1 Kings 9:20-21
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It’s easy to skim over this list, but notice that these are the very same peoples God told Israel to drive out completely in Deuteronomy and other early books! This verse isn't just stating facts; it's showing a subtle but crucial shift: instead of the enemy that must be eradicated, they’ve become a labor force, still present but no longer a spiritual threat to the nation. This reveals a dangerous complacency that allowed the "Amorites" of our own lives to remain, not as overt enemies, but as a soft, persistent influence.
All the people who were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of the people of Israel— their descendants who were left after them in the land, whom the people of Israel were unable to devote to destruction—these Solomon drafted to be slaves, and so they are to this day.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After God establishes peace and prosperity for Solomon and Israel, He warns him against idolatry and assures him of His presence. This verse immediately follows God's serious cautions, detailing how the remaining Canaanite peoples—descendants of the original inhabitants who were spared in Joshua's conquest—were conscripted into forced labor for Solomon's massive building projects, rather than being completely driven out as commanded earlier. This sets the stage for future struggles with foreign influences that will eventually plague the divided kingdom.
God's people were called to a promised land, but not everyone there was meant to stay. What happens when a mission isn't fully completed?
This verse highlights a crucial point in Israel's history: the conquest of Canaan was not an overnight event. It was a process, and as 1 Kings 9:20 shows, there were still non-Israelite peoples living in the land. These groups – Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites – were the descendants of those who had previously inhabited the land.
Their presence was a direct challenge to God's command for Israel to drive them out. This wasn't just about territory; it was about spiritual purity and obedience. Leaving these groups meant leaving potential sources of idolatry, false worship, and moral corruption within the very borders God had set apart for His people.
The underlying issue was obedience. God's instructions were clear: 'You shall utterly destroy them.' The fact that they were still there signified a failure in fully carrying out God's directives, leaving a dangerous spiritual residue.
It's easy to think that 'leaving them alone' is harmless. But what dangers lie in proximity to those who don't share your foundational beliefs?
The continued presence of these nations wasn't merely a historical footnote; it represented a significant spiritual threat. God knew that these groups practiced idolatry and engaged in behaviors that were anathema to His holy standard.
Their survival in the land created a constant temptation for the Israelites to adopt their ways. This wasn't about cultural exchange; it was about spiritual assimilation. The risk was that the people of Israel would be drawn away from their unique covenant relationship with Yahweh and begin to worship the gods of the surrounding nations.
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This tension between Israel and the lingering Canaanites underscores a timeless spiritual principle: the danger of compromising with or being influenced by worldviews and practices that are contrary to God's truth. It's a warning against letting the 'way things have always been' among others dictate our own walk with God.
Understand the original words
’ĕmōrî · Hebrew Noun
A collective term for the pre-Israelite inhabitants of Canaan; biblically, these groups represent the indigenous pagan populations whose influence Israel was warned against.
chittî · Hebrew Noun
A powerful ancient people group, descendants of Heth, whom God promised to cast out from the land to make way for the inheritance of Israel.
Pĕrizzî · Hebrew Noun
One of the nations inhabiting Canaan; their presence in the land served as a test of Israel's faithfulness to the covenant and separation from idolatry.
chivvî · Hebrew Noun
A Canaanite people group; they are consistently mentioned among those indigenous populations whose religious practices were antithetical to the law of God.
Yĕbûsî · Hebrew Noun
The original inhabitants of Jerusalem before it was conquered by David; they represent the remnant of the Canaanite nations incorporated into the kingdom through labor or eventual subjugation.
charam · Hebrew Verb
Refers to the process of setting something or someone apart for God's purposes, often involving the total destruction of those who were enemies of God and His covenant people. It implies a state of being "devoted" or "consecrated" exclusively to the Lord's judgment or use.
mas · Hebrew Noun
An individual held in servitude, often without personal freedom or rights, frequently as a result of conquest or debt; in biblical history, it characterizes the state of those outside the covenant community or those under judgment.
This verse highlights that even after centuries of Israelite presence and conquest, remnants of the original Canaanite peoples (Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites) still existed in the land when Solomon undertook his massive building projects.
c. 1400 BC
Israelites Enter Canaan
Following their exodus from Egypt, the Israelites, after 40 years in the wilderness, began to enter and conquer the land of Canaan.
c. 13th-12th century BC
Conquest and Settlement of Canaan
Under leaders like Joshua, the Israelites waged wars to subdue the Canaanite inhabitants, gradually settling the land.
c. 10th century BC— this verse
United Monarchy and Temple Construction
King Solomon built the First Temple in Jerusalem, a monumental project requiring vast resources and labor.
c. 970-931 BC
Solomon's Reign
Solomon's reign was marked by peace and prosperity but also by his extensive building projects and foreign marriages, which later contributed to the kingdom's division.
931 BC
Division of the Kingdom
Following Solomon's death, the united kingdom split into two: the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah.
This passage is a direct promise from God to drive out the nations before Israel, setting the stage for the fulfillment described in 1 Kings 9:20.
Deuteronomy 7:1Here, Moses explicitly commands Israel to dispossess and destroy the seven nations in the Promised Land, highlighting the purpose behind God's command and Israel's task.
Joshua 11:16-20This section details the extensive conquest of the land, showing how Joshua and the Israelites carried out the directive to subdue these very peoples mentioned in 1 Kings.
Judges 1:27-36This passage reveals that Israel did not fully drive out all the inhabitants, explaining why some of these nations (like the Canaanites, who encompass many of the groups listed) remained as a lingering presence in the land.
It’s easy to skim over this list, but notice that these are the very same peoples God told Israel to drive out completely in Deuteronomy and other early books! This verse isn't just stating facts; it's showing a subtle but crucial shift: instead of the enemy that must be eradicated, they’ve become a labor force, still present but no longer a spiritual threat to the nation. This reveals a dangerous complacency that allowed the "Amorites" of our own lives to remain, not as overt enemies, but as a soft, persistent influence.
After God establishes peace and prosperity for Solomon and Israel, He warns him against idolatry and assures him of His presence. This verse immediately follows God's serious cautions, detailing how the remaining Canaanite peoples—descendants of the original inhabitants who were spared in Joshua's conquest—were conscripted into forced labor for Solomon's massive building projects, rather than being completely driven out as commanded earlier. This sets the stage for future struggles with foreign influences that will eventually plague the divided kingdom.
After God establishes peace and prosperity for Solomon and Israel, He warns him against idolatry and assures him of His presence. This verse immediately follows God's serious cautions, detailing how the remaining Canaanite peoples—descendants of the original inhabitants who were spared in Joshua's conquest—were conscripted into forced labor for Solomon's massive building projects, rather than being completely driven out as commanded earlier. This sets the stage for future struggles with foreign influences that will eventually plague the divided kingdom.
"All the people who were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of the people of Israel— their descendants who were left after them in the land, whom the people of Israel were unable…" — It’s easy to skim over this list, but notice that these are the very same peoples God told Israel to drive out completely in Deuteronomy and other early books! This verse isn't just stating facts;…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
