I Kings 9:21
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their descendants who remained in the land, those whom the Israelites were unable to devote to destruction—Solomon conscripted these people to be forced laborers, as they are to this day.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
The Answer of the Lord to Solomon's Dedicatory Prayer (cf. Ch2 7:11-22). - Kg1 9:1, Kg1 9:2. When Solomon had finished the building of the temple, and of his palace, and of all that he had a desire to build, the Lord appeared to him the second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon, i.e., by night in a dream (see Kg1 3:5), to promise him that his prayer should be answered. For the point of time, see at Kg1 8:1. כּל־חשׁק, all Solomon's desire or pleasures, is paraphrased thus in the Chronicles: לב על כּל־הבּא, "all that came into his mind," and, in accordance with the context, is very properly restricted to these two principal buildings by the clause, "in the house of Jehovah and in his own house."
Open source ↗In this chapter we have, I. The answer which God, in a vision, gave to Solomon's prayer, and the terms he settled with him (Kg1 9:1-9). II. The interchanging of grateful kindnesses between Solomon and Hiram (Kg1 9:10-14). III. His workmen and buildings (Kg1 9:15-24). IV. His devotion (Kg1 9:25). V. His trading navy (Kg1 9:26-28).
Open source ↗9:21 completely destroyed: See “Complete Destruction” Theme Note.
Open source ↗Cross-references
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But the descendants of Manasseh were unable to occupy these cities, because the Canaanites were determined to stay in this land.
But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the descendants of Judah.
The Benjamites, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the Benjamites.
These are the heads of the provinces who settled in Jerusalem. (In the villages of Judah, however, each lived on his own property in their towns—the Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants, and descendants of Solomon’s servants—
The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, the descendants of Sophereth, the descendants of Perida,
Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel.
This is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon imposed to build the house of the LORD, his own palace, the supporting terraces, and the wall of Jerusalem, as well as Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.