Cabul
Ca'bul (Hebrews Kabul', כָּבוּל, according to etymology, bound, but signification uncertain [see below]), the name of a town and a district.
1. (Sept. Χαβώλ, but other copies blend with the following words into Χωβαμασομέλ.) A city on the eastern border of the tribe of Asher, and apparently at the northern part, beyond Beth-Emek (Jos 19:27). It seems to correspond to the village Chabolo (Χαβωλώ) mentioned by Josephus (Lfe, § 43, 45) as on the confines of Ptolemais, in Galilee, 40 stadia from Jotapata. A fortress by the name of Kabul is mentioned by Arabian geographers in the district of Safed (Rosenmiuller, Analect. Arab. in, 20). Dr. Robinson, during his last visit to Palestine, accordingly found a village called Kabul on his way to Accho, situated "on the left, among the lower hills" (Biblioth. Sacra, 1853, p. 121; Later Bibl. Res. p. 88; for Talmudical notices, see Schwarz, Palest. p. 192).
2. (Sept. translates ῞Οριον, boundary, but in neglect of the context, ver. 12, which favors the derivation of Simonis [Ononmast. p. 417] and Hiller [Onomast. p. 435, 775], as i.q. "something exhaled, as nothing ;" Josephus [Ant. 8:5, 3] calls it Χαβαλών, and says [apparently from conjecture] that it is a Phoenician word indicative of dissatisfaction.) A district containing "twenty cities," given to Hiram, king of Tyre, by Solomon, in acknowledgment of the important services which he had rendered toward the building of the Temple (1Ki 9:13). Hiram was by no means pleased with the gift, and the district received the name of Ca. bul (as if signifying unpleasing) from this circumstance. The situation of Cabul has been disputed; but we are content to accept the information of Josephus (Ant. 8:5, 3), who seems to place it in the north-west part of Galilee, adjacent to Tyre. The foregoing town, named Cabul (Jos 19:27), being also in Galilee, it is possible that it was one of the twenty towns consigned to Hiram, who, to mark his dissatisfaction, applied the significant name of this one town to the whole district. The cause of Hiram's dislike to what Solomon doubtless considered a liberal gift is very uncertain. It has been conjectured (Kitto, Pictorial Bible, note on 1Ki 9:13) that "probably, as the Phoenicians were a maritime and commercial people, Hiram wished rather for a part of the coast, which was now in the hands of Solomon, and was therefore not prepared to approve of a district which might have been of considerable value in the eyes of an agricultural people like the Hebrews. Perhaps the towns were in part payment of what Solomon owed Hiram for his -various services and contributions." SEE HIRAM.
