Advanced Commentary

Texts -- 1 Kings 16:3-34 (NET)

Context
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 . 16:27 The rest of the events of Omri’s reign, including his accomplishments and successes , are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel . 16:28 Omri passed away and was buried in Samaria . His son Ahab replaced him as king .
Ahab Promotes Idolatry
16:29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa’s reign over Judah , Omri’s son Ahab became king over Israel . Ahab son of Omri ruled over Israel for twenty-two years in Samaria . 16:30 Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the sight of the Lord than all who were before him. 16:31 As if following in the sinful footsteps of Jeroboam son of Nebat were not bad enough, he married Jezebel the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians . Then he worshiped and bowed to Baal . 16:32 He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal he had built in Samaria . 16:33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole ; he did more to anger the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him. 16:34 During Ahab’s reign, Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho . Abiram , his firstborn son , died when he laid the foundation ; Segub , his youngest son, died when he erected its gates , just as the Lord had warned through Joshua son of Nun .

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • 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.

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • Tirza

    [ebd] pleasantness. (1.) An old royal city of the Canaanites, which was destroyed by Joshua (Josh. 12:24). Jeroboam chose it for his residence, and he removed to it from Shechem, which at first he made the capital of his kingdom. ...

  • Rulers

    [nave] RULERS Appointed and removed by God. See: Government, God in. Chastised, Dan. 4. See: Nation. Monarchical, See: Kings. Patriarchal, Gen. 27:29, 37. Instances of Nimrod, Gen. 10:8-10. Abraham, Gen. 14:13-24; 17:6; 21:2...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • Kings, The Books of

    [ebd] The two books of Kings formed originally but one book in the Hebrew Scriptures. The present division into two books was first made by the LXX., which now, with the Vulgate, numbers them as the third and fourth books of Kings...

  • Idol

    [ebd] (1.) Heb. aven, "nothingness;" "vanity" (Isa. 66:3; 41:29; Deut. 32:21; 1 Kings 16:13; Ps. 31:6; Jer. 8:19, etc.). (2.) 'Elil, "a thing of naught" (Ps. 97:7; Isa. 19:3); a word of contempt, used of the gods of Noph (Ezek. 30...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • Funeral

    [ebd] Burying was among the Jews the only mode of disposing of corpses (Gen. 23:19; 25:9; 35:8, 9, etc.). The first traces of burning the dead are found in 1 Sam. 31:12. The burning of the body was affixed by the law of Moses as a...

  • Eth-baal

    [ebd] with Baal, a king of Sidon (B.C. 940-908), father of Jezebel, who was the wife of Ahab (1 Kings 16:31). He is said to have been also a priest of Astarte, whose worship was closely allied to that of Baal, and this may account...

  • 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...

  • ELIJAH

    [isbe] ELIJAH - e-li'-ja ('eliyahu or (4 times) 'eliyah, "Yah is God"; Septuagint Eleiou, New Testament Eleias or Elias, the King James Version of New Testament Elias): I. THE WORKS OF ELIJAH 1. The Judgment of Drought 2. The Ordea...

  • 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, ...

  • Asherah

    [ebd] and pl. Asherim in Revised Version, instead of "grove" and "groves" of the Authorized Version. This was the name of a sensual Canaanitish goddess Astarte, the feminine of the Assyrian Ishtar. Its symbol was the stem of a tre...

  • 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...

  • APOSTASY; APOSTATE

    [isbe] APOSTASY; APOSTATE - a-pos'-ta-si, a-pos'-tat (he apostasia, "a standing away from"): I.e. a falling away, a withdrawal, a defection. Not found in the English Versions of the Bible, but used twice in the New Testament, in th...

Arts

Questions

  • In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was given selectively and temporarily to indwell certainly individuals for special ministries. It was not universal nor was it permanent. David's words in Psalm 51:11 make sense in light ...
  • These people were descendants of Sidoa, a son of Canaan, and were formerly a part of the Phoenician nation (Matt. 15:21,22; Mark 7:24,26). They dwelt on the sea-coast in the cities of Zidon and Zarephath (Josh. 11:8; I Kin. 1...
  • I'm going to copy some articles on this subject, but let me give you my summation of all of them. In the Old Testament, the firstborn son was the one who normally received a double inheritance, and was the one who would inher...

Sermon Illustrations

Seven Suicides in the Bible

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • 5:13-15 "Despite Joshua's long military experience he had never led an attack on a fortified city that was prepared for a long siege. In fact, of all the walled cities in Palestine, Jericho was probably the most invincible. T...
  • The writer referred to Canaan as "the land of the sons of Israel"first here in Scripture (v. 22). The Anakim were the mighty warriors that the 10 spies had feared (Num. 13:28). Israel destroyed most of these."The hardening of...
  • 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. ...
  • 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...
  • God had a very unusual ministry for Elijah to perform in which he would stand alone against hundreds of opponents (18:16-40). This section reveals how the Lord prepared him for it.The site of Zarephath was between Tyre and Si...
  • 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...
  • Second Kings begins with Ahaziah's reign that fell during the 33-year period of Israel and Judah's alliance (874-841 B.C.; -1 Kings 16:29-2 Kings 9:29). This period in turn fits within the larger context of the divided kingdo...
  • 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...
  • This purge evidently took place in Samaria (1 Kings 16:32). Jehu's true religious preferences had not yet become known publicly. The Hebrew words translated "pillar"in verses 26 and 27 are not the same indicating that Jehu de...
  • Perhaps Eliphaz wanted to scare Job into repenting with these words. As before, Eliphaz's authority was his own observations (v. 17; cf. 4:8). To this he added the wisdom of their ancestors (vv. 18-19; cf. 8:8). Probably vers...
  • "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...
  • Tyre was the leading city of Phoenicia. The sin of the Phoenicians was the same as that of the Philistines. They had sold whole communities of people to the Edomites as slaves.25They also broke a covenant of brothers."If Isra...
  • 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 ...
  • The first part of this oracle focused particularly on the true King who would come and exercise sovereignty over the nations (ch. 9). Now the emphasis changes to the people of the King, the Israelites, who will return to the ...
  • 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...
Back to Commentary Page
Display Bible



Universal Search:

NET Only
Exact Search
Commentary
Study Dictionary
Word Study
Lexicon
Study Maps System
Sermon Illustrations
Expository
Arts
Resource
Daily Bible Reading
Training Video
Classic NET Bible
iPhone NET Bible
Mobile Bible
TIP #32: [ALL]
created in 0.07 seconds
powered by
bible.org - YLSA