1 Kings 9:10-14

1 Kings 9:10-14

[10] And it came to pass at the end  of twenty  years,  when Solomon  had built  the two  houses,  of the LORD,  and the king's  house,  [11] (Now Hiram  the king  of Tyre  had furnished  Solomon  with cedar  trees  and fir  trees,  and with gold,  according to all his desire,)  that then  king  Solomon  gave  Hiram  twenty  cities  in the land  of Galilee.  [12] And Hiram  came out  from Tyre  to see  the cities  which Solomon  had given  him; and they pleased  him not. [13] And he said,  What cities  are these which thou hast given  me, my brother?  And he called  them the land  of Cabul  unto this day.  [14] And Hiram  sent  to the king  sixscore  talents  of gold. 

What does 1 Kings 9:10-14 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Solomon mortgaged20 Galilean towns (settlements) bordering Phoenicia to Hiram. This brought the border of Phoenicia farther south. This arrangement compensated Hiram for all the lumber and9 ,000 pounds of gold he had sent to Solomon for his building projects. Hiram may have called them Cabul, a word that sounds like the Hebrew word for "good for nothing" ( 1 Kings 9:13), because they were not in a productive region. This cheap gift did not contribute to ongoing good relations between Israel and Phoenicia.
"The border villages may have been fortified for defence [1] purposes and seem to have been redeemed later ( 2 Chronicles 8:2), perhaps following successful trade ( 1 Kings 9:14) or tribute brought from Sheba (cf. 1 Kings 10:10)." [2]
"This episode shows a conniving side of Solomon." [3]