1 Kings 9:21

Their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel also were not able vtterly to destroy, vpon those did Solomon leuie a tribute of bond-seruice vnto this day. 1 Kings 9:21 (KJV)

The passage records the presence of non‑Israelite peoples who remained in the Promised Land after the conquests of King David. These peoples included the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Although David had defeated these nations, the Israelites were not able to completely eradicate them, and their descendants continued to live in the land.

When Solomon completed the temple and his own palace, he turned his attention to a series of building projects throughout the kingdom. Rather than attempting further extermination, Solomon imposed a tribute of bondservice on the remaining members of those nations. The tribute consisted of forced labor or servitude, effectively making the non‑Israelite residents subjects and workers for the royal projects.

The text makes clear that this levy was not placed upon the children of Israel. Instead, the Israelites were appointed to higher positions within the administration and the military. They served as men of war, princes, captains, rulers of chariots, and horsemen, reflecting a distinction between the treatment of the indigenous non‑Israelite population and that of the Israelite community.

Solomon’s use of bondservice illustrates how the kingdom leveraged the labor of the peoples who could not be driven out, while simultaneously elevating the native Israelites to leadership roles. This arrangement sustained the extensive construction efforts that defined Solomon’s reign and underscored the lasting impact of the incomplete conquest recorded in the earlier generations of Israel’s history.