1 Kings 9:22

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

¹⁵This 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. ¹⁶Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire, killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and given it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon's wife. ¹⁷So Solomon rebuilt Gezer, Lower Beth-horon, ¹⁸Baalath, and Tamar in the Wilderness of Judah, ¹⁹as well as all the store cities that Solomon had for his chariots and horses-whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and throughout the land of his dominion. ²⁰As for all the people who remained of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites (the people who were not Israelites)- ²¹their 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. ²²But Solomon did not consign any of the Israelites to slavery, because they were his men of war, his servants, his officers, his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and cavalry.²³They were also the chief officers over Solomon's projects: 550 supervisors over the people who did the work. ²⁴As soon as Pharaoh's daughter had come up from the City of David to the palace that Solomon had built for her, he built the supporting terraces.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

of the children: Leviticus 25:39

but they were men: 1 Kings 4:1-27, 1 Samuel 8:11, 1 Samuel 8:12, 2 Chronicles 8:9, 2 Chronicles 8:10

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 20:11 - tributaries 1 Kings 11:26 - Solomon's servant 1 Kings 12:4 - our yoke 1 Chronicles 12:18 - captains of the band 2 Chronicles 10:4 - grievous Song of Solomon 3:7 - threescore Jeremiah 34:14 - At the

Cross-References

Genesis 9:12
And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come:

Genesis 9:13
I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.

Genesis 9:15
I will remember My covenant between Me and you and all living creatures: Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.

Genesis 9:16
And whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of every kind that is on the earth."

Genesis 9:19
These three were the sons of Noah, and from them the whole earth was populated.

Genesis 9:20
Now Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard.

Genesis 9:21
But when he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and uncovered himself inside his tent.

Genesis 9:25
he said, "Cursed be Canaan! A servant of servants shall he be to his brothers."

Genesis 10:6
The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

1 Chronicles 1:8
The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen,.... For that was contrary to the law; they might be hired servants, but not bond servants, Leviticus 25:39

but they were men of war; which he kept in pay, a standing army, maintained even in time of peace, in case of necessity, should an enemy attempt to invade or surprise them:

and his servants; in his family and court, who had offices and employments there:

and his princes; ministers of state, counsellors, governors of cities, c.

and his captains officers in his army:

and rulers of his chariots and his horsemen; war chariots and troopers; see 1 Kings 9:19.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Comparing 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.