Cursed be the man... that... buildeth this city Jericho. — As the marginal reference indicates, the curse of Joshua was not incurred until Hiel the Bethelite built the city, in the reign of Ahab. But the “city of palm-trees” is (somewhat doubtfully) identified with Jericho, and this was occupied by the Moabites under Eglon, not very long after the time of Joshua (Judges 3:13, &c.), and seems to have been Eglon’s residence, where he was slain by Ehud.

The curse, fulfilled upon Hiel and his family, appears to have been finally removed by the intercession of Elisha (2 Kings 2:18), at the request of the inhabitants.

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