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21 Their descendants remained in the land (the Israelites were unable to wipe them out completely). Solomon conscripted them for his work crews, and they continue in that role to this very day.[a] 22 Solomon did not assign Israelites to these work crews;[b] the Israelites served as his soldiers, attendants, officers, charioteers, and commanders of his chariot forces.[c] 23 These men were also in charge of Solomon’s work projects; there were a total of 550 men who supervised the workers.[d]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 9:21 tn Heb “their sons who were left after them in the land, whom the sons of Israel were unable to wipe out, and Solomon raised them up for a crew of labor to this day.”
  2. 1 Kings 9:22 sn These work crews. The work crews referred to here must be different than the temporary crews described in 5:13-16.
  3. 1 Kings 9:22 tn Heb “officers of his chariots and his horses.”
  4. 1 Kings 9:23 tn Heb “these [were] the officials of the governors who were over the work belonging to Solomon, five hundred fifty, the ones ruling over the people, the ones doing the work.”

21 Solomon conscripted the descendants(A) of all these peoples remaining in the land—whom the Israelites could not exterminate[a](B)—to serve as slave labor,(C) as it is to this day. 22 But Solomon did not make slaves(D) 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(E) in charge of Solomon’s projects—550 officials supervising those who did the work.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 9:21 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.

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.

22 But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen: but they were men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots, and his horsemen.

23 These were the chief of the officers that were over Solomon's work, five hundred and fifty, which bare rule over the people that wrought in the work.

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