1 Kings 9:21-28

21 Solomon conscripted the descendants of all these peoples remaining in the land—whom the Israelites could not exterminate^[a] —to serve as slave labor, as it is to this day.

22 But Solomon did not make slaves of any of the Israelites; they were his fighting men, his government officials, his officers, his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and charioteers.

23 They were also the chief officials in charge of Solomon’s projects—550 officials supervising those who did the work.

24 After Pharaoh’s daughter had come up from the City of David to the palace Solomon had built for her, he constructed the terraces.

25 Three times a year Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar he had built for the LORD, burning incense before the LORD along with them, and so fulfilled the temple obligations.

26 King Solomon also built ships at Ezion Geber, which is near Elath in Edom, on the shore of the Red Sea.^[b]

27 And Hiram sent his men—sailors who knew the sea—to serve in the fleet with Solomon’s men.

28 They sailed to Ophir and brought back 420 talents^[c] of gold, which they delivered to King Solomon.

1 Kings 9:21-28 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 9

This chapter relates a second vision Solomon had at Gibeon, in which he received an answer to his prayer in the preceding chapter, 1Ki 9:1-9 that passed between him and Hiram king of Tyre, 1Ki 9:10-14, the places that Solomon built or repaired, 1Ki 9:15-19, the Canaanitish people that became bondmen to him, and the officers he had among the children of Israel, 1Ki 9:20-23 the removal of Pharaoh's daughter to the house built for her, 1Ki 9:24. Solomon's attention to religious services, 1Ki 9:25 and the navy of ships he employed, which brought him in great riches, 1Ki 9:26-28.

Cross References

• 1. S Genesis 9:25-26
• 2. S Joshua 15:63; Joshua 17:12; Jdg 1:21,27,29
• 3. S Genesis 49:15; S Exodus 1:11; S Deuteronomy 20:11; Ezra 2:55,58
• 4. S Leviticus 25:39
• 5. 1 Kings 5:16
• 6. S 1 Kings 3:1; 1 Kings 7:8
• 7. 2 Samuel 5:9; 1 Kings 11:27; 2 Chronicles 32:5
• 8. S Exodus 23:14; 2Ch 8:12-13,16
• 9. 1 Kings 10:22; 1 Kings 22:48; 2 Chronicles 20:37; Isaiah 2:16
• 10. S Numbers 33:35; Deuteronomy 2:8
• 11. 2 Kings 14:22; 2 Kings 16:6
• 12. 1 Kings 10:11; Ezekiel 27:8
• 13. S Genesis 10:29; 1 Chronicles 29:4
• 14. ver 14; 1Ki 10:10,11,14,21; 2 Chronicles 1:15; Ecclesiastes 2:8

Footnotes

• [a]. The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
• [b]. Or "the Sea of Reeds"
• [c]. That is, about 16 tons or about 14 metric tons