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

19He built towns as supply centers and constructed towns where his chariots and horses could be stationed. He built everything he desired in Jerusalem and Lebanon and throughout his entire realm. 20There were still some people living in the land who were not Israelites, including Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. These were descendants of the nations whom the people of Israel had not completely destroyed. So Solomon conscripted them as slaves, and they serve as forced laborers to this day. 22But 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. 23Solomon appointed 550 of them to supervise the people working on his various projects.

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 tribe of Benjamin, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live in Jerusalem among the people of Benjamin.
• Judges 2:20So the Lord burned with anger against Israel. He said, “Because these people have violated my covenant, which I made with their ancestors, and have ignored my commands,
• Judges 3:1These are the nations that the Lord left in the land to test those Israelites who had not experienced the wars of Canaan.
• Psalms 106:34Israel failed to destroy the nations in the land, as the Lord had commanded them.
• Joshua 15:63But the tribe of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites, who lived in the city of Jerusalem, so the Jebusites live there among the people of Judah to this day.
• Joshua 17:12But the descendants of Manasseh were unable to occupy these towns because the Canaanites were determined to stay in that region.
• 1 Kings 9:15This is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon conscripted to build the Lord’s Temple, the royal palace, the supporting terraces, the wall of Jerusalem, and the cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.
• 1 Kings 5:13Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel.
• Judges 1:28When the Israelites grew stronger, they forced the Canaanites to work as slaves, but they never did drive them completely out of the land.
• Genesis 9:25Then he cursed Canaan, the son of Ham: “May Canaan be cursed! May he be the lowest of servants to his relatives.”
• Ezra 2:55The descendants of these servants of King Solomon returned from exile: Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,
• Nehemiah 7:57The descendants of these servants of King Solomon returned from exile: Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,
• Nehemiah 11:3Here is a list of the names of the provincial officials who came to live in Jerusalem. (Most of the people, priests, Levites, Temple servants, and descendants of Solomon’s servants continued to live in their own homes in the various towns of Judah,

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