Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
1 Kings 16:34

Clarke's Commentary

Verse 1 Kings 16:34. Did 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 obvious. Let us see how this is to be understood from the manner in which it was accomplished.

"In his days did Hiel the Beth-elite build Jericho; he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his first-born, 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." This prediction was delivered upwards of five hundred years before the event; and though it was most circumstantially fulfilled, yet we know not the precise meaning of some of the terms used in the original execration, and in this place, where its fulfillment is mentioned. There are three opinions on the words, lay the foundation in his first-born, and set up the gates in his youngest son.

1. It is thought that when he laid the foundation of the city, his eldest son, the hope of his family, died by the hand and judgment of God, and that all his children died in succession; so that when the doors were ready to be hung, his youngest and last child died, and thus, instead of securing himself a name, his whole family became extinct.

2. These expressions signify only great delay in the building; that he who should undertake it should spend nearly his whole life in it; all the time in which he was capable of procreating children; in a word, that if a man laid the foundation when his first-born came into the world, his youngest and last son should be born before the walls should be in readiness to admit the gates to be set up in them; and that the expression is of the proverbial kind, intimating greatly protracted labour, occasioned by multitudinous hinderances and delays.

3. That he who rebuilt this city should, in laying the foundation, slay or sacrifice his firstborn, in order to consecrate it, and secure the assistance of the objects of his idolatrous worship; and should slay his youngest at the completion of the work, as a gratitude-offering for the assistance received. This latter opinion seems to be countenanced by the Chaldee, which represents Hiel as slaying his first-born Abiram, and his youngest son Segub.

But who was Hiel the Beth-elite? The Chaldee calls him Hiel of Beth-mome, or the Beth-momite; the Vulgate, Hiel of Beth-el; the Septuagint, Hiel the Baithelite; the Syriac represents Ahab as the builder: "Also in his days did Ahab build Jericho, the place of execration;" the Arabic, "Also in his days did Hiel build the house of idols-to wit, Jericho." The MSS. give us no help. None of these versions, the Chaldee excepted, intimates that the children were either slain or died; which circumstance seems to strengthen the opinion, that the passage is to be understood of delays and hinderances. Add to this, Why should the innocent children of Hiel suffer for their father's presumption? And is it likely that, if Hiel lost his first-born when he laid the foundation, he would have proceeded under this evidence of the Divine displeasure, and at the risk of losing his whole family? Which of these opinions is the right one, or whether any of them be correct, is more than I can pretend to state. A curse seems to rest still upon Jericho: it is not yet blotted out of the map of Palestine, but it is reduced to a miserable village, consisting of about thirty wretched cottages, and the governor's dilapidated castle; nor is there any ruin there to indicate its former splendour.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

16:29-22:53 MINISTRY OF ELIJAH

Jezebel’s Baalism in Israel (16:29-17:24)

In a new political alliance, Ahab, the new king of Israel, married Jezebel, daughter of the king-priest of Phoenicia. Ahab not only accepted his wife’s Baalism, but also gave it official status in Israel by building a Baal temple in the capital (29-33). The Baalism imported by Jezebel was of a kind far more evil and far more dangerous to Israel’s religion than the common Canaanite Baalism practised at the high places. Jezebel’s Baalism (as we shall refer to it, to distinguish it from the common Baalism) was that of the great god Melqart, whose dwelling place was the Tyre-Sidon region of Phoenicia where Jezebel came from. Jezebel then set about making this the official religion of Israel.

The rebuilding of Jericho further demonstrated the spirit of rebellion against God that characterized Israel. The project was in direct opposition to God’s clear command (34; cf. Joshua 6:26).

Israel’s religious life was in such danger that God intervened with an unusually large number of miracles and judgments. First he sent the prophet Elijah to announce a three-year drought throughout the land (17:1). This showed the powerlessness of Baal, who was supposed to be the God of nature and fertility. At the same time it showed the power of Yahweh, who was still God of Israel. Elijah was no doubt unpopular because of the drought, so God directed him to hide near a stream in his home territory of Gilead, east of Jordan. No one knew where he was, and he did not even need to go out to look for food, because God provided it miraculously (2-6).

When Elijah’s water supply dried up (7), God sent him to Zarephath in Phoenicia. This was Baal’s home territory, but the drought there was just as severe. The miraculous feeding of Elijah, the widow and her household showed that God’s power was greater than Baal’s even in Baal’s home country; and, unlike Baal’s, it could work independently of nature. The events showed also that faith, not nationality, was the basis for God’s blessing (8-16; cf. Luke 4:25-26). The healing of the widow’s son confirmed her faith in God, and assured Elijah of God’s presence and power in the dangerous and lonely days ahead (17-24).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

JOSHUA’S PROPHECY WAS FULFILLED IN THE BUILDING OF JERICHO

“In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof with the loss of Abiram his first-born, and set up the gates thereof with the loss of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of Jehovah which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.”

The prophecy spoken by the Lord through Joshua was:

“Joshua charged them… saying, Cursed be the man before Jehovah, that riseth up and buildeth this city of Jericho: with the loss of his first-born shall he lay the foundation thereof, and with the loss of his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.” (Joshua 6:26).

It would be difficult indeed to find a clearer example than we have here of a prophecy of God, literally and circumstantially fulfilled many centuries after it was spoken.

This account of the rebuilding of Jericho was probably introduced at this time for the sake of showing the widespread apostasy and unbelief of the people. That man, Hiel the Bethelite, challenged the well-known prophecy regarding the person who would build Jericho, but, sure enough, it turned out exactly as God had prophesied. Of course, the radical critics who deny any such thing as predictive prophecy explain it this way, “Some tragic fate overtook them.”The Interpreter’s Bible, op. cit., p. 144. However, no matter what happened to the builder’s oldest and youngest sons, their death most certainly fulfilled the prophecy. Gates asserted that there is a newer view among commentators which holds that, “The lives of the builder’s two sons were cut off as a divine visitation upon Hiel for his disobedience in rebuilding the city that God had cursed.”Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p. 330. Of course, Dentan explained their death as, “Fatal accidents”!The Layman’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, p. 58. But no matter what happened, the prophecy proved to be true.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

This 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 his firstborn son when he began to lay anew the foundations of the walls, and his youngest when he completed his work by setting up the gates. We need not suppose that Jericho had been absolutely uninhabited up to this time. But it was a ruined and desolate place without the necessary protection of walls, and containing probably but few houses (Judges 3:13 note). Hiel re-established it as a city, and it soon became once more a place of some importance 2 Chronicles 28:15.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 16

So the word of the LORD came to Jehu the prophet unto Baasha, saying, Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, made thee prince over my people Israel; and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam, and you have made my people to sin, and provoked me to anger with their sins; Behold, I will take away the posterity of Baasha, and the posterity of house; and I will make his house like the house of Jeroboam ( 1 Kings 16:1-3 ).

So Baasha's house is to be utterly wiped out.

Those that die in the city eaten by dogs; those that die in the fields eaten by vultures. And the rest of the acts of Baasha, those that he did, are in the books of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? ( 1 Kings 16:4-5 )

Again, books that we don't have.

And Elah his son reigned in his stead. And in the twenty-sixth year when Asa was down in Judah, Elah began to reign over Israel and he only reigned for two years. And his servant Zimri, the captain of half of his chariots, conspired against him, as he was there at Tirzah, and he was drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza the steward of his house of Tirzah. And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of the reign of Asa the king of Judah, and Zimri reigned over Israel. And as soon as he sat upon the throne, he wiped out all of the house of Baasha: did not leave a single one from all of the family or relatives. And thus did Zimri destroy the house of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD, for all of the sins of Baasha. Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? In the twenty-seventh year of Asa the king of Judah, Zimri [Remember Asa reigned for forty-one years after he reigned twenty-seven years, Zimri] began to reign in Tirzah. The people were encamped against Gibbethon. And the people that were encamped heard Zimri hath conspired, and slain the king and all Israel made Omri, the captain of the host, king over Israel that day in the camp. And Omri went from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and he besieged Tirzah. And it came to pass, when Zimri saw the city was taken, that he went into the palace of the king's house, and he burnt the house down on himself ( 1 Kings 16:6 , 1 Kings 16:8-18 ).

So he committed suicide having reigned for just a few days. And Omri the captain of the host began to reign.

For the sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight of the LORD... And the rest of it is written in chronicles of Israel ( 1 Kings 16:19-20 )?

Which we do not have.

Then the people of Israel divided into two parts ( 1 Kings 16:21 ):

And so there came a civil war in the northern kingdom. They had already divided from the Southern Kingdom and now there's a civil war going on up there.

And there were those that followed Tibni and they sought to make him king; and half the people followed Omri. And the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni: and so Tibni died, and Omri reigned. And as he began to reign over Israel for twelve years: he reigned for six years in Tirzah. And then he bought the hill Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver, and he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill, Samaria. But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, did worse than all that were before him. He walked in the ways of Jeroboam and he sinned against the Lord. And the rest of the acts of Omri are written in the books of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? So Omri slept with his fathers, he was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead. And in the thirty-eighth year of Asa the king of Judah began Ahab, and he was worst than all the rest ( 1 Kings 16:21-29 ).

Honestly, the poor people. They didn't have a decent king.

And Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel and Samaria for twenty-two years. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD more than all that were before him. And it came to pass, if this weren't enough to walk in the sins of Jeroboam, he took as his wife Jezebel that wicked daughter of Ethbaal the king of the Zidonians, and he went and served Baal, and worshipped him. And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built at Samaria. And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him. And in his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: and he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD ( 1 Kings 16:29-34 ),

Now turn back to Joshua chapter six, verse twenty-six. After Joshua destroyed the city of Jericho, the first city to fall as they were conquering the land. "And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it" ( Joshua 6:26 ).

So Joshua said, Cursed is the man who rebuilds this city. He will lay the foundation at the time of his firstborn's son, but he will set at the gates when his youngest son is born. So the prophecy of Joshua was fulfilled some five hundred years later. Joshua made that prophecy about 1451 B.C. and about 925 B.C. did Hiel from Bethel rebuild the city of Jericho, and he laid the foundation at the birth of his son Abiram and he set up the gates when his youngest son Segub was born. And thus God's word, again, amazing prophecies fulfilled.

Omri built Samaria and he died and his son Ahab took over the wicked king who made Samaria the capital of the Northern Kingdom. The ruins of Samaria are very fascinating ruins to see. You can go up on the hill that was once the city of Samaria. And you can see the ruins of Omri's palace. They are still there. And of Ahab's palace also. You can also see many of the ruins that were built by the Romans who, of course, later made that one of the Roman cities. But the ruins of the city of Samaria go clear on back to the time of Omri and Ahab. And you can see the ruins of their palaces still there in Samaria.

When you are there it gives you sort of an awesome feeling when you realize all of the wickedness and all of the treachery and all of the bloodshed because of the wickedness and treachery there in Samaria. You think of the sieges that took place there in Samaria. And we'll be getting into some of those as we move on into Second Kings, when Samaria was besieged by the Assyrians and the horrible things that happened during the times of these sieges.

But it is interesting that the ruins of those areas are still in existence today. In fact, some of the most well-preserved ruins in the Holy Land going back to the Old Testament period are there in the city and in the site of Samaria.

And now may the Lord be with you and watch over you and keep you through the week. May you be strengthened by His Spirit in your inner man. And may you through the understanding of the Spirit begin to comprehend how much He really loves you. The full depth of God's love for you. May He watch over you and may you find your strength and your help in Him. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Ahab’s wickedness 16:29-34

1 Kings 16:30; 1 Kings 16:33 bracket and set forth Ahab’s unusual wickedness with special emphasis. The writer had just written that Omri was the worst king so far (1 Kings 16:25), but now he said Ahab exceeded him in wickedness. For Ahab, the fact that Jeroboam’s cult deviated from the Mosaic Law was "trivial" (1 Kings 16:31).

The writer held Ahab responsible for marrying Jezebel. This was fair because even in arranged marriages in the ancient world the candidates, especially the son, in most cases had the right of refusal. Ahab and Jezebel became the most notorious husband and wife team in Scripture. Jezebel means dunghill. This must have been a name the Israelites gave her. Ahab’s greatest sin, however, was that he brought the worship of Baal-the worship of the native Canaanites whom God had commanded Israel to exterminate-under the official protection of his government. Jeroboam had already refashioned Yahweh worship departing from what Moses had prescribed. Ahab went one step further: he officially replaced the worship of Yahweh with idolatry (cf. 1 Kings 18:4). This was a first in Israel’s history.

"This represents a quantum leap in the history of apostasy." [Note: Rice, p. 138.]

The temple and altar to Baal that Ahab erected in Israel’s capital symbolized his official approval of this pagan religion. Remember the importance of David bringing the ark into Jerusalem, and Solomon building a temple for Yahweh, and what those acts symbolized.

1 Kings 16:34 may at first seem to have no connection with anything in the context. Perhaps the writer included it to show that as God had fulfilled His word about Jericho, so it would be in Ahab’s case. Ahab was establishing paganism that God had already said He would judge. Similarly Hiel had tried to set up a city that God had previously said the Israelites should not rebuild (cf. Joshua 6:26). The building of Jericho is also a tribute to Ahab’s apostasy since he must have ordered or permitted Hiel to rebuild the city in spite of Joshua’s long-standing curse.

"The foundation sacrifice, revealed by modern archaeology, is probably what was involved. The children named were probably infants, dead or alive, placed in jars and inserted into the masonry, propitiating the gods and warding off evil." [Note: DeVries, p. 205.]

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And in his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho,.... Which was forbidden by Joshua under an anathema; but this man, either ignorant of that adjuration of Joshua, or in contempt and defiance of it, and knowing it might please the king and queen, set about the rebuilding of it; and it being done by the leave and under the authority of Ahab, is mentioned together with his wicked actions:

he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn: that is, his firstborn died as soon as he laid the foundation of the city, but this did not deter him from going on with it:

and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub; all the rest of his children died as he was rebuilding the city, until only his youngest son was left, and he was taken off by death just as he had finished it, signified by setting up the gates of it: all which was

according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun: between four hundred and five hundred years ago. It was after this a place of great note, and so continued many hundreds of years;

:- but is now, as Mr. Maundrell says k, a poor nasty village of the Arabs.

k Journey from Aleppo, &c. p. 81.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      29 And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years.   30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him.   31 And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.   32 And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.   33 And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.   34 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.

      We have here the beginning of the reign of Ahab, of whom we have more particulars recorded than of any of the kings of Israel. We have here only a general idea given us of him, as the worst of all the kings, that we may expect what the particulars will be. He reigned twenty-two years, long enough to do a great deal of mischief.

      I. He exceeded all his predecessors in wickedness, did evil above all that were before him (1 Kings 16:30; 1 Kings 16:30), and, as if it were done with a particular enmity both to God and Israel, to affront him and ruin them, it is said, He did more purposely to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger, and, consequently, to send judgments on his land, than all the kings of Israel that were before him,1 Kings 16:33; 1 Kings 16:33. It was bad with the people when every successive king was worse than his predecessor. What would they come to at last? He had seen the ruin of other wicked kings and their families; yet, instead of taking warning, his heart was hardened and enraged against God by it. He thought it a light thing to walk in the sins of Jeroboam,1 Kings 16:31; 1 Kings 16:31. It was nothing to break the second commandment by image-worship, he would set aside the first also by introducing other gods; his little finger should fall heavier upon God's ordinances than Jeroboam's loins. Making light of less sins makes way for greater, and those that endeavour to extenuate other people's sins will but aggravate their own.

      II. He married a wicked woman, who he knew would bring in the worship of Baal, and seemed to marry her with that design. As if it had been a light thing to walk in the sins of Jeroboam, he took to wife Jezebel (1 Kings 16:31; 1 Kings 16:31), a zealous idolater, extremely imperious and malicious in her natural temper, addicted to witchcrafts and whoredoms (2 Kings 9:22), and every way vicious. The false prophetess spoken of Revelation 2:20 is there called Jezebel, for a wicked woman could not be called by a worse name than hers; what mischiefs she did, and what mischief at last befel her (2 Kings 9:33), we shall find in the following story; this one strange wife debauched Israel more than all the strange wives of Solomon.

      III. He set up the worship of Baal, forsook the God of Israel and served the god of the Sidonians, Jupiter instead of Jehovah, the sun (so some think), a deified hero of the Phoenicians (so others): he was weary of the golden calves, and thought they had been worshipped long enough; such vanities were they that those who had been fondest of them at length grew sick of them, and, like adulterers, much have variety. In honour of this mock deity, whom they called Baal--lord, and for the convenience of his worship, 1. Ahab built a temple in Samaria, the royal city, because the temple of God was in Jerusalem, the royal city of the other kingdom. He would have Baal's temple near him, that he might the better frequent it, protect it, and put honour upon it. 2. He reared an altar in that temple, on which to offer sacrifice to Baal, by which they acknowledged their dependence upon him and sought his favour. O the stupidity of idolaters, who are at a great expense to make one their friend whom they might have chosen whether they would make a god of or no! 3. He made a grove about his temple, either a natural one, by planting shady trees there, or, if those would be too long in growing, an artificial one in imitation of it; for it is not said he planted, but he made a grove, something that answered the intention, which was to conceal and so countenance the abominable impurities that were committed in the filthy worship of Baal. Lucus, a lucendo, quia non lucet--He that doeth evil hateth the light.

      IV. One of his subjects, in imitation of his presumption, ventured to build Jericho, in defiance of the curse Joshua had long since pronounced on him that should attempt it, 1 Kings 16:34; 1 Kings 16:34. It comes in as an instance of the height of impiety to which men had arrived, especially at Bethel, where one of the calves was, for of that city this daring sinner was. Observe, 1. How ill he did. Like Achan he meddled with the accursed thing, turned that to his own use which was devoted to God's honour. He began to build, in defiance of the curse well known in Israel, jesting with it perhaps as a bugbear, or fancying its force worn out by length of time, for it was above 500 years since it was pronounced, Joshua 6:26. He went on to build, in defiance of the execution of the curse in part; for, though his eldest son died when he began, yet he would proceed in contempt of God and his wrath revealed from heaven against his ungodliness. 2. How ill he sped. He built for his children, but God wrote him childless; his eldest son died when he began, the youngest when he finished, and all the rest (it is supposed) between. Note, Those whom God curses are cursed indeed; none ever hardened his heart against God and prospered. God keep us back from presumptuous sins, those great transgressions!