Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Kings 9:21
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.
21. whom the children of Israel also were not able utterly to destroy ] There is no word to represent ‘also’ in the original, nor does the English sentence require it. The utter destruction spoken of here is that which had been decreed upon them by God’s judgement, and which Israel was to be the agent in executing.
upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of bondservice ] The Hebrew noun here rendered ‘tribute’ is applied in a concrete sense to the ‘renderers of the tribute.’ The verb also here is literally ‘he caused to go up.’ As the narrative in this verse is dealing entirely with the persons it is better to render (as R.V.) of these did Solomon raise a levy of bondservants. Theirs was slave service, such as is alluded to in Jos 16:10.
unto this day ] A faithful copying by the compiler of the Books of Kings from some earlier record which lay before him, and which noted the continuation of this forced service for some time after the reign of Solomon.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
See 1Ki 5:15 note.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 21. A 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 laboured in these.
Diodor. Sic. Bibl., lib. i., c. 56.
It appears that Solomon might with propriety have placed a similar inscription on most of his works.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He used them as bond-men, and imposed burdens and bodily labours upon them. See 2Ch 2:18. Hence some think they are called Solomons servants, Ezr 2:55,58.
Quest. Why did not Solomon destroy them, as God had commanded, when now it was fully in his power to do so?
Answ. First, The command of destroying them, Deu 7:2, did chiefly, if not only, concern that generation of Canaanites who lived in or near the time of the Israelites entering into Canaan. Secondly, That command seems not to be absolute and universal, but conditional, and with some exception for those who should submit to them, and embrace the true religion, as may be gathered both from Jos 11:19, and from the history of the Gibeonites, Jos 9, whom Joshua did not sin in sparing, when he had sworn to do so; and Saul did sin in endeavouring to destroy them. But if Gods command had been absolute, the oaths of Joshua, and of the princes, could not have obliged them, nor dispensed with such a command.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Their children that were left after them in the land,…. The posterity of those left unsubdued in the times of Joshua:
whom the children of Israel also were not able utterly to destroy; in later times, though now it is thought by some it was not for want of power, but because they had made a covenant with them, as the Gibeonites did, and therefore they could not, because it would have been a breach of covenant to have destroyed them; see 2Ch 8:8,
upon these did Solomon levy a tribute of bond service unto this day; not a tribute of money, which being poor they were not able to pay, but of service, and which being once laid on was continued, and even to the time of the writing of this book.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
21. Levy a tribute of bondservice A considerable portion of the levies of men employed by Solomon in his public works was doubtless drawn from the ranks of the subjugated nations.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Ki 9:21 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.
Ver. 21. Were not able utterly to destroy. ] Once they could, but did not; afterwards they would have done it, but were not able.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
bondservice. See note on 1Ki 9:22.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
left: Jdg 1:21, Jdg 1:27-35, Jdg 2:20-23, Jdg 3:1-4, Psa 106:34-36
not: Jos 15:63, Jos 17:12, Jos 17:16-18
levy: 1Ki 9:15, 1Ki 5:13, Jdg 1:28, Jdg 1:35
tribute: He made them do the most laborious parts of the public works, the Israelites being exempt from all but the more honourable employments.
bondservice: Gen 9:25, Gen 9:26, Ezr 2:55-58, Neh 7:57, Neh 11:3
Reciprocal: Deu 20:11 – tributaries Jos 9:8 – General Jos 16:10 – they drave 1Ch 20:3 – with saws 1Ch 22:2 – the strangers 2Ch 2:17 – numbered Ezr 2:58 – Solomon’s Neh 5:4 – the king’s tribute Psa 72:9 – They that