1 Kings 9:19

19 and he made strong all the towns, that pertained to him, and were without (a) wall, and the cities of chariots, and the cities of knights, and whatever thing (it) pleased him to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his power.

1 Kings 9:19 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 9:19

And all the cities of store that Solomon had
In which were his magazines of corn, arms, and ammunition; and these were built in Hamath, ( 2 Chronicles 8:4 )

and cities for his chariots;
chariots of war, iron chariots, which were kept in times of peace, in case of necessity, of which Solomon had 1400, ( 1 Kings 10:26 ) ,

and cities for his horsemen;
of which he had 12,000, a standing cavalry:

and that which Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem;
besides the temple and his own palace before mentioned; see ( Ecclesiastes 2:4 ) ,

and in Lebanon;
the house of the forest of Lebanon, which Junius on ( 1 Kings 7:2 ) thinks he built after he had taken Hamathzobah, a royal city of Lebanon; see ( 2 Chronicles 8:3 2 Chronicles 8:6 ) or fortresses on Mount Lebanon, which was the northern border of his kingdom:

and in all the land of his dominions;
where he might repair or fortify cities, or erect new forts for the safety of his kingdom; now for the doing of all this was the levy both of men and money raised, and of whom next follows.

1 Kings 9:19 In-Context

17 Therefore Solomon builded Gezer (And so Solomon rebuilt Gezer), and the lower Bethhoron,

18 and Baalath, and Tadmor in the land of (the) wilderness;

19 and he made strong all the towns, that pertained to him, and were without (a) wall, and the cities of chariots, and the cities of knights, and whatever thing (it) pleased him to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his power.

20 (And) Solomon made tributaries unto this day (of) all the people, that (were) left of the Amorites, Hittites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites, which be not of the sons of Israel,

21 the sons of these heathen men, that dwelled in the land, that is, which the sons of Israel might not destroy. (the sons of these heathen, who continued to live in the land, that is, they whom the Israelites did not destroy.)