10 And it cometh to pass, at the end of twenty years, that Solomon hath built the two houses, the house of Jehovah, and the house of the king. 11 Hiram king of Tyre hath assisted Solomon with cedar-trees, and with fir-trees, and with gold, according to all his desire; then doth king Solomon give to Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. 12 And Hiram cometh out from Tyre to see the cities that Solomon hath given to him, and they have not been right in his eyes, 13 and he saith, 'What 'are' these cities that thou hast given to me, my brother?' and one calleth them the land of Cabul unto this day. 14 And Hiram sendeth to the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold.
15 And this 'is' the matter of the tribute that king Solomon hath lifted up, to build the house of Jehovah, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer, 16 (Pharaoh king of Egypt hath gone up and doth capture Gezer, and doth burn it with fire, and the Canaanite who is dwelling in the city he hath slain, and giveth it 'with' presents to his daughter, wife of Solomon.) 17 And Solomon buildeth Gezer, and Beth-Horon the lower, 18 and Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land; 19 and all the cities of stores that king Solomon hath, and the cities of the chariots, and the cities of the horsemen, and the desire of Solomon that he desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. 20 The whole of the people that is left of the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, who 'are' not of the sons of Israel— 21 their sons who are left behind them in the land, whom the sons of Israel have not been able to devote—he hath even lifted up 'on' them a tribute of service unto this day. 22 And out of the sons of Israel Solomon hath not appointed a servant, for they 'are' the men of war, and his servants, and his heads, and his captains, and the heads of his chariots, and his horsemen. 23 These 'are' the heads of the officers who 'are' over the work of Solomon, fifty and five hundred, those ruling among the people who are labouring in 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.