INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 16 This chapter contains a prophecy of the ruin of the family of Baasha, and an account of his death, 1 Kings 16:1, and of his son's reigning in his stead two years, who was slain by Zimri one of his captains, 1 Kings 16:8, and who reigned but seven days, 1 Kings 16:15, and... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO JEHU THE SON OF HANANI,.... The seer that reproved Asa, 2 Chronicles 16:7, so that this man was the son of a prophet then living, and was a young man; for we hear of him several years after reproving Jehoshaphat, 2 Chronicles 19:2, and as a writer of history, 2 Chro... [ Continue Reading ]
FORASMUCH AS I EXALTED THEE OUT OF THE DUST,.... From a very low estate, and mean family: AND MADE THEE PRINCE OVER MY PEOPLE ISRAEL; as they were of right, and ought to have been; and though Baasha got the kingdom by treachery and murder, yet the translation of the kingdom to him was according to... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, I WILL TAKE AWAY THE POSTERITY OF BAASHA, AND THE POSTERITY OF HIS HOUSE,.... By death, there shall be none of his family remaining in any branch of it: AND I WILL MAKE THY HOUSE LIKE THE HOUSE OF JEROBOAM THE SON OF NEBAT; execute the same judgment on it, and in the same manner, their sins... [ Continue Reading ]
HIM THAT DIETH OF BAASHA IN THE CITY SHALL THE DOGS EAT, AND HIM THAT DIETH OF HIS IN THE FIELDS SHALL THE FOWLS OF THE AIR EAT. They should not have burial, which is just the same that was threatened to and executed on Jeroboam's family, 1 Kings 14:11.... [ Continue Reading ]
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?] As those of Jeroboam and Nadab were, 1 Kings 14:19.... [ Continue Reading ]
SO BAASHA SLEPT WITH HIS FATHERS,.... Or died, not a violent, but natural, death: AND WAS BURIED IN TIRZAH; where was the royal palace of the kings of Israel: AND ELAH HIS SON REIGNED IN HIS STEAD; yet but a short time.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALSO BY THE HAND OF THE PROPHET JEHU, THE SON OF HANANI, CAME THE WORD OF THE LORD AGAINST BAASHA, AND AGAINST HIS HOUSE,.... Which is here repeated, as Abarbinel thinks, because in the former prophecy the threatening was on account not of his own sin, but because he made Israel to sin; but here... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE TWENTY SIXTH YEAR OF ASA KING OF JUDAH BEGAN ELAH THE SON OF BAASHA TO REIGN OVER ISRAEL IN TIRZAH, TWO YEARS. Not complete, for he died in the twenty seventh of Asa, 1 Kings 16:10 he reigned just the time that Nadab the son of Jeroboam did, 1 Kings 15:25.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIS SERVANT ZIMRI, CAPTAIN OF HALF HIS CHARIOTS,.... His military chariots; there were two captains of them, and this was one of them; so the Targum, "one of the two masters or captains of the chariots:'' CONSPIRED AGAINST HIM, AS HE WAS IN TIRZAH DRINKING HIMSELF DRUNK IN THE HOUSE OF ARZA, S... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ZIMRI WENT IN AND SMOTE HIM, AND KILLED HIM,.... When in his drunken fit: and this was IN THE TWENTY SEVENTH YEAR OF ASA; when Elah had not reigned two full years: AND REIGNED IN HIS STEAD; that is, Zimri; his reign was short indeed, but seven days, 1 Kings 16:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS WHEN HE BEGAN TO REIGN, AS SOON AS HE SAT ON HIS THRONE,.... Perhaps the very first day, THAT HE SLEW ALL THE HOUSE OF BAASHA; his whole family, all the children that he had, that there might be none to make pretensions to the throne: HE LEFT HIM NOT ONE THAT PISSETH AGAINST A... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS DID ZIMRI DESTROY ALL THE HOUSE OF BAASHA, ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF THE LORD, WHICH HE SPOKE AGAINST BAASHA BY JEHU THE PROPHET. That not only his posterity, but all any way related to him, should be cut off; yea, it seems to have been carried further, even to all that were in any connection wi... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR ALL THE SINS OF BAASHA, AND THE SINS OF ELAH HIS SON,.... By which it appears that the son trod in the steps of his father, and was therefore cut off: BY WHICH THEY SINNED, AND BY WHICH THEY MADE ISRAEL TO SIN, IN PROVOKING THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL TO ANGER WITH THEIR VANITIES; their idols, which... [ Continue Reading ]
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?] See 1 Kings 16:5.... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE TWENTY AND SEVENTH YEAR OF ASA KING OF JUDAH DID ZIMRI REIGN SEVEN DAYS IN TIRZAH, c] Until the army under Omri came and took the palace, and destroyed him: AND THE PEOPLE WERE ENCAMPED AGAINST GIBBETHON, WHICH BELONGETH TO THE PHILISTINES it was besieged in Nadab's time, but upon his death,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE PEOPLE THAT WERE ENCAMPED HEARD SAY, ZIMRI HATH CONSPIRED, AND HATH ALSO SLAIN THE KING,.... Tidings came to the army of what he had done, which was displeasing to them: WHEREFORE ALL ISRAEL MADE OMRI, THE CAPTAIN OF THE HOST, KING OVER ISRAEL THAT DAY IN THE CAMP; that is, all Israel that... [ Continue Reading ]
AND OMRI WENT UP FROM GIBBETHON, AND ALL ISRAEL WITH HIM,.... He, and the army under him, broke up the siege of that place, and marched to Tirzah; which, according, to Bunting c were thirty six miles distant from each other: and they besieged Tirzah; the royal city, in which Zimri was. c Travels, c... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS, THAT WHEN ZIMRI SAW THAT THE CITY WAS TAKEN,.... That Omri, and the army with him, had got into it, being a place not much fortified, and Zimri not having force enough to defend it against such an army: THAT HE WENT INTO THE PALACE OF THE KING'S HOUSE; into the innermost and mo... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HIS SINS WHICH HE SINNED IN DOING EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD,.... In the former part of his life, as well as now: IN WALKING IN THE WAY OF JEROBOAM, AND IN HIS SIN WHICH HE DID TO MAKE ISRAEL SIN; worshipping the golden calves, which he might do while a captain of the chariots, and also sinc... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THE REST OF THE ACTS OF ZIMRI, AND HIS TREASON THAT HE WROUGHT, ARE THEY NOT WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE KINGS OF ISRAEL?] What he did both before and after his usurpation, during the seven days he was king, and the manner of his conspiracy, and success in it.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN WERE THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS,.... About the succession in the kingdom: HALF THE PEOPLE FOLLOWED TIBNI THE SON OF GINATH, TO MAKE HIM KING: these were the friends of Zimri, or however such who did not like that the army should impose a king upon them; who this Tibni was is n... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE PEOPLE THAT FOLLOWED OMRI PREVAILED AGAINST THE PEOPLE THAT FOLLOWED TIBNI THE SON OF GINATH,.... Very probably they had a battle, in which the latter were worsted: SO TIBNI DIED; in the battle: AND OMRI REIGNED; took possession of the throne, his rival being slain.... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE THIRTY FIRST YEAR OF ASA KING OF JUDAH BEGAN OMRI TO REIGN OVER ISRAEL TWELVE YEARS,.... Which are to be reckoned not from the thirty first of Asa; for Ahab the son of Omri began to reign in his thirty eighth year, and so his reign would be but seven or eight years; but they are reckoned from... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE BOUGHT THE HILL OF SAMARIA OF SHEMER, FOR TWO TALENTS OF SILVER,.... A talent of silver, according to Brerewood f, was of our money three hundred and seventy five pounds, so that this hill was purchased at seven hundred and fifty pounds: AND BUILT ON THE HILL, AND CALLED THE NAME OF THE CITY... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT OMRI WROUGHT EVIL IN THE EYES OF THE LORD,.... Openly and publicly, as if it were in defiance of him: AND DID WORSE THAN ALL THAT WERE BEFORE HIM; taking no warning by the judgments inflicted on them, which aggravated his sins; and besides, he not only worshipped the calves, as the rest, and dr... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE WALKED IN THE WAY OF JEROBOAM THE SON OF NEBAT, IN HIS SIN WHEREWITH HE MADE ISRAEL TO SIN,.... Worshipping the calves; TO PROVOKE THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL TO ANGER WITH THEIR VANITIES; these, and whatsoever idols else were worshipped by him, see 1 Kings 16:13.... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THE REST OF THE ACTS OF OMRI, WHICH HE DID, AND HIS MIGHT WHICH HE SHOWED, ARE THEY NOT WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE KINGS OF ISRAEL?] Where those of the preceding kings were written, see 1 Kings 14:19.... [ Continue Reading ]
SO OMRI SLEPT WITH HIS FATHERS,.... Died a natural death: AND WAS BURIED IN SAMARIA; the city he had built, and now the royal seat and metropolis of the kingdom: AND AHAB HIS SON REIGNED IN HIS STEAD; of whom much is said in the following history.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IN THE THIRTY FIFTH YEAR OF ASA KING OF JUDAH BEGAN AHAB THE SON OF OMRI TO REIGN OVER ISRAEL,.... At the latter end of it, the same year his father died, see 1 Kings 16:23 AND AHAB THE SON OF OMRI REIGNED OVER ISRAEL IN SAMARIA TWENTY TWO YEARS; the same number of years Jeroboam did, 1 Kings 1... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AHAB THE SON OF OMRI DID EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, ABOVE ALL THAT WERE BEFORE HIM. Adding other idols to the calves, and those more abominable than they; since the other kings pretended to worship God in them, but he worshipped other gods besides him, as the following verses show.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS, AS IF IT HAD BEEN A LIGHT THING FOR HIM TO WALK IN THE SIN OF JEROBOAM THE SON OF NEBAT,.... To worship the golden calves he set up: THAT HE TOOK TO WIFE JEZEBEL THE DAUGHTER OF ETHBAAL KING OF THE ZIDONIANS; who is called Ithobalus and Itobalus king of the Tyrians, by Heathen... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE REARED UP AN ALTAR FOR BAAL IN THE HOUSE OF BAAL, WHICH HE HAD BUILT IN SAMARIA. That he might not go so far as Tyre or Zidon; and for his wife's convenience also he built a temple in Samaria for Baal, and erected an altar there to offer sacrifices upon it unto him; so open and daring was he... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AHAB MADE A GROVE,.... About the temple of Baal, or elsewhere, in which he placed an idol, and where all manner of filthiness was secretly committed; or rather "Asherah", rendered "grove", is Astarte, the goddess of the Zidonians, an image of which Ahab made: AND AHAB DID MORE TO PROVOKE THE LO... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IN HIS DAYS DID HIEL THE BETHELITE BUILD JERICHO,.... Which was forbidden by Joshua under an anathema; but this man, either ignorant of that adjuration of Joshua, or in contempt and defiance of it, and knowing it might please the king and queen, set about the rebuilding of it; and it being done... [ Continue Reading ]