Lexical Summary Chiel: Hiel Original Word: חִיאֵל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Hiel From chay and 'el; living of God; Chiel, an Israelite -- Hiel. see HEBREW chay see HEBREW 'el NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originprobably from ach and el Definition probably "brother of God," a rebuilder of Jericho NASB Translation Hiel (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs חִיאֵל proper name, masculine (probably (אֲ)חִיאֵל brother of El, ᵐ5 Ἀχειηλ; compare חירם & Phoenician חמלך, etc.; see BaeRel 156) a Bethelite, rebuilder of Jericho 1 Kings 16:34. חִיאֵל proper name, masculine (El lives (or abbreviated for יחיאל); Sabean חיאל, name of coin, after proper name of king DHMZMG 1875, 613, 1883, 15; compare also following, and Phoenician מריחי, כמשיחי) — name of the rebuilder of Jericho 1 Kings 16:34; ᵐ5 Αχ(ε)ιηλ, omitted by ᵐ5L. Topical Lexicon Biblical Occurrence Hiel, the Bethelite, appears once in Scripture: “In Ahab’s days, Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho. At the cost of Abiram his firstborn he laid its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through Joshua son of Nun” (1 Kings 16:34). Historical Background 1 Kings 16 records the rise of King Ahab over the Northern Kingdom of Israel, a reign marked by unprecedented idolatry and moral decline. Building projects flourished under Ahab (1 Kings 22:39), reflecting political ambition and Canaanite influence. Hiel’s reconstruction of Jericho must be viewed against this backdrop: a cultural climate that dismissed the authority of the Mosaic covenant and the prophetic word. Jericho lay strategically near the Jordan, guarding trade routes from east to west. After Joshua’s conquest, the city was never formally rebuilt as a fortified site, in obedience to the solemn curse Joshua pronounced (Joshua 6:26). By Ahab’s time the temptation to restore Jericho’s strategic and economic value outweighed fear of divine judgment. The Curse of Jericho and Its Fulfillment Joshua’s oath had been explicit: “Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho; at the cost of his firstborn he shall lay its foundations, and at the cost of his youngest he shall set up its gates” (Joshua 6:26). Roughly five centuries later, every detail came to pass in Hiel’s household. The chronological distance magnifies the precision of fulfilled prophecy and affirms the Scripture’s reliability. The loss of Abiram at the foundation and Segub at the setting of the gates brackets the entire construction. The narrative structure underscores that the whole enterprise was under judgment from start to finish. Despite the progressive work, there was no escape once the curse was triggered. Moral and Spiritual Implications 1. Authority of God’s Word: Hiel’s tragedy visibly demonstrates that divine warnings are neither idle nor time-bound. Long delay does not negate certain fulfillment (2 Peter 3:9). Foreshadowing and Typological Insights Jericho once symbolized the firstfruits of Israel’s victory in the land by faith; its cursed rebuilding under Ahab typifies the attempt to re-establish human strength where God had already pronounced judgment. By contrast, Jesus Christ proclaims Himself the sure foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11). Rebuilding on cursed ground brings death; building on Christ brings life (Matthew 7:24-27). Lessons for Contemporary Believers • Uphold the entire counsel of God, even the “old” warnings (Psalm 119:160). Key References 1 Kings 16:34; Joshua 6:26; 1 Kings 22:39; Exodus 20:5; Psalm 119:160; Matthew 7:24-27; 1 Corinthians 3:11; 2 Peter 3:9; Romans 12:2 Forms and Transliterations חִיאֵ֛ל חיאל chiEl ḥî’êl ḥî·’êlLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Kings 16:34 HEB: בְּיָמָ֞יו בָּנָ֥ה חִיאֵ֛ל בֵּ֥ית הָאֱלִ֖י NAS: In his days Hiel the Bethelite built KJV: In his days did Hiel the Bethelite INT: his days built Hiel the Bethelite Jericho |
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