1 Kings 9 15

1 Kings 9:15 kjv

And this is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised; for to build the house of the LORD, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.

1 Kings 9:15 nkjv

And this is the reason for the labor force which King Solomon raised: to build the house of the LORD, his own house, the Millo, the wall of Jerusalem, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.

1 Kings 9:15 niv

Here is the account of the forced labor King Solomon conscripted to build the LORD's temple, his own palace, the terraces, the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer.

1 Kings 9:15 esv

And this is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon drafted to build the house of the LORD and his own house and the Millo and the wall of Jerusalem and Hazor and Megiddo and Gezer

1 Kings 9:15 nlt

This is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon conscripted to build the LORD's Temple, the royal palace, the supporting terraces, the wall of Jerusalem, and the cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.

1 Kings 9 verses

1 Kings 9 15 Meaning

King Solomon levied a forced labor system, drawing upon manpower to execute his vast building projects. These included the construction of the Temple for the Lord, his own royal palace, the reinforcement of the Millo and the wall of Jerusalem, and the fortification of the strategically important cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. This verse highlights the significant scale of Solomon’s architectural achievements and the substantial human resource expenditure required for them.

1 Kings 9 15 Context

1 Kings chapter 9 serves as a bridge between Solomon's immense building successes and the later decline of his reign. The preceding chapters (5-8) detail the glorious construction of the Temple, dedicated to God, and Solomon's grand royal palace. Verse 15 marks the culmination of the twenty years of major construction projects, following God's second appearance to Solomon (9:1-9), which delivered both blessing and stern warning concerning Israel's continued faithfulness. This verse sets the stage for a discussion of Solomon's labor policies and his extensive territorial defenses, immediately preceding details about his dealings with Hiram, his revenue, and his increasingly diverse activities. It underscores the vast extent of his royal undertakings and, implicitly, the burden placed upon the populace to achieve such grandiosity, a burden that would eventually lead to the division of the kingdom in Rehoboam's time.

1 Kings 9 15 Word analysis

• And this (וְזֶה, wəzeh): Simply "and this," introducing a summary statement. It connects back to the grand building projects described.
• is the levy (הַמַּס, hammas): The definite article "ha-" emphasizes the specific "mas." The Hebrew word mas refers to a tax, tribute, or forced labor (corvée). It often signifies a compulsory service or imposition by a ruler. The presence of mas recalls the very bondage from which God delivered Israel in Egypt (e.g., Exod 1:11, "slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor"). Its application by an Israelite king on Israelites, or those under Israelite dominion, highlights a potential departure from the ideals of freedom embodied in the Exodus.
• of forced labor (הַמַּס, hammas): Repeated here for emphasis on the specific nature of the levy. This isn't just financial tribute but involves conscription of human labor.
• which King Solomon (אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלָה הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה, ʾašer heʿĕlāh hammɛlek Šlōmōh): Literally "that King Solomon brought up/raised." The verb heʿĕlāh (הֶעֱלָה) means to cause to ascend, bring up, or in this context, "levy" or "impose." It signifies an active measure taken by the king.
• raised (הֶעֱלָה, heʿĕlāh): Implies an organized, official action, asserting royal authority.
• to build (לִבְנוֹת, livnōṯ): "To build," signifying the purpose of the levy. This direct purpose underlines the scope of Solomon’s ambition and dedication to his construction programs.
• the house of the Lord (אֶת־בֵּית יְהוָה, ʾeṯ-bêṯ Yahweh): Refers to the Temple in Jerusalem. Its construction was mandated by God and was the most significant project. This highlights that even sacred projects sometimes required kingly imposition.
• and his own house (וְאֶת־בֵּיתוֹ, wəʾeṯ-bêṯō): Refers to Solomon's royal palace complex. The juxtaposition with "house of the Lord" shows that personal prestige and comfort were intertwined with religious devotion, taking almost as long to build (1 Kgs 7:1).
• the Millo (הַמִּלּוֹא, hammillōʾ): A filled-in terrace or rampart structure, likely part of the city defenses, connected to the City of David in Jerusalem. Strengthening it indicated strategic military and administrative concerns for the capital.
• and the wall of Jerusalem (וְאֶת־חוֹמַת יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם, wəʾeṯ-ḥōmaṯ Yərûšālayim): Rebuilding and fortifying the city's walls was crucial for defense and symbolic of royal power and security.
• Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer (חָצוֹר וּמְגִדּוֹ וְגָזֶר, Ḥāṣōr ū-Məgiddō wə-Gāzer): These three cities were key strategic locations controlling important trade routes and approaches into the central highlands of Israel. Their fortification by Solomon highlights his consolidation of power and defense of his kingdom. Hazor in the north, Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley (central), and Gezer in the west (near the Philistine border), demonstrate a widespread defensive infrastructure. Gezer specifically was part of the dowry Solomon received from Pharaoh (1 Kgs 9:16). This geographical scope emphasizes the king's extensive control over the land and its resources.

1 Kings 9 15 Bonus section

The mas (forced labor) under Solomon reveals a shift in the kingdom of Israel towards administrative structures typical of other ancient Near Eastern empires. Israel, which had been liberated from the corvée labor of Egypt, ironically adopted a similar system. This introduces a tension between God's design for a covenant nation founded on freedom and the growing burden of a powerful, centralized monarchy, echoing the warnings of Samuel (1 Sam 8). While Solomon initially may have limited Israelite forced labor to "taskmasters" overseeing foreign laborers, or lighter duties for Israelites (as some commentaries and 2 Chr 8:9-10 suggest), the scale of his projects ultimately implied an extensive imposition felt by all, which ultimately generated resentment and paved the way for civil unrest and division after his death. The fortified cities, in addition to their military function, would also serve as administrative and economic centers, further consolidating royal control over the regions and facilitating the extraction of resources.

1 Kings 9 15 Commentary

1 Kings 9:15 concisely details the culmination of King Solomon's monumental building endeavors, explicitly linking them to the system of mas, or forced labor. While the construction of the glorious Temple for Yahweh certainly reflected devotion and piety, the inclusion of Solomon's opulent palace, the crucial fortifications of Jerusalem (Millo and the city wall), and strategically important regional cities like Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer underscores the king's earthly ambitions. This extensive building program signifies Solomon's unprecedented wealth, power, and desire to secure his vast kingdom. However, the reliance on forced labor carries significant implications, as it foreshadows the severe economic burden placed on the populace, especially Israelites, despite later distinctions between Israelite and non-Israelite laborers (1 Kgs 9:20-22). This imposition ultimately became a critical grievance that led to the division of the kingdom under Rehoboam (1 Kgs 12). Thus, the verse, though describing success, implicitly sets a stage for the inherent tensions and eventual pitfalls of centralized royal power, hinting that such grandeur often comes at a significant cost to the people and can erode the foundational principles of the nation of Israel as a free people, set apart from nations that operated through such oppressive systems.