Bible Strands
1 Kings 9:12
So Hiram went out from Tyre to inspect the towns that Solomon had given him, but he was not pleased with them.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The narrator reports Hiram departing Tyre to examine the twenty Galilean towns Solomon transferred as payment for cedar, cypress, and gold. This inspection follows Solomon's temple completion and the divine appearance, marking the diplomatic conclusion of their alliance.
The words — יָצָא (yāṣāʾ) literally means "he went out" or "he came out," describing Hiram's physical departure from Tyre. נָתַן (nātan) translates "he had given," referring to Solomon's prior transfer of the cities.
The thread — The evaluation of transferred land recurs when Hiram questions Solomon's provision and renames the area Cabul (1 Kings 9:13). The motif of inspecting gifted territory also appears in boundary allocations during the conquest narratives (Joshua 19:51).
Why it lands — The text demands readers observe that political alliances and material exchanges often yield disappointing results. It requires acknowledging that human generosity does not guarantee divine approval or practical success.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him; and they pleased him not.
Cross-references
- Numbers 22:34 “I have sinned,” Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “for I did not realize that you were standing in the road to confront me. And now, if this is displeasing in your sight, I will go back home.”
- Judges 14:3 But his father and mother replied, “Can’t you find a young woman among your relatives or among any of our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me, for she is pleasing to my eyes.”