There were people in the land that were not Israelites. Those people were the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
Ezra 2:58 - Easy To Read Version The temple servants and descendants\par of Solomon’s servants392\par Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon's servants, were three hundred ninety and two. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition All the Nethinim [the temple servants] and the sons of Solomon's servants were 392. American Standard Version (1901) All the Nethinim, and the children of Solomon’s servants, were three hundred ninety and two. Common English Bible All of the temple servants and the family of Solomon’s servants 392 Catholic Public Domain Version all the temple servants and the sons of the servants of Solomon, three hundred ninety-two. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version All the Nathinites, and the children of the servants of Solomon, three hundred ninety-two. |
There were people in the land that were not Israelites. Those people were the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
The Israelites had not been able to destroy those people. But Solomon forced them to work for him as slaves. They are still slaves today.
The first people to come back and live in their own lands and towns were some Israelites, priests, Levites, and servants that work in the temple. {\cf2\super [85]}
Some people came to Jerusalem from these towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer. But these people could not prove that their families were from the family of Israel:
\{Many people of Israel came with Ezra.\} Those were priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants. Those people of Israel arrived in Jerusalem during the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
The temple servants lived on Ophel Hill. They fixed the next section all the way to the east side of the Water Gate and the tower near it.
The temple servants and the\par descendants of Solomon’s servants392\par
I bought men slaves and women slaves. And there were slaves born in my house. I owned many great things. I had herds of cattle and flocks of sheep. I owned more things than any other person in Jerusalem.
So let them live. But they will be our servants. They will cut wood for us and carry water for all of our people.” So the leaders did not break their promise of peace to those people.
Now, your people will have many troubles. All of your people will be slaves—they will have to cut wood and carry water for the house of God. [46] ”
Joshua made the people of Gibeon become slaves of the people of Israel. They cut wood and carried water for the people of Israel and for the altar of the Lord—wherever the Lord chose it to be. Those people are still slaves today.