# 1 Kings 16 đź“–: Wicked Kings of Israel
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> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#🧠Chapter Summary]]
> [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]]
> [[#đź’¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đź“‚ Internal Notes]]
## đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
[[#Verse 01.]] The Lord’s message against Baasha came to Jehu son of Hanani:
[[#Verse 02.]] “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.Â
[[#Verse 03.]] So I am ready to burn up Baasha and his family, and make your family like the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat.Â
[[#Verse 04.]] 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.”
[[#Verse 05.]] 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.Â
[[#Verse 06.]] Baasha passed away and was buried in Tirzah. His son Elah replaced him as king.Â
[[#Verse 07.]] And so it was the Lord’s message came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha and his family. This was because of all the evil he had done in the Lord’s view, by angering him with his deeds and becoming like Jeroboam’s dynasty, and because of how he had destroyed Jeroboam’s dynasty.
## Elah’s Reign over Israel
[[#Verse 08.]] In the twenty-sixth year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Baasha’s son Elah became king over Israel; he ruled in Tirzah for two years.Â
[[#Verse 09.]] His servant Zimri, a commander of half of his chariot force, conspired against him. While Elah was in Tirzah drinking heavily at the house of Arza, who supervised the palace in Tirzah,Â
[[#Verse 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.Â
[[#Verse 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.Â
[[#Verse 12.]] Zimri destroyed Baasha’s entire family, in keeping with the Lord’s message which he had spoken against Baasha through Jehu the prophet.Â
[[#Verse 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.
[[#Verse 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
[[#Verse 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.
[[#Verse 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.Â
[[#Verse 17.]]Â Omri and all Israel went up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah.Â
[[#Verse 18.]]Â 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.Â
[[#Verse 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.
[[#Verse 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
[[#Verse 21.]]Â 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.Â
[[#Verse 22.]] Omri’s supporters were stronger than those who supported Tibni son of Ginath. Tibni died; Omri became king.
[[#Verse 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.Â
[[#Verse 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.Â
[[#Verse 25.]] Omri did more evil in the sight of the Lord than all who were before him.Â
[[#Verse 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.
[[#Verse 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.Â
[[#Verse 28.]] Omri passed away and was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab replaced him as king.
## Ahab Promotes Idolatry
[[#Verse 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.Â
[[#Verse 30.]] Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the sight of the Lord than all who were before him.Â
[[#Verse 31.]]Â 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.Â
[[#Verse 32.]]Â He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal he had built in Samaria.Â
[[#Verse 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.
[[#Verse 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, in keeping with the Lord’s message that he had spoken through Joshua son of Nun.
## đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
###### Verse 01.
###### Verse 02.
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###### Verse 05.
###### Verse 06.
###### Verse 07.
###### Verse 08.
###### Verse 09.
###### Verse 10.
###### Verse 11.
###### Verse 12.
###### Verse 13.
###### Verse 14.
###### Verse 15.
###### Verse 16.
###### Verse 17.
###### Verse 18.
###### Verse 19.
###### Verse 20.
###### Verse 21.
###### Verse 22.
###### Verse 23.
###### Verse 24.
###### Verse 25.
###### Verse 26.
###### Verse 27.
###### Verse 28.
###### Verse 29.
###### Verse 30.
###### Verse 31.
###### Verse 32.
###### Verse 33.
###### Verse 34.
## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. Jehu son of Hanani prophesied against Baasha (16:1). He is a different man from King Jehu of 2 Kings 9.
2. Zimri killed Elah while he was drunk in Tirzah (16:9-10).
3. Zimri reigned only seven days and died when he set the palace on fire around himself (16:15, 18).
4. Zimri's name later became a byword for a traitor (2 Kings 9:31).
5. For a time Israel was split between followers of Tibni and Omri (16:21-22).
6. Omri bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and made it his capital (16:24).
7. Omri is mentioned in the Moabite Mesha Stele, and Assyrian records later called Israel "the house of Omri."
8. Ahab married Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians (16:31).
9. Ahab built a temple and altar for Baal in Samaria (16:32).
10. Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho at the cost of his firstborn and youngest sons (16:34), fulfilling Joshua's curse (Joshua 6:26).
## 🧠Chapter Summary
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the King whose kingdom cannot be shaken. Israel's thrones changed hands through murder and conspiracy (16:9-22), but we are receiving an unshakable kingdom in Jesus (Hebrews 12:28).
## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đź’¬ Discussion Questions
1. Elah was drinking himself drunk when he was assassinated (16:9-10). What does this chapter show about the danger of leaders who are not alert?
2. Each king repeated the sins of Jeroboam (16:19, 26, 31). How do sinful patterns pass from one generation to the next?
3. Hiel rebuilt Jericho at the cost of his sons (16:34). What does this teach about the reliability of God's word, even centuries later?
## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember
- đź“– verse 2: God raised Baasha from the dust, yet he walked in Jeroboam's ways.
- đź“– verse 25: Omri does more evil than all the kings before him.
- đź“– verse 33: Ahab does more to provoke the Lord than all the kings of Israel before him.
## đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference
- đź”— [[Joshua 06#Verse 26.|Joshua 6:26]] - Joshua's curse on whoever rebuilds Jericho.
- đź”— [[2 Kings 09#Verse 31.|2 Kings 9:31]] - Zimri, the one who murdered his master.
- đź”— [[Micah 06#Verse 16.|Micah 6:16]] - The statutes of Omri and the practices of Ahab.
- đź”— [[Hosea 08#Verse 04.|Hosea 8:4]] - They set up kings, but not by Me.
- đź”— [[Hebrews 12#Verse 28.|Hebrews 12:28]] - We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken.
## 🙏 Devotional Reflection
đź“ť SOAP: [[1 Kings 16 - SOAP|What Price Are Our Kids Paying?]]
## đź“‚ Internal Notes