Matthew Poole and continuators on 1 Kings 9:11

11 (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 .

Or, near (as Beth oft signifies, as hath been proved before) the Land of Galilee bordering upon it; in those parts which were near, and adjoyning to Hiram's Dominions: with the Cities, understand the Lands and Territories belonging to them. Quest. How could Solomon give away any part of that Land wherein the People had a Right by a Divine Lot, and God had a Right, as being the onely Proprietary of it; upon which ground the total Alienation of it, or any part of it, was forbidden. Levit. 25. 23? Answ. 1. It is not said, that he gave them away wholly, and for ever; but he might Assign them to him onely for a time, until he was fully satisfied for his Debt. 2. If these Cities were possessed by Israelites, Solomon did not give him their particular Possessions, but onely his own Royalties over them, and all the Profits he received from them, which were very considerable, as may be gathered from that passage, Chap. 12. 4. 3. These Cities, though they were within those large bounds which God fixed to the Land of Promise, Gen. 15. 18. Ios. 1. 4. yet were not within those parts which were distributed by Lot in Ioshua's time; nor belonging to the Tribe of Asher, (as some suppose) as may be gathered both from Iosh. 19. ver. 27. where their border is said to go out onely to the Land of Cabul; to wit, exclusively: and ver. 30. where all their Cities are said to be but twenty and two; and from 2 Chron. 8. 2. where it is said of those Cities, when Hiram restored them, That Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there. Which makes it more than probable, that these Cities were not Inhabited by Israelites, but by Canaanites, or other Heathens; who being Subdued, and Extirpated by David, or Solomon, those Cities became a part of their Dominion, and at their Disposal; and afterwards were reckon'd a part of Galilee, as Iosephus notes. And may be one reason, why he gave these, rather than other Cities, because they were in his power to give, when others were not.