1 Kings 16 34

1 Kings 16:34 kjv

In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.

1 Kings 16:34 nkjv

In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation with Abiram his firstborn, and with his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, according to the word of the LORD, which He had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun.

1 Kings 16:34 niv

In Ahab's time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the LORD spoken by Joshua son of Nun.

1 Kings 16:34 esv

In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.

1 Kings 16:34 nlt

It was during his reign that Hiel, a man from Bethel, rebuilt Jericho. When he laid its foundations, it cost him the life of his oldest son, Abiram. And when he completed it and set up its gates, it cost him the life of his youngest son, Segub. This all happened according to the message from the LORD concerning Jericho spoken by Joshua son of Nun.

1 Kings 16 verses

1 Kings 16 34 Meaning

First Kings 16:34 records the rebuilding of Jericho by Hiel of Bethel during the reign of King Ahab. This act, forbidden by a centuries-old curse spoken by Joshua, resulted in the death of Hiel's firstborn son, Abiram, when he laid the foundation, and his youngest son, Segub, when he set up the gates. The verse explicitly states that this was a fulfillment of the word spoken by the LORD through Joshua. It demonstrates the enduring power and certainty of God's declared judgment and serves as a powerful testament to His faithfulness to His word, even centuries after its utterance.

1 Kings 16 34 Context

First Kings chapter 16 describes the succession of wicked kings in Israel after Jeroboam, culminating in the reign of Omri and then his son, Ahab. The political and spiritual climate was one of intense apostasy. Omri built Samaria as a new capital, symbolizing a further break from Jerusalem and Yahweh worship. Ahab, arguably the worst king to date, exacerbated this spiritual decline by marrying Jezebel, a Phoenician princess who introduced widespread Baal worship and persecuted Yahweh's prophets. The spiritual rebellion against Yahweh was at its zenith, setting the stage for the dramatic conflicts with Elijah. In this context of bold defiance, Hiel's act of rebuilding Jericho was not merely an isolated construction project, but a deliberate affront to the long-standing covenant curses of Yahweh, symbolizing the nation's spiritual rebellion and disregard for divine authority during Ahab's reign.

1 Kings 16 34 Word analysis

• In his days: Refers to the days of King Ahab's reign (1 Ki 16:29), emphasizing that this event occurred during a period of extreme wickedness and idolatry in Israel, reinforcing the spiritual state that permitted such a direct defiance of Yahweh.
• Hiel of Bethel: "Hiel" (Hebrew: חִיאֵל, Ḥîʾêl) possibly meaning "God lives" or "my brother is God" – an ironic name for someone defying God. "Bethel" (בֵּית־אֵל, Bêṯ-ʾĒl) means "House of God," a significant ancient site where Jacob encountered God (Gen 28). However, during the divided kingdom, Bethel became a notorious center of idolatry under Jeroboam, with the golden calves (1 Ki 12:29). This geographical connection of Hiel highlights the pervasive nature of spiritual blindness and rebellion even in places once sacred to Yahweh. Hiel, from a town dedicated to God, yet leading in open defiance of God's command.
• rebuilt Jericho: Jericho (יְרִיחוֹ, Yərîḥō) was the first city captured by Israel upon entering Canaan (Josh 6). It was utterly destroyed as an offering to God (ḥerem, devoted to destruction) and placed under a severe curse by Joshua (Josh 6:26) against its future rebuilding. Rebuilding it was a direct, contemptuous challenge to Yahweh's explicit decree, centuries later. It wasn't just a physical act but a symbolic defiance against God's power and historical victory.
• He laid its foundation with Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates with his youngest son Segub: The structured sacrifice of Hiel's children precisely fulfilled Joshua's prophecy: "with the loss of his firstborn he shall lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he shall set up its gates" (Josh 6:26). The mention of "firstborn" (בְּבִכֹרוֹ, bə·ḇi·ḵō·rōw) and "youngest" (בִּצְעִירוֹ, biṣ·‘î·rōw) shows the progressive nature of the rebuilding, corresponding to the progressive nature of the curse's fulfillment. This demonstrates the horrific cost of disobedience, impacting the family directly. It also underlines the direct and literal precision of divine judgment.
• according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun: This concluding phrase is crucial. It directly attributes the calamity to the specific prophetic curse uttered by Joshua. This is not coincidental death; it is divine execution of a curse, underscoring the sovereignty of Yahweh over history and His unwavering commitment to His word. It reinforces the theme of God's covenant faithfulness and the enduring consequences of rejecting His commands, despite the passage of centuries. The curse wasn't diminished by time; God remembered.

1 Kings 16 34 Bonus section

• The naming of Hiel's sons, Abiram and Segub, along with the precise order of their deaths linked to the specific stages of rebuilding (foundation and gates), removes any ambiguity about the divine judgment being exact and directly tied to the curse.
• Hiel's decision to rebuild Jericho despite the well-known curse could be interpreted as a public act of contempt towards Yahweh, possibly influenced by the prevalent Baal worship under Ahab. This defiance aimed to challenge the historical truth and power of Yahweh’s conquest and pronouncements.
• The absence of Hiel’s regret or any recorded warning from prophets regarding this specific act (though Elijah would soon emerge to challenge Baalism) emphasizes the profound spiritual darkness of Ahab's reign where God's clear word was actively disregarded by many.
• The rebuilding of Jericho itself signifies not only disobedience but a potential move to re-establish an unholy presence where God had previously enacted thorough judgment, challenging the very holiness and judgment of God upon the land.

1 Kings 16 34 Commentary

First Kings 16:34 serves as a stark reminder of the enduring power and precision of God's spoken word. Occurring some 500 years after Joshua’s original curse, this event demonstrates that divine pronouncements, whether blessings or judgments, do not fade with time but are held in meticulous memory by God until their appointed fulfillment. In a period of unparalleled apostasy under King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, where Baal worship directly challenged Yahweh's authority, Hiel’s act of rebuilding Jericho was more than a construction project; it was an act of audacious defiance, perhaps seen by him as a symbolic rejection of Yahweh's ancient claim over Canaan and its history. The tragic loss of his firstborn and youngest sons, precisely mirroring the curse’s conditions, powerfully underscored that Yahweh remains sovereign and that His warnings are not empty threats. The suffering of Hiel's children also reflects a tragic dimension of generational consequences of sin and direct parental transgression. This event confirms the immutability of God’s decree, warning against mocking or disregarding the divine word, regardless of how ancient or improbable its fulfillment may seem.