1 Kings 9:21their children who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel were not able utterly to destroy, of them did Solomon raise a levy of bondservants to this day.
The setting
Jerusalem, Israel, ~950 BC. Solomon's massive building projects require enormous labor. The Canaanites who escaped Joshua's conquest 400 years earlier now serve as forced laborers under Solomon's administration...
The emotion here: matter-of-fact recording of uncomfortable political reality
The original word
mas (מַס) — forced labor, corvée system of mandatory public service
Why it matters
These Canaanite peoples included Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites
Read with care
What most readers miss in 1 Kings 9:21
This verse explains why certain ethnic groups still lived in the Promised Land despite God's commands
Common misconceptionPeople assume this endorses slavery, but it's actually explaining how incomplete obedience to God's commands created long-term social problems.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 1 Kings 9:21
Bible Genome reading
1 Kings 9:21 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
1 Kings 9:21 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 10% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include oppression, policy decisions, consequences. Notable phrases: Solomon raise a levy; forced labor.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does 1 Kings 9:21 mean to you, today?
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