(a) (Name of person; Heb. “God is living.”).
Man originally from Bethel; he lived under the reign of Ahab. He fortified Jericho, bringing upon himself the curse that Joshua had prophesied upon anyone who undertook such a work (Josh. 6:26; 1 Kings 16:34).
(b) (Substance.).
(A) Heb. "merorah", the secretion of the liver. It is a symbol of "bitterness" (cf. Jb. 16:13). It is also used to denote the poison of asps (Jb. 20:14, 25).
(B) Heb. "rosh." Poisonous plant with a very bitter taste, not identified with certainty. Turning to idolatry was like “a root that produces gall and wormwood” (Deut. 29:18). The judgments of God fell on the unfaithful people like waters of gall to drink (Jer. 8:14; 9:15; 23:15; cf. Deut. 32:32; Lam. 3:1, 19; Am. 6: 12).
In the LXX, “rosh” is translated by the term Gr. "cholë", which, both in the LXX and in other literary passages, denotes more generally any kind of spiced drug of the kind offered to numb the senses; Thus, wine mixed with myrrh, resin, saffron, labdanum, etc., could be called, in general terms, wine mixed with "gall."
Matthew speaks more generally, mentioning “wine mixed with gall” (Mt. 27:34), while Mark mentions that it was specifically myrrh (Mark 15:23).
Meaning of HIEL
Man originally from Bethel; he lived under the reign of Ahab. He fortified Jericho, bringing upon himself the curse that Joshua had prophesied upon anyone who undertook such a work (Josh. 6:26; 1 Kings 16:34).
