Discovery Box1 Kings 9:10-13 
Context9:10 After twenty years, during which Solomon built the Lord’s temple and the royal palace, 1 9:11 King Solomon gave King Hiram of Tyre 2 twenty cities in the region of Galilee, because Hiram had supplied Solomon with cedars, evergreens, and all the gold he wanted. 9:12 When Hiram went out from Tyre to inspect the cities Solomon had given him, he was not pleased with them. 3 9:13 Hiram asked, 4 “Why did you give me these cities, my friend 5 ?” He called that area the region of Cabul, a name which it has retained to this day. 6
1 tn Heb “the two houses, the house of the
2 map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
3 tn Heb “they were not agreeable in his eyes.”
4 tn Heb “and he said.”
5 tn Heb “my brother.” Kings allied through a parity treaty would sometimes address each other as “my brother.” See 1 Kgs 20:32-33.
6 tn Heb “he called them the land of Cabul to this day.” The significance of the name is unclear, though it appears to be disparaging. The name may be derived from a root, attested in Akkadian and Arabic, meaning “bound” or “restricted.” Some propose a wordplay, pointing out that the name “Cabul” sounds like a Hebrew phrase meaning, “like not,” or “as good as nothing.”
