Jehu's prophecy against Baasha, 1-4. Elah succeeds him, 5-7. Zimri, conspiring against Elah, succeeds him, 8-10. Zimri executes Jehu's prophecy, 11-14. Omri, made king by the soldiers, forces Zimri desperately to burn himself, 15-20. The kingdom being divided, Omri prevails against Tibni, 21, 22. Omri builds Samaria, 23, 24. His wicked reign, 25, 26. Ahab succeeds him, 27, 28. Ahab's most wicked reign, 29-33. Joshua's curse upon Hiel the builder of Jericho, 34.
1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, 2 "Because I exalted you from the dust and made you prince over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made my people Israel to sin to provoke me to anger with their sins, 3 Behold, I will take away the posterity of Baasha and the posterity of his house and will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 4 He who dies of Baasha in the city the dogs shall eat, and he who dies of his in the fields the birds of the air shall eat."
5 Now the rest of the acts of Baasha and what he did and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
6 So Baasha slept with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah. And Elah his son reigned in his stead. 7 And also by the hand of the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani the word of the LORD came against Baasha and against his house, even for all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD in provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he killed him.
8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah two years. 9 And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, steward of his house in Tirzah. 10 And Zimri went in and smote him and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead. 11 And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he slew all the house of Baasha. He left him not one male, neither of his kinsman, nor of his friends.
12 Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD which he spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet, 13 For all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son by which they sinned and by which they made Israel to sin, in provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities. 14 Now the rest of the acts of Elah and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. And the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. 16 And the people who were encamped heard it said, "Zimri has conspired and has also slain the king." Therefore, all Israel made Omri, the captain of the host, king over Israel that day in the camp. 17 And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. 18 And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the palace of the king's house and burnt the king's house over him with fire and died, 19 Because of his sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight of the LORD, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did to make Israel to sin. 20 Now the rest of the acts of Zimri and his treason that he wrought, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
21 Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath to make him king, and half followed Omri. 22 But the people who followed Omri prevailed against the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath. So Tibni died, and Omri reigned. 23 In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel twelve years. He reigned six years in Tirzah. 24 And he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver. He built on the hill and called the name of the city which he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill.
25 But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD and did worse than all who were before him. 26 For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities. 27 Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did and his might that he showed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 28 So Omri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. And Ahab his son reigned in his stead.
29 And in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel. And Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all who were before him.
31 And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took for a wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him. 32 And he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab made a grove. And Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. 34 In his days Hiel the Beth-elite built Jericho. He laid its foundation in Abiram his first-born and set up its gates in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.
Matthew Henry Commentary - 1st Kings, Chapter 16[➚]