1 Kings 16:24-29

16:24 He purchased the hill of Samaria ¹  from Shemer for two talents ²  of silver. He launched a construction project there ³  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 ⁴  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; ⁵  they angered the Lord God of Israel with their worthless idols. ⁶ 

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. ⁷  16:28 Omri passed away ⁸  and was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab replaced him as king. ⁹ 

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. ¹⁰ 

1 Kings 16:2

16:2 “I raised you up ¹¹  from the dust and made you ruler over my people Israel. Yet you followed in Jeroboam’s footsteps ¹²  and encouraged my people Israel to sin; their sins have made me angry. ¹³ 

1 Kings 15:27

15:27 Baasha son of Ahijah, from the tribe of Issachar, conspired against Nadab ¹⁴  and assassinated him in Gibbethon, which was in Philistine territory. This happened while Nadab and all the Israelite army were besieging Gibbethon.

[16:24]  ¹ map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

[16:24]  ² tn The Hebrew term כִּכָּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 150 pounds of silver.

[16:24]  ³ tn Heb “he built up the hill.”

[16:25]  ⁴ tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

[16:26]  ⁵ tn Heb “walked in all the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sin which he made Israel sin.”

[16:26]  ⁶ tn Heb “angering the Lord God of Israel with their empty things.”

[16:27]  ⁷ tn Heb “As for the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his strength which he demonstrated, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”

[16:28]  ⁸ tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”

[16:28]  ⁹ tc The Old Greek has eight additional verses here. Cf. 1 Kgs 22:41-44.

[16:29]  ¹⁰ map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

[16:2]  ¹¹ tn The Hebrew text has “because” at the beginning of the sentence. In the Hebrew text vv. 2-3 are one sentence comprised of a causal clause giving the reason for divine punishment (v. 2) and the main clause announcing the punishment (v. 3). The translation divides this sentence for stylistic reasons.

[16:2]  ¹² tn Heb “walked in the way of Jeroboam.”

[16:2]  ¹³ tn Heb “angering me by their sins.”

[15:27]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “against him”; the referent (Nadab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.