1 Kings 9

8 shall be astonished, and shall hiss. “Shall whistle in amazement” (Moffatt).

13. Cabul. Josephus says (Ant., viii. 5) that these were towns of Galilee, in the neighbourhood of Tyre; and that “Cabul,” in the Phoenician language, signifies unpleasing. Conder (Hastings’ Dict. Bible) identifies them with the large village of Kabál, east of Acco.

14 six score talents of gold (over $3,500,000). This no doubt was in accordance with the bargain by which Hiram supplied labour and money to Solomon, being repaid in produce (v. 11; 2 Chron. ii. 10), and, in part, by these cities. From 2 Chron. viii. 2 it has been concluded that the twenty towns were restored to Solomon.

15 (the) Millo. See note on Judges ix. 6.

Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer. Hazor would command the northern district (see Josh. xi. 1, 10-13), Megiddo would protect the great plain of Jezreel and the centre of the land, and Gezer the line of road from Egypt along the western lowland plain.

17. Beth-horon the nether. The two Beth-horons were about twelve miles north-west of Jerusalem, at the upper and lower ends of the main pass leading from the western plain to the hill country and the metropolis.

18. Baalath. The site is uncertain.

Tadmor. Tadmor, or Tamar (R.V.), which means a palm-tree, was formerly supposed to have been the original site of the celebrated city of Palmyra, nearly midway between Damascus and Thapsacus, on the Euphrates, a place of great commercial importance under the Roman empire. But Sir G. A. Smith (Hist. Geog. of the Holy Land) thinks it was a frontier village of Judæa, now known as Hazazon-Tamar. See Ezek. xlvii. 19.

24. Pharaoh’s daughter came, etc. For the reason of this, see 2 Chron. viii. 11.

26. Ezion-geber. Ezion-geber was at the head of the north-eastern arm of the Red Sea, now called the Gulf of Akaba. The possession of this harbour, which Solomon obtained by his sovereignty over Edom, gave him the use of the Red Sea, and access to the Indian Ocean.

Eloth. Eloth or Elath (called by the Greeks and Romans Ailah and Elana) is close to the modern Akaba. It was taken by David from the Edomites; but lost again by Joram about one hundred and fifty years later. It was retaken by Azariah; but, in the reign of Ahaz, became again subject to the Edomites.

27. And Niram sent, etc. As the countries through which the important trade with India and the East was carried on were now under Solomon’s dominion, the Tyrians were naturally anxious to cultivate a friendly connexion with him.

28. Ophir. The situation of Ophir can only be conjectured. The opinions fix it either in the south of Arabia, or on the east of Africa, or in some part of India. Dr. Ira M. Price, Professor of Semitic languages in the University of Chicago, after weighing up all the arguments for the various sites, concludes that south-eastern Arabia was the most probable situation (Hastings’ Dict. Bible).