1 Kings 9:13-15
New English Translation
13 Hiram asked,[a] “Why did you give me these towns, my friend?”[b] He called that area the region of Cabul, a name which it has retained to this day.[c] 14 Hiram had sent to the king 120 talents[d] of gold.
15 Here are the details concerning the work crews[e] King Solomon conscripted[f] to build the Lord’s temple, his palace, the terrace, the wall of Jerusalem, and the cities of[g] Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.
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- 1 Kings 9:13 tn Heb “and he said.”
- 1 Kings 9:13 tn Heb “my brother.” Kings allied through a parity treaty would sometimes address each other as “my brother.” See 1 Kgs 20:32-33.
- 1 Kings 9:13 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.”
- 1 Kings 9:14 tn The Hebrew term כִּכָּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 9,000 pounds of gold (cf. NCV, NLT); CEV “five tons”; TEV “4,000 kilogrammes.”
- 1 Kings 9:15 sn The work crews. This Hebrew word מַס (mas) refers to a group of laborers conscripted for royal or public service.
- 1 Kings 9:15 tn Heb “raised up.”
- 1 Kings 9:15 tn The words “the cities of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
1 Kings 9:13-15
New International Version
13 “What kind of towns are these you have given me, my brother?” he asked. And he called them the Land of Kabul,[a](A) a name they have to this day. 14 Now Hiram had sent to the king 120 talents[b] of gold.(B)
15 Here is the account of the forced labor King Solomon conscripted(C) to build the Lord’s temple, his own palace, the terraces,[c](D) the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor,(E) Megiddo and Gezer.(F)
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 9:13 Kabul sounds like the Hebrew for good-for-nothing.
- 1 Kings 9:14 That is, about 4 1/2 tons or about 4 metric tons
- 1 Kings 9:15 Or the Millo; also in verse 24
1 Kings 9:13-15
King James Version
13 And he said, What cities are these which thou hast given me, my brother? And he called them the land of Cabul unto this day.
14 And Hiram sent to the king sixscore talents of gold.
15 And this is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised; for to build the house of the Lord, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.
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1 Kings 9:13-15
New King James Version
13 So he said, “What kind of cities are these which you have given me, my brother?” (A)And he called them the land of [a]Cabul, as they are to this day. 14 Then Hiram sent the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold.
Solomon’s Additional Achievements(B)
15 And this is the reason for (C)the labor force which King Solomon raised: to build the house of the Lord, his own house, [b]the (D)Millo, the wall of Jerusalem, (E)Hazor, (F)Megiddo, and (G)Gezer.
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- 1 Kings 9:13 Lit. Good for Nothing
- 1 Kings 9:15 Lit. The Landfill
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