chariots, and his cavalry.
Commentaries on 1 Kings 9:22
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22Comparing this with 1 Kings 5:13-14, it would seem that a modified service of forced labor for one-third of each year was not regarded as reducing those who were subject to it to the condition of bondmen.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. 20-23Solomon's conscripted workers included early Canaanite settlers. There were 550 chief supervisors, and 250 of them were Israelites, overseeing the laborers (2 Chronicles 8:9–10; see 1 Kings 5:15–16 with 2 Chronicles 2:17–18).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 9:22
In the dictionaries
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries