Literally, “slaves.” The same word is used in speaking of Egypt as a “house of bondage” (Ex. 13:3; Deut. 5:6; etc.). The king had the power of life or death over his subjects, and in, most of the nations of the Near East the people existed primarily for the benefit of the king, who could do with them as he wished. Not only did the people supply the needs of the king’s household, but they provided him with means by which to enrich his favorites, whether wives and concubines or civil and military officers.