In his days did Hiel the Bethelite 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.

1 KINGS 16:34KJV
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1 Kings 16:34 (KJV)

What does 1 Kings 16:34 mean?

1 Kings 16:34 describes how, during the reign of King Ahab, a man named Hiel from Bethel rebuilt the city of Jericho, and as he did, his oldest son Abiram died when the foundation was laid, and his youngest son Segub died when the gates were set up, just as God had warned through Joshua. This verse shows the fulfillment of a curse spoken by Joshua centuries earlier, demonstrating that God’s word came true even after a long time.

The verse is set in the time of King Ahab of Israel, a period marked by widespread disobedience to God. Hiel, identified as a Bethelite, undertook the rebuilding of Jericho, a city that Joshua had cursed after its destruction (see Joshua 6:26). The deaths of Hiel’s sons are directly connected to the rebuilding, showing that the ancient warning was not forgotten by God, even if people had ignored it.

The Hebrew behind 1 Kings 16:34

  • חִיאֵל (Ḥiʾel, "Hiel"): The name means "God lives." His identity as a Bethelite links him to a region known for idolatry in this period, which may hint at disregard for God’s warnings.
  • יְרֵחוֹ (Yericho, "Jericho"): The city’s name recalls its dramatic fall under Joshua, making its rebuilding a significant act of defiance or forgetfulness regarding God’s command.
  • יָסַד (yasad, "laid the foundation"): This word marks the start of construction, and its use here ties the death of Abiram to the very beginning of the rebuilding, emphasizing the direct consequence.
  • דָּבָר (davar, "word"): This is the same word used for God’s spoken promise or warning. Its use highlights that what happened was not random tragedy but fulfillment of a specific word from God.

Why 1 Kings 16:34 matters

  • This verse clears up any idea that God’s warnings or promises expire with time; it shows that what God says remains true, even across generations.
  • It connects the history of Israel, reminding readers that actions taken in the present can be tied to words and events from the past, especially when it comes to God’s instructions.
  • The verse highlights the seriousness of disregarding God’s word, as even a long-forgotten curse is still active and has real consequences.

Where else these words appear

“Segub” Hebrew H7687 · used in 3 verses

  • 1 Chronicles 2:21 And afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he was threescore years old; and she bare him Segub.
  • 1 Chronicles 2:22 And Segub begat Jair, who had three and twenty cities in the land of Gilead.

“Abiram” Hebrew H48 · used in 9 verses

  • Numbers 16:1 Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:
  • Numbers 16:24 Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
  • Numbers 26:9 And the sons of Eliab; Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram, which were famous in the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against the LORD:

“youngest” Hebrew H6810 · used in 22 verses

  • Genesis 19:31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:
  • Genesis 48:14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.
  • Psalms 119:141 I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts.

“Nun” Hebrew H5126 · used in 30 verses

  • Exodus 33:11 And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
  • Numbers 32:12 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.
  • Joshua 6:6 And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD.