Hitchcock's Bible Names
HielGod lives; the life of God
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Hiel(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.
ATS Bible Dictionary
HielGod liveth, a Bethelite, who rebuilt Jericho in despite of the woe denounced five hundred years before, Joshua 6:26. The fulfillment of the curse by the death of his children, proves the truth which his name signified, 1 Kings 16:34.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
HIELhi'-el (chi'el; Achiel): A Bethelite who according to 1 Kings 16:34 rebuilt Jericho, and in fulfillment of a curse pronounced by Joshua (Joshua 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 Kings 3:27; compare Micah 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 Kings 16:34 after 2 Kings 10:33; Winckler explains as folklore.
W. N. Stearns
Easton's Bible Dictionary
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.
Strong's Hebrew
2419. Chiel -- probably "brother of God," a rebuilder of Jericho... << 2418, 2419. Chiel. 2420 >>. probably "brother of God," a rebuilder of Jericho.
Transliteration: Chiel Phonetic Spelling: (khee-ale') Short Definition:
Hiel.
... Hiel ... /hebrew/2419.htm - 6k
