Daily Tanach Sunday Sefer Melachim 1 –Chapter 9: Chiram donates wood to Shlomo who in return supplies him with cities

* The article below is an excerpt from the above Sefer

1.      Chiram donates wood to Shlomo who in return supplies him with cities:

  • The following occurred after the passing of 20 years from when Shlomo built the two homes, the house of G-d [i.e. the temple] and his own palace. [This means to say that 20 years had passed when he first started building the temple, and the following occurred immediately after the completion of the temple and his palace, as it took him seven years to build the temple and another 13 years to build his palace.[1]] Hiram, the king of Tzur, had supplied Shlomo with cedarwood and cypress wood, and with gold, and with everything that he wished [for the sake of building the temple and for the sake of building his palace[2]].
  • In return for this supply, Shlomo handed over to Chiram 20 cities that were in the Galilee.
  • Chiram is not pleased with the cities: Chiram left his city of Tzur and went to visit the cities which Shlomo had given him, and he was not impressed by them. Chiram exclaimed, “what are these cities that you have given me my brother?” And he called them the land of Kabul [of quicksand that does not grow any produce[3]] and so they are called until this very day.
  • Chiram sent to the king 120 Kikar of gold.

[1] Rashi nine

[2] Radak and Metzudos Dovid 9:11

[3] Metzudos Dovid 9:13

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