1 Kings 9:15
in 1 Kings 9This is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon imposed to build the house of the LORD, his own palace, the supporting terraces, and the wall of Jerusalem, as well as Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And this is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised, to build the house of Jehovah, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.
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.
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This verse in 1 Kings 9
Commentary
2 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Levy - See the marginal reference note. Millo - See 2Sa 5:9 note. The Septuagint commonly render the word ἡ ἄκρα hē akra, “the citadel,” and it may possibly have been the fortress on Mount Zion connected with the Maccabean struggles (1 Macc. 4:41; 13:49-52). Its exact site has not been determined. And the wall of Jerusalem - David’s fortification 2Sa 5:9; 1Ch 11:8 had been hasty, and had now - fifty years later - fallen into decay. Solomon therefore had to “repair the breaches of the city of David” 1Ki 11:
This site's exposition
the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor
on 1 Kings 9:15-19
This is the reason of the levy names the building program plainly: the house of the Lord, Solomon's own house, Millo, Jerusalem's wall, and the fortress cities Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer, a list that puts the temple first and the frontier last. Gezer's history explains why it needed rebuilding: Pharaoh had burned it and given it as dowry with his daughter, so an Egyptian king's campaign becomes Solomon's construction project. The list closes with store cities, chariot cities, and whatever Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and every part of his dominion, the same acquisitive reach the law of the king had already warned against.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
And this is the review of the tax. Described at the end of this topic, “All the people that remained, etc., 12 Below v. Shlomo levied a tax of labor.” 13 Below v. The tax levy was to build all these [structures].
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
24 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְזֶ֨ה | vezeh | and this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| דְבַר־ | devar- | [is] [the] word of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַמַּ֜ס | hamas | the forced labor | H4522 → | 23 times |
| אֲשֶֽׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הֶעֱלָ֣ה׀ | heelah | he raised | H5927 → | 890 times |
| הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| שְׁלֹמֹ֗ה | shelomoh | Solomon | H8010 → | 291 times |
| לִבְנוֹת֩ | livnot | to build | H1129 → | 376 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בֵּ֨ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יְהוָ֤ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בֵּיתוֹ֙ | beito | own house his | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמִּלּ֔וֹא | hamilo' | the Millo | H4407 → | 6 times |
| וְאֵ֖ת | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| חוֹמַ֣ת | chomat | [the] wall of | H2346 → | 133 times |
| יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם | yerushalim | Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| חָצֹ֥ר | chatzor | Hazor | H2674 → | |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מְגִדּ֖וֹ | megido | Megiddo | H4023 → | |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| גָּֽזֶר׃ | gazer | Gezer | H1507 → | 15 times |
וְזֶ֨הand this
vezehH2088 →1180 times
דְבַר־[is] [the] word of
devar-H1697 →1440 times
הַמַּ֜סthe forced labor
hamasH4522 →23 times
אֲשֶֽׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
הֶעֱלָ֣ה׀he raised
heelahH5927 →890 times
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
שְׁלֹמֹ֗הSolomon
shelomohH8010 →291 times
לִבְנוֹת֩to build
livnotH1129 →376 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בֵּ֨ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
יְהוָ֤הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
בֵּיתוֹ֙own house his
beitoH1004 →2046 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הַמִּלּ֔וֹאthe Millo
hamilo'H4407 →6 times
וְאֵ֖תand <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
חוֹמַ֣ת[the] wall of
chomatH2346 →133 times
יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑םJerusalem
yerushalimH3389 →643 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
חָצֹ֥רHazor
chatzorH2674 →
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
מְגִדּ֖וֹMegiddo
megidoH4023 →
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
גָּֽזֶר׃Gezer
gazerH1507 →15 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Kings 9:24As soon as Pharaoh’s daughter had come up from the City of David to the palace that Solomon had built for her, he built the supporting terraces.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 11:27
and this is the account of his rebellion against the king. Solomon had built the supporting terraces and repaired the gap in the wall of the city of his father David.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Chronicles 32:5
Then Hezekiah worked resolutely to rebuild all the broken sections of the wall and to raise up towers on it. He also built an outer wall and reinforced the supporting terraces of the City…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Kings 7:8
And the palace where Solomon would live, set further back, was of similar construction. He also made a palace like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married.
- 2 Samuel 5:9
So David took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built it up all the way around, from the supporting terraces inward.
- 1 Kings 11:27
Through
2 Samuel 5:9So David took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built it up all the way around, from the supporting terraces inward.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 9:24
As soon as Pharaoh’s daughter had come up from the City of David to the palace that Solomon had built for her, he built the supporting terraces.
- 1 Kings 9:24
Through
Joshua 17:11Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh was assigned Beth-shean, Ibleam, Dor (that is, Naphath), Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo, each with their surrounding settlements.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 7:29
And along the borders of Manasseh were Beth-shean, Taanach, Megiddo, and Dor, together with their villages. The descendants of Joseph son of Israel lived in these towns.
- Joshua 12:23
the king of Dor in Naphath-dor, one; the king of Goiim in Gilgal, one;
- 1 Chronicles 7:29
Through
1 Kings 5:13Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 4:6
Ahishar was in charge of the palace; and Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of the forced labor.
- 1 Kings 4:6
About 1 Kings
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869) and Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament.