Bible Strands
1 Kings 9:21
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.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator describes Solomon’s administrative policy regarding the indigenous populations after the initial tribal allotments, following God’s prior address to Solomon about temple dedication.
The words — נֹתְרוּ (no.te.Ru) = they were left; יָכְלוּ (ya.khe.Lu) = they were able. These terms frame the verse’s core action: the Israelites’ prior inability to fully displace the Canaanites and Solomon’s subsequent conscription of those remaining people.
The thread — The text echoes the persistent pattern of incomplete displacement recorded in Joshua 15:63, Joshua 17:12, and Judges 1:21, where earlier tribes also failed to drive out specific Canaanite groups.
Why it lands — It records that Solomon conscripted the surviving non-Israelite populations for forced labor, explicitly contrasting this practice with the later exemption of Israelites from slavery.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Joshua 15:63 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.
- Joshua 17:12 But the descendants of Manasseh were unable to occupy these cities, because the Canaanites were determined to stay in this land.
- Judges 1:21 The Benjamites, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the Benjamites.
- Genesis 9:25 he said, “Cursed be Canaan! A servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”
- Ezra 2:55 The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, the descendants of Hassophereth, the descendants of Peruda,
- Nehemiah 7:57 The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, the descendants of Sophereth, the descendants of Perida,
- Nehemiah 11:3 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—
- Joshua 17:16 “The hill country is not enough for us,” they replied, “and all the Canaanites who live in the valley have iron chariots, both in Beth-shean with its towns and in the Valley of Jezreel.”
- Judges 1:27 At that time Manasseh failed to drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and their villages; for the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land.
- Judges 2:20 So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed the covenant I laid down for their fathers and has not heeded My voice,