New International Version
1 Kings 16:34
34In 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 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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (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.
Context of 1 Kings 16:34
32He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. 33Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him. 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.
Read all of 1 Kings 161 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 pronounced this solemn oath: “Cursed before the Lord is the one who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho: “At the cost of his firstborn son he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.”
- Joshua 23:14“Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.
- Zechariah 1:5Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live forever?
- Matthew 24:35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
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
In the dictionaries
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
New International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries