1 Kings 9:12

12 So Hiram traveled from Tyre to see the towns Solomon had given him, but when he saw them, he was not pleased.

1 Kings 9:12 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 9:12

And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon
had given him
For these cities, being in or near Galilee, were not far from Tyre:

and they pleased him not;
being either out of repair, as some think; see ( 2 Chronicles 8:2 ) or the ground barren, and unfruitful; which is not likely, being in a very fruitful country, as the tribes on which they bordered were: but they were not agreeable to him, they did not suit with the disposition of him and his people, who were given not to husbandry, but to merchandise; and the land about these would require a good deal of pains and labour to till, which they were not used to.

1 Kings 9:12 In-Context

10 By the end of twenty years, King Solomon had built two buildings -- the Temple of the Lord and the royal palace.

11 At that time King Solomon gave twenty towns in Galilee to Hiram king of Tyre, because Hiram had helped with the buildings. Hiram had given Solomon all the cedar, pine, and gold he wanted.

12 So Hiram traveled from Tyre to see the towns Solomon had given him, but when he saw them, he was not pleased.

13 He asked, "What good are these towns you have given me, my brother?" So he named them the Land of Cabul, and they are still called that today.

14 Hiram had sent Solomon about nine thousand pounds of gold.