Hiel

In Bible versions:

Hiel: NET AVS NIV NRSV NASB TEV

a man from Bethel who rebuilt Jericho

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God lives; the life of God

Hebrew

Strongs #02419: layx Chiy'el

Hiel = "God lives"

1) a native of Bethel who rebuilt Jericho in the reign of Ahab and in
whom was fulfilled the curse pronounced by Joshua

2419 Chiy'el khee-ale'

from 2416 and 410; living of God; Chiel, an Israelite:-Hiel.
see HEBREW for 02416
see HEBREW for 0410

Hiel [EBD]

life of (i.e., from) God, a native of Bethel, who built (i.e., fortified) Jericho some seven hundred years after its destruction by the Israelites. There fell on him for such an act the imprecation of Joshua (6:26). He laid the foundation in his first-born, and set up the gates in his youngest son (1 Kings 16:34), i.e., during the progress of the work all his children died.

Hiel [NAVE]

HIEL
Rebuilder of Jericho, 1 Kin. 16:34.
In him was fulfilled the curse pronounced by Joshua, Josh. 6:26.

HIEL [SMITH]

(God liveth), a native of Bethel, who rebuilt Jericho in the reign of Ahab, (1 Kings 16:34) (B.C. after 915), and in whom was fulfilled the curse pronounced by Joshua, (Joshua 6:26) five hundred years before.

HIEL [ISBE]

HIEL - hi'-el (chi'el; Achiel): A Bethelite who according to 1 Ki 16:34 rebuilt Jericho, and in fulfillment of a curse pronounced by Joshua (Josh 6:26) sacrificed his two sons. This seems to have been a custom prevalent among primitive peoples, the purpose being to ward off ill luck from the inhabitants, especially in a case where the destroyer had invoked a curse on him who presumed to rebuild. Numerous instances are brought to light in the excavations of Gezer (Macalister, Bible Side-Lights from the Mound of Gezer, chapter x). At first the very best was claimed as a gift to the deity, e.g. one's own sons; then some less valuable member of the community. When civilization prevented human sacrifice, animals were offered instead. The story of Abraham offering Isaac may be a trace of this old custom, the tenor of the story implying that at the time of the writing of the record, the custom was coming to be in disrepute. A similar instance is the offering of his eldest son by the king of Edom to appease the deity and win success in battle (2 Ki 3:27; compare Mic 6:7). Various conjectures have been made as to the identity of this king. Ewald regarded him as a man of wealth and enterprise (unternehmender reicher Mann); Cheyne following Niebuhr makes it Jehu in disguise, putting 1 Ki 16:34 after 2 Ki 10:33; Winckler explains as folklore.

W. N. Stearns