Place Old Testament
Cabul
Also known as Cabul =ESV, KJV; Kabul =NIV
Cabul was the name given by Hiram, king of Tyre, to the twenty cities given to him by Solomon. Mentioned once in Scripture, at 1 Kings 9:13.
Why it matters. Name given to 20 cities by Hiram
- Primary passages
- Location
- 32.866, 35.212 (approximate, within about 2 km)
Coordinates from STEPBible TIPNR (palopenmaps.org link). Approximate; not independently verified.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Cabul
In 1Ki.9.13, Cabul is mentioned as the name given by Hiram, king of Tyre, to a group of twenty cities in Galilee that were given to him by King Solomon of Israel. Solomon had received gold, cedar, and cypress wood from Hiram for the construction of the Temple and his palace. In return, Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. However, when Hiram visited the cities, he was displeased with them and called them "Cabul," which means "good for nothing" or "like nothing."
The exact location and identity of these cities are not specified in the Bible. Some scholars suggest that they may have been located in the northern part of Israel, near the border with Tyre. The story highlights the relationship between Solomon and Hiram, as well as the exchange of resources and territories between their kingdoms. It also shows that not all gifts or transactions were satisfactory to both parties involved.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
No reviewed connections yet.
Appears in Scripture
Named in 1 verse across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.
1 Kings (1 verse)