1 Kings 16:34

1 Kings 16:34 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)In his days did Hiel the Beth–elite 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.
• New International Version (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.
• English Standard Version (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.
• New King James Version (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.

Context of 1 Kings 16:34

32Ahab built a temple for Baal in Samaria. He made an altar for Baal in this temple. 33Ahab also made an Asherah pole to worship. He did many bad things that made the Lord, Israel's God, angry. He did more bad things than all the kings of Israel who lived before him. While Ahab ruled as king, Hiel built Jericho city again. Hiel came from Bethel. Abiram, his firstborn son, died when Hiel built the city's foundation. Segub, his youngest son, died when he built the gates in the city's wall. The Lord had told Nun's son Joshua that this would happen.

1 Kings 16:34 word by word

בְּיָמָ֞יו בָּנָ֥ה חִיאֵ֛ל בֵּ֥ית הָאֱלִ֖י אֶת־יְרִיחֹ֑ה בַּאֲבִירָ֨ם בְּכֹר֜וֹ יִסְּדָ֗הּ וּבִשְׂג֤וּב צְעִירוֹ֙ הִצִּ֣יב דְּלָתֶ֔יהָ כִּדְבַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּ֔ר בְּיַ֖ד יְהוֹשֻׁ֥עַ בִּן־נֽוּן׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• In his daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• did Hielחִיאֵלchîy'êl · HielH2419
• the Beth–eliteבֵּית הָאֱלִיbêyth hâ'ĕlîy · BetheliteH1017
• buildבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• Jerichoיְרִיחוֹyerîychô yerêchô yerîychôh · JerichoH3405
• he laid the foundationיָסַדyâsad · to foundH3245
• thereof in Abiramאֲבִירָם'ăbîyrâm · AbiramH48
• his firstbornבְּכוֹרbekôr · firstbornH1060
• and set upנָצַבnâtsab · to standH5324
• the gatesדֶּ֫לֶתdeleth · doorH1817
• thereof in his youngestצָעִירtsâ‛îyr tsâ‛ôr · littleH6810
• Segubשְׂגוּבώegûb · SegubH7687
• according to the wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• which he spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• byיָדyâd · hand: byH3027
• Joshuaיְהוֹשׁוּעַyehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ · JoshuaH3091
• the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Nunנוּןnûn nôn · NunH5126

Cross-references for 1 Kings 16:34

• Joshua 6:26At that time, Joshua made a strong promise. He said, ‘If anyone tries to build Jericho city again, the Lord will punish him as a guilty man. When he starts to build, his oldest son will die. When he puts up the city's gates, his youngest son will die.’
• Joshua 23:14I will soon die, as all men do. The Lord your God has done everything that he promised you he would do. Deep inside yourselves, you know that is true. He has not failed to do even one thing that he promised.
• Zechariah 1:5That was a long time ago. Your ancestors have been dead for a long time. So have the prophets.
• Matthew 24:35One day, the earth and the sky will have an end. But my words will be there for ever.’

Commentaries on 1 Kings 16:34

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 34Did Hiel the Beth-elite build Jericho - I wish the reader to refer to my note on Joshua 6:26, for a general view of this subject. I shall add a few observations. Joshua's curse is well known: "Cursed be the man before the Lord that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho; he shall lay the foundation thereof in his first-born; and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it," Joshua 6:26. This is the curse, but the meaning of its terms is not very…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 34This seems to be adduced as a proof of the general impiety of Ahab‘s time. The curse of Joshua against the man who should rebuild Jericho had hitherto been believed and respected. But now faith in the old religion had so decayed, that Joshua‘s malediction had lost its power. Hiel, a Bethelite of wealth and station, undertook to restore the long-ruined fortress. But he suffered for his temerity. In exact accordance with the words of Joshua‘s curse, he lost…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 29-34Verses 29-34 Ahab did evil above all that reigned before him, and did it with a particular enmity both against Jehovah and Israel. He was not satisfied with breaking the second commandment by image-worship, he broke the first by worshipping other gods: making light of lesser sins makes way for greater. Marriages with daring offenders also imbolden in wickedness, and hurry men on to the greatest excesses. One of Ahab's subjects, following the example of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 34Despite Joshua's curse on Jericho (Joshua 6:26–27), people sometimes lived there before Hiel rebuilt it (see Judges 3:13; 2 Samuel 10:5; 1 Chronicles 19:5), as shown by archaeological digs. Hiel's actions show Israel's spiritual decline. he laid its foundation … Segub: The Targum (an Aramaic translation with explanations for Jews who no longer knew Hebrew after the exile in Babylon) says that Hiel sacrificed his sons as foundation offerings, following…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3434. In his days did Hiel the Beth-elite build Jericho--(see on Jos 6:26). The curse took effect on the family of this reckless man but whether his oldest son died at the time of laying the foundation, and the youngest at the completion of the work, or whether he lost all his sons in rapid succession, till, at the end of the undertaking, he found himself childless, the poetical form of the ban does not enable us to determine. Some modern commentators think…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 16:34

• Abiram
• Hiel
• Jericho
• Prophecy
• Segub

In the dictionaries

• Jericho
• Joshua
• Abiram
• Ahab
• Baasha
• Bethelite
• Hiel
• Segub
• Abiron
• Elijah

Commentaries on 1 Kings 16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings