1 Kings 9 · Verse 15

1 Kings 9:15

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, King James Version

1 Kings 9:15 in other translations

BSBThis 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.
WEBThis is the reason of the forced labor which King Solomon conscripted: to build the LORD’s house, his own house, Millo, Jerusalem’s wall, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.
ASVAnd 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.
YLTAnd this is the matter of the tribute that king Solomon hath lifted up, to build the house of Jehovah, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer,
DARBYAnd this is the account 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.
BBENow, this was the way of Solomon's system of forced work for the building of the Lord's house and of the king's house, and the Millo and the wall of Jerusalem and Megiddo and Gezer....
WebsterAnd this is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised, to build the house of the LORD, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.

What does 1 Kings 9:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Kings 9:15-25
15-24. this is the reason of the levy--A levy refers both to men and money, and the necessity for Solomon making it arose from the many gigantic works he undertook to erect. Millo--part of the fort of Jerusalem on Mount Zion (2Sa 5:9; 1Ch 11:8), or a row of stone bastions around Mount Zion, Millo being the great corner tower of that fortified wall (1Ki 11:27; 2Ch 32:5). the wall of Jerusalem--either repairing some breaches in it (1Ki 11:27), or extending it so as to enclose Mount Zion. Hazor--fortified on account of its importance as a town in the northern boundary of the country. Megiddo--(now Leijun)--Lying in the great caravan road between Egypt and Damascus, it was the key to the north of Palestine by the western lowlands, and therefore fortified. Gezer--on the western confines of Ephraim, and, though a Levitical city, occupied by the Canaanites. Having fallen by right of conquest to the king of Egypt, who for some cause attacked it, it was given by him as a dowry to his daughter, and fortified by Solomon.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 15 This is the reason of the levy - That is, in order to pay Hiram the sixscore talents of gold which he had borrowed from him (Hiram not being willing to take the Galilean cities mentioned above; or, having taken them, soon restored them again) he was obliged to lay a tax upon the people; and that this was a grievous and oppressive tax we learn from 1Kgs 12:1-4, where the elders of Israel came to Rehoboam, complaining of their heavy state of taxation, and entreating that their yoke might be made lighter. And Millo - This is supposed to have been a deep valley between Mount Sion and what was called the city of Jebus, which Solomon filled up, and it was built on, and became a sort of fortified place, and a place for public assemblies. - See Calmet.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Kings 9:15-28
Here is a further account of Solomon's greatness. He began at the right end, for he built God's house first, and finished that before he began his own; then God blessed him, and he prospered in all his other buildings. Let piety begin, and profit follow; leave pleasure to the last. Whatever pains we take for the glory of God, and to profit others, we are likely to have the advantage. Canaan, the holy land, the glory of all lands, had no gold in it; which shows that the best produce is that which is for the present support of life, our own and others; such things did Canaan produce. Solomon got much by his merchandise, and yet has directed us to a better trade, within reach of the poorest. Wisdom is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold, Pr 3:14.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

1 Kings 9:15 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְזֶ֨הve.Zehand thisH2088
דְבַר\־de.var-[is] [the] word ofH1697
הַמַּ֜סha.Masthe forced laborH4522
אֲשֶֽׁר\־'a.Sher-whichH834
הֶעֱלָ֣ה\׀he.'e.Lahhe raisedH5927
הַמֶּ֣לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
שְׁלֹמֹ֗הshe.lo.MohSolomonH8010
לִבְנוֹת֩liv.nOtto buildH1129
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
בֵּ֨יתbeit[the] house ofH1004
יְהוָ֤הYah.wehYahwehH3068
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
בֵּיתוֹ֙bei.Toown house hisH1004
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
הַמִּלּ֔וֹאha.mi.Lo'the MilloH4407
וְאֵ֖תve.'Etand <obj.>H853
חוֹמַ֣תcho.Mat[the] wall ofH2346
יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑םye.ru.sha.LimJerusalemH3389
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
חָצֹ֥רcha.TzorHazorH2674
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
מְגִדּ֖וֹme.gi.DoMegiddoH4023
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
גָּֽזֶר\׃Ga.zerGezerH1507

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Kings 9:15

  • 1 Kings 9:24

    But Pharaoh’s daughter came up out of the city of David unto her house which Solomon had built for her: then did he build Millo.

  • 2 Samuel 5:9

    So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.

  • Joshua 17:11

    And Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher Beth–shean and her towns, and Ibleam and her towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Endor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and her towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns, even three countries.

  • 1 Kings 5:13

    And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.

  • Joshua 19:36

    And Adamah, and Ramah, and Hazor,

  • Joshua 11:1

    And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph,

  • Judges 1:29

    Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.

  • Joshua 16:10

    And they drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute.

  • 2 Chronicles 8:1

    And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the Lord, and his own house,

  • Judges 5:19

    The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.

  • Zechariah 12:11

    In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.

  • 2 Kings 9:27

    But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu followed after him, and said, Smite him also in the chariot. And they did so at the going up to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
A.M. 2989-3029. B.C. 1015-975. the reason.
21; 5:13
to build.
10; 6:38; 7:1; 2Ch 8:1
Millo.Millo is said to have been a deep valley, between the ancient city of Jebus and the city of David on mount Zion. This Solomon filled up, and built upon; and it became a fortified place, and a place for public assemblies.
24; 11:27; Jud 9:6,20; 2Sa 5:9; 2Ki 12:20
the wall.
Ps 51:18
Hazor.Probably the city Hazor in Naphtali, and the famous capital of Jabin, situated in the lake Merom or Semechon, and placed by Josephus south of Tyre, near Ptolemais.
Jos 11:1; 19:36; Jud 4:2; 2Ki 15:29
Megiddo.
4:12; Jos 17:11; Jud 5:19; 2Ki 9:27; 23:29,30; 2Ch 35:22; Zec 12:11
Gezer.
16,17; Jos 10:33; 16:10; 21:21; Jud 1:29; 1Ch 6:67; 20:4

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Kings 9:14

    And Hiram sent to the king sixscore talents of gold.

  • 1 Kings 9:15

    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 9:16

    For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it for a present unto his daughter, Solomon’s wife.

Read all of 1 Kings 9

1 Kings 9:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y esta es la razón del tributo que el rey Salomón impuso para edificar la casa de Jehová, y su casa, y á Millo, y el muro de Jerusalem, y á Hasor, y Megiddo, y Gezer.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et c’est ici ce qui concerne la levée que fit le roi Salomon pour bâtir la maison de l’ Éternel, et sa propre maison, et Millo, et la muraille de Jérusalem, et Hatsor, et Meguiddo, et Guézer.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und dies ist die Sache mit der Fron, welche der König Salomo aushob, um das Haus Jehovas zu bauen und sein Haus und das Millo und die Mauer von Jerusalem, und Hazor und Megiddo und Geser.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Hæc est summa expensarum quam obtulit rex Salomon ad ædificandam domum Domini et domum suam, et Mello, et murum Jerusalem, et Heser, et Mageddo, et Gazer.