1Ki 16:34 | TNotes | STEP | 16:34 Despite Joshua’s curse against Jericho (Josh 6:26-27 ), the site was occasionally and temporarily occupied prior to being rebuilt by Hiel (see Judg 3:13 ; 2 Sam 10:5 ; 1 Chr 19:5 ), as archaeological excavations confirm. Hiel’s efforts signify the spiritual defection of Israel. • When he laid its foundation ... Segub: The Targum (an interpretive Aramaic translation for Jews who did not know Hebrew after the Exile) suggests that Hiel sacrificed his sons as foundation offerings according to pagan practices; others understand the deaths to be from disease or accident. The sentence might be a Hebrew merism (using boundaries to indicate everything in between), which would imply that all of Hiel’s sons died.

bJosh 6:26-27►

cJudg 3:13►

d2 Sam 10:5►

e1 Chr 19:5►

‏ 1 Kings 16:34

16:34 ^a Despite Joshua’s curse against Jericho (Josh 6:26-27 ^b), the site was occasionally and temporarily occupied prior to being rebuilt by Hiel (see Judg 3:13 ^c; 2 Sam 10:5 ^d; 1 Chr 19:5 ^e), as archaeological excavations confirm. Hiel’s efforts signify the spiritual defection of Israel.

• When he laid its foundation ... Segub: The Targum (an interpretive Aramaic translation for Jews who did not know Hebrew after the Exile) suggests that Hiel sacrificed his sons as foundation offerings according to pagan practices; others understand the deaths to be from disease or accident. The sentence might be a Hebrew merism (using boundaries to indicate everything in between), which would imply that all of Hiel’s sons died.