10 It came about at the end of twenty years in which Solomon had built the two houses , the house of the Lord and the king's house 11 (Hiram king of Tyre had supplied Solomon with cedar and cypress timber and gold according to all his desire ), then King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee . 12 So Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him, and they did not please e him. 13 He said , "What are these cities which you have given me, my brother ?" So they were called the land of Cabul to this day . 14 And Hiram sent to the king 120 e talents of gold .
15 Now this is the account of the forced labor which King Solomon levied to build the house of the Lord , his own house , the Millo , the wall of Jerusalem , Hazor , Megiddo , and Gezer . 16 For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up and captured Gezer and burned it with fire , and killed the Canaanites who lived in the city , and had given it as a dowry to his daughter , Solomon's wife . 17 So Solomon rebuilt Gezer and the lower Beth-horon 18 and Baalath and Tamar in the wilderness , in the land of Judah, 19 and all the storage cities which Solomon had , even the cities for his chariots and the cities for his horsemen , and all that it pleased e Solomon to build in Jerusalem , in Lebanon , and in all the land under his rule . 20 As for all the people who were left of the Amorites , the Hittites , the Perizzites , the Hivites and the Jebusites , who were not of the sons of Israel , 21 their descendants who were left after them in the land whom the sons of Israel were unable e to destroy utterly , from them Solomon levied forced laborers e , even to this day . 22 But Solomon did not make slaves of the sons of Israel ; for they were men of war , his servants , his princes , his captains , his chariot commanders , and his horsemen . 23 These were the chief officers who were over Solomon's work , five hundred and fifty , who ruled over the people doing the work .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 9:10-23
Commentary on 1 Kings 9:10-14
(Read 1 Kings 9:10-14)
Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities. Hiram did not like them. If Solomon would gratify him, let it be in his own element, by becoming his partner in trade, as he did. See how the providence of God suits this earth to the various tempers of men, and the dispositions of men to the earth, and all for the good of mankind in general.
Commentary on 1 Kings 9:15-28
(Read 1 Kings 9:15-28)
Here is a further account of Solomon's greatness. He began at the right end, for he built God's house first, and finished that before he began his own; then God blessed him, and he prospered in all his other buildings. Let piety begin, and profit follow; leave pleasure to the last. Whatever pains we take for the glory of God, and to profit others, we are likely to have the advantage. Canaan, the holy land, the glory of all lands, had no gold in it; which shows that the best produce is that which is for the present support of life, our own and others; such things did Canaan produce. Solomon got much by his merchandise, and yet has directed us to a better trade, within reach of the poorest. Wisdom is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold, Proverbs 3:14.