1 Kings 16:34

34 Forsooth in his days Hiel of Bethel builded Jericho; in Abiram, his first son, he founded it , and in Segub, his last son, he setted the gates thereof, by the word of the Lord, which he had spoken in the hand of Joshua, the son of Nun. (And in his days Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho; he lost Abiram, his first son, at the time that he founded it, and he lost Segub, his last son, when he put up its gates, by the word of the Lord, which he had spoken by Joshua, the son of Nun.)

1 Kings 16:34 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 16:34

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; (See Gill on Joshua 6:26) but is now, as Mr. Maundrell says ^F11, a poor nasty village of the Arabs.

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 Journey from Aleppo p. 81.

1 Kings 16:34 In-Context

32 And he set up an altar to Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had builded in Samaria,

33 and he planted a maumet wood; and Ahab added to (that) in his work, and stirred to ire the Lord God of Israel, more than all [the] kings of Israel that were before him. (and he planted an idol grove/and he put up a sacred pole; and Ahab did more with his deeds, to stir the Lord God of Israel to anger, than all the kings of Israel who were before him.)

34 Forsooth in his days Hiel of Bethel builded Jericho; in Abiram, his first son, he founded it , and in Segub, his last son, he setted the gates thereof, by the word of the Lord, which he had spoken in the hand of Joshua, the son of Nun. (And in his days Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho; he lost Abiram, his first son, at the time that he founded it, and he lost Segub, his last son, when he put up its gates, by the word of the Lord, which he had spoken by Joshua, the son of Nun.)