Boy Old Testament Rare
Hiel
God lives; the life of God
חִיאֵל chi.el
Hiel (Hebrew: חִיאֵל, chi.el) means “God lives; the life of God”, by traditional interpretation. It appears once, at 1 Kings 16:34. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears with Abiram in 1 Kings 16.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
-
Hiel
father of Segub; father of Abiram
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 1 across 1 book
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Divided Kingdom
- Hapax
- Yes occurs exactly once
Using it today
In United States birth records this name is below the reporting threshold. The Social Security Administration does not publish counts under five, so a name given to four children looks the same as one given to none.
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | 1 Kings 16:34 |
| Cross-references | 13 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Abiram co-occurrence Appears with Abiram in 1 Kings 16.
- Segub co-occurrence Appears with Segub in 1 Kings 16.
- Arza co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Arza.
- Shemer co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Shemer.
- Ethbaal co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Ethbaal.
- Nun co-occurrence Appears with Nun in 1 Kings 16.
- Tibni co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Tibni.
- Ginath co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Ginath.
Origin & meaning
A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ki.16.34;
father of: Abiram (H0048H), Segub (H7687)
§ Hiel = "God lives"
a native of Bethel who rebuilt Jericho in the reign of Ahab and in whom was fulfilled the curse pronounced by Joshua
Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho during the reign of King Ahab, fulfilling Joshua's curse on the city.
The biblical story
Hiel the Bethelite is mentioned in 1Ki.16.34 as the man who rebuilt the city of Jericho during the reign of King Ahab of Israel. Jericho had been destroyed and cursed by Joshua centuries earlier (Jos.6.26), with a warning that whoever rebuilt the city would do so at the cost of his firstborn and youngest sons.
Despite this curse, Hiel rebuilt Jericho, and as a result, he lost his firstborn son, Abiram, when he laid the foundation, and his youngest son, Segub, when he set up the gates. This event is recorded as a fulfillment of Joshua's prophecy and a demonstration of the power of God's word.
Hiel's actions were in direct disobedience to God's command and showed a disregard for the history and spiritual significance of Jericho. His story serves as a warning against disobedience and the consequences of ignoring God's word.
Key verses
Hiel appears in 1 verse. Here are some of the most notable:
-
In his days did Hiel the Beth–elite 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 16:34
Show all 1 reference
1 Kings (1)
- 1 Kings 16:34