1 Kings 9:12

12 And Hiram came out of Tyre, to see the towns which Solomon had given him, and they pleased him not;

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 And when twenty years were ended, after Solomon had built the two houses; that is, the house of the Lord, and the house of the king,

11 (Hiram, the king of Tyre, furnishing Solomon with cedar trees, and fir trees, and gold, according to all he had need of) then Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.

12 And Hiram came out of Tyre, to see the towns which Solomon had given him, and they pleased him not;

13 And he said: Are these the cities which thou hast given me, brother? And he called them the land of Chabul, unto this day.

14 And Hiram sent to king Solomon a hundred and twenty talents of gold.