Reference: Hiel
American
God liveth, a Bethelite, who rebuilt Jericho in despite of the woe denounced five hundred years before, Jos 6:26. The fulfillment of the curse by the death of his children, proves the truth which his name signified, 1Ki 16:34.
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Easton
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 (Jos 6:26). He laid the foundation in his first-born, and set up the gates in his youngest son (1Ki 16:34), i.e., during the progress of the work all his children died.
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Fausets
("God liveth".) Native of Bethel. Rebuilt, i.e. restored as a fortified town, Jericho in Ahab's reign, who hoped through fortifying it (for Hiel was Ahab's profane and reckless tool) to have on his borders a city securing to himself the passage of Jordan. In Hiel was fulfilled Joshua's curse on the rebuilder of Jericho (Jos 6:26), "he shall lay the foundation in (i.e. at the price of) his firstborn (Abiram), and in (i.e. at the price of) his youngest son (Segub) shall he set up the gates of it." The builder paid for its restoration by the loss of all his Sons, from the firstborn to the youngest.
The Benjamites, by Joshua's allotment (Jos 18:21), inhabited it, and it is called "the city of palms" (Jg 3:13; 2Sa 10:5); but not until Ahab's time, when men cast off all fear of Jehovah, was Joshua's curse fulfilled, when Hiel presumed to fortify it (1Ki 16:34). The walls had been miraculously cast down, and it was against their being rebuilt that the curse was leveled. The sin marks how deeply Israel had fallen; the curse how God will not let His word be transgressed with impunity.
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Hastings
The name of a certain Bethelite who in the days of Ahab fortified Jericho, and possibly sacrificed his two sons to appease the gods of the disturbed earth (1Ki 16:34). Some obscure event is here applied as a comment on the curse on Jericho pronounced by Joshua.
W. F. Cobb.
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Morish
Hi'el
Native of Bethel who rebuilt Jericho in the reign of Ahab. In him was fulfilled the curse pronounced by Joshua that he should lay the foundation of the city in his firstborn and set up the gates in his youngest son. His building the city was a marked sign of insubordination.
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Smith
Hi'el
(God liveth), a native of Bethel, who rebuilt Jericho in the reign of Ahab,
(B.C. after 915), and in whom was fulfilled the curse pronounced by Joshua,
five hundred years before.