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Texts -- 1 Kings 16:1-26 (NET)

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16:1 Jehu son of Hanani received from the Lord this message predicting Baasha’s downfall : 16:2 “I raised you up from the dust and made you ruler over my people Israel . Yet you followed in Jeroboam’s footsteps and encouraged my people Israel to sin ; their sins have made me angry . 16:3 So I am ready to burn up Baasha and his family , and make your family like the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat . 16:4 Dogs will eat the members of Baasha’s family who die in the city , and the birds of the sky will eat the ones who die in the country .” 16:5 The rest of the events of Baasha’s reign, including his accomplishments and successes , are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel . 16:6 Baasha passed away and was buried in Tirzah . His son Elah replaced him as king . 16:7 The prophet Jehu son of Hanani received from the Lord the message predicting the downfall of Baasha and his family because of all the evil Baasha had done in the sight of the Lord . His actions angered the Lord (including the way he had destroyed Jeroboam’s dynasty ), so that his family ended up like Jeroboam’s .
Elah’s Reign over Israel
16:8 In the twenty-sixth year of King Asa’s reign over Judah , Baasha’s son Elah became king over Israel ; he ruled in Tirzah for two years . 16:9 His servant Zimri , a commander of half of his chariot force , conspired against him . While Elah was drinking heavily at the house of Arza , who supervised the palace in Tirzah , 16:10 Zimri came in and struck him dead . (This happened in the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah .) Zimri replaced Elah as king . 16:11 When he became king and occupied the throne , he killed Baasha’s entire family . He did not spare any male belonging to him; he killed his relatives and his friends . 16:12 Zimri destroyed Baasha’s entire family , just as the Lord had predicted to Baasha through Jehu the prophet . 16:13 This happened because of all the sins which Baasha and his son Elah committed and which they made Israel commit . They angered the Lord God of Israel with their worthless idols . 16:14 The rest of the events of Elah’s reign, including all his accomplishments , are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel .
Zimri’s Reign over Israel
16:15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah , Zimri became king over Israel; he ruled for seven days in Tirzah . Zimri’s revolt took place while the army was deployed in Gibbethon , which was in Philistine territory. 16:16 While deployed there, the army received this report : “Zimri has conspired against the king and assassinated him.” So all Israel made Omri , the commander of the army , king over Israel that very day in the camp . 16:17 Omri and all Israel went up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah . 16:18 When Zimri saw that the city was captured , he went into the fortified area of the royal palace . He set the palace on fire and died in the flames. 16:19 This happened because of the sins he committed . He did evil in the sight of the Lord and followed in Jeroboam’s footsteps and encouraged Israel to continue sinning . 16:20 The rest of the events of Zimri’s reign, including the details of his revolt , are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel .
Omri’s Reign over Israel
16:21 At that time the people of Israel were divided in their loyalties. Half the people supported Tibni son of Ginath and wanted to make him king ; the other half supported Omri . 16:22 Omri’s supporters were stronger than those who supported Tibni son of Ginath . Tibni died ; Omri became king . 16:23 In the thirty-first year of Asa’s reign over Judah , Omri became king over Israel . He ruled for twelve years , six of them in Tirzah . 16:24 He purchased the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver . He launched a construction project there and named the city he built after Shemer , the former owner of the hill of Samaria . 16:25 Omri did more evil in the sight of the Lord than all who were before him. 16:26 He followed in the footsteps of Jeroboam son of Nebat and encouraged Israel to sin ; they angered the Lord God of Israel with their worthless idols .

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Bible Dictionary

  • Omri

    [ebd] servant of Jehovah. When Elah was murdered by Zimri at Tirzah (1 Kings 16:15-27), Omri, his captain, was made king (B.C. 931). For four years there was continued opposition to his reign, Tibni, another claimant to the throne...
    [isbe] OMRI - om'-ri (`omri; Septuagint Ambri; Assyrian "Chumri" and "Chumria"): (1) The 6th king of Northern Israel, and founder of the IIIrd Dynasty which reigned for nearly 50 years. Omri reigned 12 years, circa 887-876 BC. The ...
    [smith] (pupil of Jehovah). Originally "captain of the host" to Elah, was afterward himself king of Israel, and founder of the third dynasty. (B.C. 926.) Omri was engaged in the siege of Gibbethon situated in the tribe of Dan, which...
    [nave] OMRI 1. King of Israel. Was commander of the army of Israel, and was proclaimed king by the army upon news of assassination of King Elah, 1 Kin. 16:16. Defeats his rival, Tibni, and establishes himself, 1 Kin. 16:17-22. Su...

  • Baasha

    [ebd] bravery, the third king of the separate kingdom of Israel, and founder of its second dynasty (1 Kings 15; 16; 2 Chr. 16:1-6). He was the son of Ahijah of the tribe of Issachar. The city of Tirzah he made the capital of his k...
    [isbe] BAASHA - ba'-a-sha ba`sha', "boldness"): King of Israel. Baasha, son of Ahijah, and of common birth (1 Ki 16:2), usurped the throne of Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, killed Nadab and exterminated the house of Jeroboam. He carri...
    [smith] (wicked), B.C. 953-931, third sovereign of the separate kingdom of Israel, and the founder of its second dynasty. He was son of Ahijah of the tribe of Issachar and conspired against King Nadab, (1 Kings 15:27) and killed h...
    [nave] BAASHA, king of Israel, 1 Kin. 15:16-22, 27-34; 16:1-7; 21:22; 2 Kin. 9:9; 2 Chr. 16:1-6; Jer. 41:9.

  • Zimri

    [ebd] praise-worthy. (1.) A son of Salu, slain by Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, because of his wickedness in bringing a Midianitish woman into his tent (Num. 25:6-15). (2.) Murdered Elah at Tirzah, and succeeded him on the throne ...
    [smith] The son of Salu, a Simeonite chieftain, slain by Phinehas with the Midianitish princess Cozbi. (Numbers 25:14). (B.C. 1450.) Fifth sovereign of the separate kingdom of Israel, of which he occupied the throne for the brief pe...
    [nave] ZIMRI 1. A chief of Simeon, Num. 25:6-8, 14. 2. King of Israel, 1 Kin. 16:9-20; 2 Kin. 9:31. 3. Son of Zerah, 1 Chr. 2:6. 4. A Benjamite, 1 Chr. 8:36; 9:42. 5. An unknown place, Jer. 25:25.

  • ISRAEL, HISTORY OF, 3

    [isbe] ISRAEL, HISTORY OF, 3 - V. Period of the Separated Kingdoms. 1. Contrasts and Vicissitudes of the Kingdoms: The two separated kingdoms differed materially. The kingdom of Ephraim was the more powerful of the two. It embraced...

  • Ahab

    [ebd] father's brother. (1.) The son of Omri, whom he succeeded as the seventh king of Israel. His history is recorded in 1 Kings 16-22. His wife was Jezebel (q.v.), who exercised a very evil influence over him. To the calf-worshi...

  • Elah

    [ebd] terebinth or oak. (1.) Valley of, where the Israelites were encamped when David killed Goliath (1 Sam. 17:2, 19). It was near Shochoh of Judah and Azekah (17:1). It is the modern Wady es-Sunt, i.e., "valley of the acacia." "...
    [smith] (an oak, strength). The son and successor of Baasha king of Israel. (1 Kings 16:8-10) His reign laster for little more than a year; comp. ver. 8 with 10. (B.C. 928-7.) He was killed while drunk, by Zimri, in the house of ...
    [nave] ELAH 1. A valley where David killed Goliath, 1 Sam. 17:2, 19; 21:9. 2. An Edomite duke, Gen. 36:41; 1 Chr. 1:51. 3. Son of Caleb, 1 Chr. 4:15. 4. Father of Shimei, 1 Kin. 4:18. 5. Son and successor of Baasha, king of Isr...

  • ZIMRI (1)

    [isbe] ZIMRI (1) - zim'-ri (zimri, "wild sheep" or "wild goat"; in 1 Maccabees, with the King James Version, has Zambri; Codex Sinaiticus has Zambrei): (1) A Simeonite prince (Nu 25:14; 1 Macc 2:26), slain by Phinehas, Aaron's gran...

  • ZIMRI (2)

    [isbe] ZIMRI (2) - (zimri; Septuagint Zambrei, Zambri): The 5th king of Israel, but who occupied the throne only seven days (1 Ki 16:9-20). Zimri had been captain of half the chariots under Elah, and, as it seems, made use of his p...

  • Anger

    [nave] ANGER. Gen. 4:6; Gen. 49:7; 2 Chr. 28:9; Job 5:2; Job 19:29; Psa. 37:8; Psa. 55:3; Psa. 76:10; Prov. 6:34; Prov. 12:16; Prov. 14:17, 29; Prov. 15:1, 18; Prov. 16:14, 29, 32; Prov. 17:14; Prov. 19:11, 12, 19; Prov. 21:24; Pr...

  • Jehu

    [ebd] Jehovah is he. (1.) The son of Obed, and father of Azariah (1 Chr. 2:38). (2.) One of the Benjamite slingers that joined David at Ziklag (1 Chr. 12:3). (3.) The son of Hanani, a prophet of Judah (1 Kings 16:1, 7; 2 Chr. 19:2...
    [isbe] JEHU - je'-hu (yehu; meaning uncertain, perhaps "Yahweh is he"; 1 Ki 19:16,17; 2 Ki 9; 10; Eiou): Son of Jehoshaphat, and descendant of Nimshi, hence, commonly called "the son of Nimshi"; 10th king of Israel, and founder of ...
    [smith] (the living). The founder of the fifth dynasty of the kingdom of Israel, son of Jehoshaphat. (2 Kings 9:2) He reigned over Israel 28 years, B.C. 884-856. His first appearance in history is when he heard the warning of Eli...
    [nave] JEHU 1. The prophet who aounced the wrath of Jehovah against Baasha, king of Israel, 1 Kin. 16:1, 7, 12; 2 Chr. 19:2; 20:34. 2. Son of Nimshi, king of Israel, 1 Kin. 19:16; 2 Kin. 9:1-14. Religious zeal of, in slaying idol...

  • Tirzah

    [isbe] TIRZAH - tur'-za (tirtsah; Thersa): (1) A royal city of the Canaanites, the king of which was slain by Joshua (12:24). It superseded Shechem as capital of the Northern Kingdom (1 Ki 14:17, etc.), and itself gave place in tur...
    [nave] TIRZAH 1. A daughter of Zelophehad, Num. 26:33; 36:11; Josh. 17:3. Special legislation in regard to the inheritance of, Num. 27:1-11; 36; Josh. 17:3, 4. 2. A city of Canaan. Captured by Joshua, Josh. 12:24. Becomes the re...

  • Tibni

    [ebd] building of Jehovah, the son of Ginath, a man of some position, whom a considerable number of the people chose as monarch. For the period of four years he contended for the throne with Omri (1 Kings 16:21, 22), who at length...
    [isbe] TIBNI - tib'-ni (tibhni; Codex Vaticanus Thamnei, Codex Alexandrinus Thamni, Lucian Thabennei): A rival of Omri for the throne of Israel after the death of Zimri (1 Ki 16:21 f). This is the only reference to Tibni that has c...
    [smith] (intelligent). After Zimri had burnt himself in his palace, there was a division in the northern kingdom, half of the people following Tibni the son of Ginath, and half following Omri. (1 Kings 16:21,22) Omri was the choic...
    [nave] TIBNI, chosen by half of Israel to be king; death of, 1 Kin. 16:21, 22.

  • ELAH (2)

    [isbe] ELAH (2) - e'-la. Son of Baasha, fourth king of Israel (1 Ki 16:6-14). He reigned two years, 888-887 BC. The statement that he came to the throne in the 26th year of Asa, reigned two years, and died in the 27th year of Asa, ...

  • Hanani

    [ebd] God has gratified me, or is gracious. (1.) One of the sons of Heman (1 Chr. 25:4, 25). (2.) A prophet who was sent to rebuke king Asa for entering into a league with Benhadad I., king of Syria, against Judah (2 Chr. 16:1-10)...
    [isbe] HANANI - ha-na'-ni (chanani, "gracious"): (1) A musician and son of Heman, David's seer, and head of one of the courses of the temple service (1 Ch 25:4,25). (2) A seer, the father of Jehu. He was cast into prison for his co...
    [smith] (gracious). One of the sons of Heman, and head of the eighteenth course of the service. (1 Chronicles 25:4,25) A seer who rebuked (B.C. 941) Asa king of Judah. (2 Chronicles 16:7) For this he was imprisoned. ver. 10 He...
    [nave] HANANI 1. Son of Heman, 1 Chr. 25:4, 25. 2. A prophet who rebuked Asa, king of Judah, 2 Chr. 16:7. 3. Father of Jehu the prophet, 1 Kin. 16:1, 7; 2 Chr. 19:2; 20:34. Possibly identical with 2. 4. A priest, Ezra 10:20. 5...

  • Prophecy

    [nave] PROPHECY Concerning Jesus, See: Jesus. Concerning church, See: Church, Prophecies Concerning Prosperity of. Relating to various countries, nations, and cities, see under their respective titles. Respecting individuals, see...

  • Ginath

    [isbe] GINATH - gi'-nath (ginath): Father of Tibni, the unsuccessful rival of Omri (1 Ki 16:21,22).
    [smith] (protection), father of Tibni. (1 Kings 16:21,22)
    [nave] GINATH, father of Tibni, 1 Kin. 16:21, 22.

  • ISRAEL, KINGDOM OF

    [ebd] (B.C. 975-B.C. 722). Soon after the death of Solomon, Ahijah's prophecy (1 Kings 11:31-35) was fulfilled, and the kingdom was rent in twain. Rehoboam, the son and successor of Solomon, was scarcely seated on his throne when ...
    [isbe] ISRAEL, KINGDOM OF - || I. THE FIRST PERIOD 1. The Two Kingdoms 2. The Ist Dynasty 3. The IInd Dynasty 4. Civil War II. PERIOD OF THE SYRIAN WARS 1. The IIIrd Dynasty 2. World-Politics 3. Battle of Karkar 4. Loss of Territor...
    [smith] I. the kingdom. --The prophet Ahijah of Shiloh, who was commissioned in the latter days of Solomon to announce the division of the kingdom, left one tribe (Judah) to the house of David, and assigned ten to Jeroboam. (1 Kin...

  • Samaria

    [ebd] a watch-mountain or a watch-tower. In the heart of the mountains of Israel, a few miles north-west of Shechem, stands the "hill of Shomeron," a solitary mountain, a great "mamelon." It is an oblong hill, with steep but not i...
    [smith] (watch mountain). This city is situated 30 miles north of Jerusalem and about six miles to the northwest of Shechem, in a wide basin-shaped valley, six miles in diameter, encircled with high hills, almost on the edge of the g...
    [nave] SAMARIA 1. City of, built by Omri, 1 Kin. 16:24. Capital of the kingdom of the ten tribes, 1 Kin. 16:29; 22:51; 2 Kin. 13:1, 10; 15:8. Besieged by Ben-hadad, 1 Kin. 20; 2 Kin. 6:24-33; 7. The king of Syria is led into, by...

  • Government

    [nave] GOVERNMENT Paternal functions of, Gen. 41:25-57. Civil service school provided by, Dan. 1:3-20. Maintains a system of public instruction, 2 Chr. 17:7-9. Executive departments in. See: Cabinet; King; Ruler; Statecraft. Ju...

  • Shemer

    [isbe] SHEMER - she'-mer (shemer; Semer, Lucian, Semmer): (1) The owner of the hill which Omri bought and which became the site of Samaria (1 Ki 16:24, shomeron). Shemer may be an ancient clan name. The fact, however, that the moun...
    [smith] (preserved), the owner of the hill on which the city of Samaria was built. (1 Kings 16:24) (B.C. 917.) [SAMARIA]
    [nave] SHEMER, owner of the site on which Samaria was built, 1 Kin. 16:24.
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • David proceeded to offer sacrifices in response to Gad's instructions (v. 18). David needed to commit himself again to God (the burnt offering) and to renew his fellowship with God (the peace offering, v. 25). God instructed ...
  • The fact that this book opens and closes with death should be a clue as to its message.It opens with David's death, and it closes with Ahab's death. The intervening period of about a century and a half is a story of national ...
  • I. The reign of Solomon chs. 1-11A. Solomon's succession to David's throne 1:1-2:121. David's declining health 1:1-42. Adonijah's attempt to seize the throne 1:5-533. David's charge to Solomon 2:1-94. David's death 2:10-12B. ...
  • Adonijah was David's fourth son (2 Sam. 3:4) and the eldest one living at this time. Evidently he believed it was more important that the eldest son succeed David, as was customary in the Near East, than that the king of Yahw...
  • The second major part of the Book of Kings records the histories of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah.123During this era of 209 years (931-722 B.C.) the two kingdoms experienced differing relati...
  • During its history the Northern Kingdom had three capitals: first Shechem (v. 25), then Tirzah (14:17; 15:33), and finally Samaria (16:23-24). Perhaps the king strengthened Penuel in west-central Gilead as a Transjordanian pr...
  • Whereas the prophecy of the young prophet from Judah dealt with Jeroboam's religious cult, this one predicted the fate of his descendants.Jeroboam probably sent his wife to see Ahijah because that prophet had previously given...
  • Baasha's 24-year reign (909-886 B.C.), the third longest of any king of the Northern Kingdom, fell within that of Asa's rule over Judah (911-870 B.C.).Baasha had an outstanding opportunity to lead Israel back to true covenant...
  • The dynasties that Jeroboam and Baasha established were alike in several respects. Both were only two generations long. The first king in each dynasty reigned for a fairly long time, Jeroboam 29 years and Baasha 24. Assassins...
  • Zimri's seven-day reign in 885 B.C. was the shortest in the history of the Northern Kingdom.Omri was commander-in-chief of Israel's army. He outranked Zimri. When word of Zimri's assassination of Elah reached the soldiers at ...
  • Controversy over who should succeed to Israel's throne raged for six years (885-880 B.C.) in Israel and threatened to consume the nation. Civil war followed Zimri's death (vv. 21-22). Omri finally overpowered Tibni and probab...
  • Verses 30 and 33 bracket and set forth Ahab's unusual wickedness with special emphasis. The writer had just written that Omri was the worst king so far (v. 25), but now he said Ahab exceeded him in wickedness. For Ahab, the f...
  • Again God told Elijah to "go"(v. 18; cf. 17:3, 9; 18:1; 19:15). As a faithful servant, he went to confront the king again.226Ahab was not in Samaria then (v. 18) but in Jezreel (v. 19). The mention of Samaria was evidently an...
  • Jezebel evidently painted her eyes and adorned her head (v. 30) to receive Jehu. Unwittingly, or perhaps deliberately,59she prepared herself for her own death. At least one interpreter believed she was trying to seduce Jehu.6...
  • "But it is just here, when everything is blackest, that his faith . . . like the rainbow in the cloud . . . shines with a marvelous splendor."89This short section contains probably the best known verses in the book (vv. 23-27...
  • 7:10 Amaziah, who was one of the apostate priests who served at the Bethel sanctuary (cf. 1 Kings 12:26-33), felt that Amos was being unpatriotic in what he was prophesying. So Amaziah sent a message to King Jeroboam II charg...
  • 6:13 Because of these sins the Lord promised to make His people sick, downtrodden, and desolate.6:14 They would continue to eat, but their food would not bring them satisfaction (cf. Lev. 26:26). Their excessive accumulation ...
  • 23:1 As we have seen, there were three groups of people present in the temple courtyard. These were the disciples of Jesus, His critics, namely the various groups of Israel's leaders, and the crowds of ordinary Israelites. Je...
  • There are several connections between this section and the preceding ones that provide continuity. One is the continuation of water as a symbol (cf. 2:6; 3:5; 4:10-15). Another is the continuation of conversation in which Jes...
  • Evidently a woman claiming to be a prophetess (cf. Luke 2:36; Acts 21:9; 1 Cor. 11:5) had been influencing some in this church to join the local trade guilds without which a tradesman could not work in Thyatira. This meant pa...
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