(Now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and fir trees, and with gold, according to all his desire,) that then king Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.
(King Hiram of Tyre had supplied Solomon with cedar trees, fir trees, and gold—everything Solomon had asked for.) So King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the region of Galilee.
This verse explains that Solomon paid King Hiram back for building materials by giving him twenty cities in Galilee.
📚 Historical Context
This occurred during Solomon's massive building projects, including the temple and his palace, which required enormous amounts of timber and gold that Israel didn't have in abundance. Hiram of Tyre was a powerful Phoenician king whose territory was rich in cedar forests and who maintained friendly relations with both David and Solomon. The exchange of cities for materials was a common practice in ancient Near Eastern diplomacy and trade agreements.
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