· Translation: KJV

1 Kings 9:20As for all the people who were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of the children of Israel;

The setting

Ancient Israel, ~950 BC. Solomon systematically enslaves non-Israelite populations for his building projects. These were descendants of Canaan's original inhabitants.

The emotion here: uncomfortable recording Solomon's departure from God's justice

The original word

nowthar (נוֹתַר) — those remaining, survivors, the leftovers

Why it matters

This policy violated God's commands about treating foreigners with justice

Read with care

What most readers miss in 1 Kings 9:20

This marks the beginning of Solomon's drift from God's heart for all nations

Common misconceptionPeople think this shows God endorsing slavery or ethnic superiority, but it's actually recording Solomon's moral compromise that led to his downfall.

Bible Genome reading

1 Kings 9:20 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerNarrator
EraUnited Kingdom
Primary emotiondeciding
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power20%
Quotability30%
Memorability40%
Crisis relevance30%
Standalone40%
Themes:conquest aftermathethnic relations

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 1 Kings 9

1 Kings 9:20 comes from the book of 1 Kings, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include conquest aftermath, ethnic relations. Notable phrases: people who were left; not of the children of Israel.

Your reflection

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