Verse 34
34. Hiel the Bethelite A native of that city which had so long been the scene of Israelitish calf-worship, and, perhaps, a despiser of Jehovah and his laws. He was thus a fit person to undertake the daring work here mentioned.
Build Jericho Joshua pronounced a curse upon the man who should attempt to rebuild the walls of Jericho, (Joshua 6:26; where see note,) and several hundred years had passed with no one so impious as to despise that curse. The place had been inhabited, but no one had ventured to fortify it and set up the gates. It seems to have now become the possession of the northern kingdom, and Ahab’s design in having it fortified was probably to make it a frontier garrison to command the passage over the Jordan.
Laid the foundation thereof in Abiram That is, at the cost of his life. Thus, in 1 Kings 2:23, Solomon says that Adonijah had spoken a certain word בנפשׁו , in his life, that is, at the cost of his life. The manner in which the Divine judgment fell upon Hiel’s sons whether by natural or by violent deaths whether the firstborn died when he laid the foundation, and the youngest when he set up the gates is nowhere stated, and so far as that is unknown so far will there be a degree of mystery hanging over this text. But the record will ever stand as a warning that no man may lightly treat Jehovah’s word and live.
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