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1 Kings Chapter
Sixteen
1 Kings 16
Chapter Contents
The reigns of Baasha and Elah in Israel. (1-14) Reigns of
Zimri and Omri in Israel. (15-28) Ahab's wickedness
Hiel rebuilds Jericho.
(29-34)
Commentary on 1 Kings 16:1-14
(Read 1 Kings 16:1-14)
This chapter relates wholly to the kingdom of Israel
and
the revolutions of that kingdom. God calls Israel his people still
though
wretchedly corrupted. Jehu foretells the same destruction to come upon Baasha's
family
which that king had been employed to bring upon the family of Jeroboam.
Those who resemble others in their sins
may expect to resemble them in the
plagues they suffer
especially those who seem zealous against such sins in
others as they allow in themselves. Baasha himself dies in peace
and is buried
with honour. Herein plainly appears that there are punishments after death
which are most to be dreaded. Let Elah be a warning to drunkards
who know not
but death may surprise them. Death easily comes upon men when they are drunk.
Besides the diseases which men bring themselves into by drinking
when in that
state
men are easily overcome by an enemy
and liable to bad accidents. Death
comes terribly upon men in such a state
finding them in the act of sin
and
unfitted for any act of devotion; that day comes upon them unawares. The word
of God was fulfilled
and the sins of Baasha and Elah were reckoned for
with
which they provoked God. Their idols are called their vanities
for idols
cannot profit nor help; miserable are those whose gods are vanities.
Commentary on 1 Kings 16:15-28
(Read 1 Kings 16:15-28)
When men forsake God
they will be left to plague one
another. Proud aspiring men ruin one another. Omri struggled with Tibni some
years. Though we do not always understand the rules by which God governs
nations and individuals in his providence
we may learn useful lessons from the
history before us. When tyrants succeed each other
and massacres
conspiracies
and civil wars
we may be sure the Lord has a controversy with
the people for their sins; they are loudly called to repent and reform. Omri
made himself infamous by his wickedness. Many wicked men have been men of might
and renown; have built cities
and their names are found in history; but they
have no name in the book of life.
Commentary on 1 Kings 16:29-34
(Read 1 Kings 16:29-34)
Ahab did evil above all that reigned before him
and did
it with a particular enmity both against Jehovah and Israel. He was not
satisfied with breaking the second commandment by image-worship
he broke the
first by worshipping other gods: making light of lesser sins makes way for
greater. Marriages with daring offenders also imbolden in wickedness
and hurry
men on to the greatest excesses. One of Ahab's subjects
following the example
of his presumption
ventured to build Jericho. Like Achan
he meddled with the
accursed thing; turned that to his own use
which was devoted to God's honour:
he began to build
in defiance of the curse well devoted to God's honour: he
began to build
in defiance of the curse well known in Israel; but none ever
hardened his heart against God
and prospered. Let the reading of this chapter
cause us to mark the dreadful end of all the workers of iniquity. And what does
the history of all ungodly men furnish
what ever rank or situation they move
in
but sad examples of the same?
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on 1 Kings》
1 Kings 16
Verse 1
[1] Then
the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha
saying
Hanani — He
was sent to Asa
king of Judah. But the son
who was young and more active
was
sent on this longer and more dangerous expedition to Baasha
king of Israel.
Verse 2
[2] Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust
and made thee prince over my
people Israel; and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam
and hast made my
people Israel to sin
to provoke me to anger with their sins;
I made thee —
Though that invading the kingdom was from himself
and his own wicked heart;
yet the translation of the kingdom from Nadab to Baasha simply considered
was
from God
who by his providence disposed of all occasions
and of the hearts of
the soldiers and people
so that Baasha should have opportunity of executing
God's judgment upon Nadab; nay
the very act of Baasha
the killing his master
Nadab
was an act of divine justice. And if Baasha had done this in obedience
to God's command
and with a single design
to execute God's vengeance
threatened against him
it had been no more a sin
than Jehu's act in killing
his master king Jehoram
upon the same account
2 Kings 9:24. But Baasha did this
merely to
gratify his own pride
or covetousness
or malice
verse 7.
Verse 7
[7] 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
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.
Came
… —
The meaning is
the message which came from the Lord to Jehu
verse 1
etc. was here delivered by the hand
the
ministry of Jehu
unto Baasha. Jehu did what God commanded him in this matter
tho' it was not without apparent hazard to himself.
Verse 8
[8] In
the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to
reign over Israel in Tirzah
two years.
Two years —
One compleat
and part of the other
verse 10.
Verse 9
[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.
Chariots — Of
all his military chariots
and the men belonging to them: the chariots for
carriage of necessary things
being put into meaner hands.
Tirzah —
Whilst his forces were elsewhere employed
verse 15
which gave Zimri advantage to execute his
design.
Verse 11
[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 that pisseth against a
wall
neither of his kinsfolks
nor of his friends.
Kinfolks —
Heb. avengers; to whom it belonged to revenge his death.
Verse 13
[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.
Vanities —
Idols called vanities; because they are but imaginary deities
and mere
nothings; having no power to do either good or hurt.
Verse 15
[15] In
the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah did Zimri reign seven days in
Tirzah. And the people were encamped against Gibbethon
which belonged to the
Philistines.
Gibbethon —
Which had been besieged before
but
it seems
was then relieved
or afterwards
recovered by the Philistines; taking the advantage of the disorders and
contentions which were among their enemies.
Verse 19
[19] For
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.
For his sins —
This befell him for his sins.
In walking
… —
This he might do
either before his reign
in the whole course of his life
which is justly charged upon him
because of his impenitency: or during his
short reign; in which
he had time enough to publish his intentions
about the
worship of the calves; or to sacrifice to them
for his good success.
Verse 21
[21] Then
were the people of Israel divided into two parts: half of the people followed
Tibni the son of Ginath
to make him king; and half followed Omri.
Were divided —
Fell into a civil war: yet neither this
nor any other of God's dreadful
judgments could win them to repentance.
Verse 22
[22] But
the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni
the son of Ginath: so Tibni died
and Omri reigned.
Prevailed —
Partly
because they had the army on their side; and principally
by the
appointment of God
giving up the Israelites to him who was much the worst
verse 25
26.
Died — A
violent death
in the battle: but not till after a struggle of some years. But
why in all these confusions of the kingdom of Israel
did they never think of
returning to the house of David? Probably because the kings of Judah assumed a
more absolute power than the kings of Israel. It was the heaviness of the yoke
that they complained of
when they first revolted from the house of David. And
it is not unlikely
the dread of that made them averse to it ever after.
Verse 23
[23] In
the thirty and first year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel
twelve years: six years reigned he in Tirzah.
Twelve years —
That is
and he reigned twelve years
not from this thirty-first year of Asa
for he died in his thirty-eighth year
verse 29
but from the beginning of his reign
which
was in Asa's twenty-seventh year
verse 15
16. So he reigned four years in a state of
war with Tibni
and eight years peaceably.
Verse 24
[24] And
he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver
and built on
the hill
and called the name of the city which he built
after the name of
Shemer
owner of the hill
Samaria.
Two talents —
Two talents is something more than seven hundred pounds.
Verse 26
[26] For
he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat
and in his sin wherewith
he made Israel to sin
to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger with their
vanities.
Did worse —
Perhaps he made severer laws concerning the calf worship; whence we read of the
statutes of Omri
Micah 6:16.
Verse 31
[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 to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal
king of the Zidonians
and went and served Baal
and worshipped him.
A light thing —
The Hebrew runs
was it a light thing
etc.
that is
was this but a small sin
that therefore he needed to add more abominations? Where the question
as is
usual among the Hebrews
implies a strong denial; and intimates
that this was
no small sin
but a great crime; and might have satisfied his wicked mind
without any additions.
Jezebel — A
woman infamous for her idolatry
and cruelty
and sorcery
and filthiness.
Eth-baal —
Called Ithbalus
or Itobalus in heathen writers. So she was of an heathenish
and idolatrous race. Such as the kings and people of Israel were expressly
forbidden to marry.
Baal —
The idol which the Sidonians worshipped
which is thought to be Hercules. And
this idolatry was much worse than that of the calves; because in the calves
they worshipped the true God; but in these
false gods or devils.
Verse 34
[34] In
his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof
in Abiram his firstborn
and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son
Segub
according to the word of the LORD
which he spake by Joshua the son of
Nun.
In his days —
This is added
1. as an instance of the certainty of divine predictions
this
being fulfilled eight hundred years after it was threatened; and withal
as a
warning to the Israelites
not to think themselves innocent or safe
because
the judgment threatened against them by Ahijah
chap. 14:15
was not yet executed. Or
2. as an
evidence of the horrible corruption of his times
and of that high contempt of
God which then reigned.
The Bethelite —
Who lived in Bethel
the seat and sink of idolatry
wherewith he was throughly
leavened.
He laid
… —
That is
in the beginning of his building
God took away his first-born
and
others successively in the progress of the work
and the youngest when he
finished it. And so he found by his own sad experience
the truth of God's
word.
── John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on 1 Kings》
16 Chapter 16
Verses 1-10
Verses 8-10
Elah . . . Zimri . . . Arza.
Elah
Zimri
and Arza
There was once a king in Israel called Elah. He reigned over
Israel in Tirzah two years. He had a servant called Zimri who was a captain of
his chariots. Zimri was a born traitor. Treachery was in his very blood. In the
case of Elah
Zimri had a marked advantage; for Elah was a drunken fool. He was
in the habit of visiting the house of another of his servants
a steward called
Arza
and there he had what drink he asked for; and he asked for a good deal
so much so that he was often drunk in his servant’s house
and on one of these occasions
Zimri went in and killed him
and reigned in his stead. These are the facts
which we have to deal with. Are they very ancient
or are they happening round
about us every day?
1. Elah lives in every man who has great chances or opportunities in
life
but allows them to slip away through one leak in the character. Elah was
a king
and the son of a king
so his openings in life were wide and splendid;
but he loved strong drink
and through that leak in his character all that
might have made him a man oozed away
and left him a king in nothing but the
barren name. Strong drink will ruin any man. What is true of this leak in a
man’s character is true of every other. Take indecision for example
or
idleness
or love of company
or devotion to pleasure. A great merchant once
said to me of a certain man in his employment
“I would to-morrow give that man
a thousand a year to begin with
if he could do one thing
and that is
hold
his tongue; but he would no sooner get the appointment than he would go into an
ale-house
and tell the whole company everything I am doing.” There is the leak
in the character
and it means ruin! It is astounding what one leak will do.
2. Zimri still lives in all persons who take advantage of the
weaknesses of others. Zimri knew that Elah was a drunkard
and he further knew
that through his habit of drunkenness alone he could reach the king. On every
other side of his character Elah may have been a strong man: acute
shrewd
far-sighted; but when in drink
weak and foolish. And Zimri played his game
accordingly. Some people trade on the weaknesses of others. They study them.
Thy adapt themselves to them. They watch for striking time
and seldom miss the
mark. How else could the net be always ready for the bird? How else the pit be
always prepared for the unexpected and bewildered traveller? There is an
infernal science in these things--a devil’s black art!
3. And does not Arza still live in those who find the means whereby
men may conceal their evil habits and indulge their unholy desires? They seem
to say
“In my house you may do what you please. I shall not look at you. Come
when you please; go when you like; I am nobody
if you like to call me so.” My
wonder is that any young man can keep his morals uncorrupted in a strange city.
Houses of destruction are open in every street. How foolish
too
are the
wicked! If they would devote their talents to some virtuous end they would
attain honourable success
sweetened with a sense of honesty. They often have
great talents
fine powers
large capacities
and if they gave themselves with
ardour and energy to the pursuit of good ends they would outrun many
and gain
a prize worthy and lasting. (J. Parker
D. D.)
Verses 11-34
Verse 22
So Tibni died
and Omri reigned.
Tibni and Omri
We have often been struck by the difference in the lot of men upon
the earth; for example
as between the rich man and Lazarus
and between the
great king and the poor wise man. The text brings these differences before us
sharply--“Tibni died
and Omri reigned.” A short explanatory story is needed
here. When Zimri killed Elah
the people proclaimed Omri as king; but the
proclamation was not unanimous; half of the people wanted Tibni
and half
wanted Omri: the half that wanted Omri prevailed; so Tibni died
and Omri
reigned. Our purpose is to show that both Tibni and Omri are still living
and
that we may learn a good deal from their different lots in life.
1. Tibni and Omri are both living in the persons of those who divide
public opinion respecting themselves. Is there any man living with whom
everybody is satisfied? Take a Christian minister--any minister in this great
London
and see how public opinion is divided about him. To one set of men he is the
supreme human teacher; to another set of men he is almost unfit to be in the
pulpit at all. Take a statesman; to one class he is the salvation of the
kingdom
to another he is an empiric
a traitor
or in some degree a political
rascal. Take any friend in social life; to one man he is an idol
to another he
is bore. There are great moral lessons coming out of these simple facts.
Society will always be divided about its leading men; but let us insist that
there may be difference without bitterness
and that you may make one man king
without taking away the character and perhaps the life of his rival. Let us
pray God to show us the best points in every man s character.
2. Tibni still lives in the man who comes very near being a king but
just misses the throne. Half the people in the camp were in his favour. In some
of the popular shouts you could hardly tell whether Tibni or Omri was the
uppermost name. Now the one seemed to fill the whole wind and now the other.
The men themselves did not know for certain which of them was to have the
crown. Let us see if there be not a good deal of our own life in this
apparently remote and uninteresting fact. Whatever you strive for most
anxiously in life is the crown to you
because it is the thing you want beyond
all others. Sometimes it is so near! You feel as if you could put out your hand
and take it! And yet though so near
it is so far
like a star trembling in a
pool. Here we come upon the very first lines of Providence
and the finer the
lines the subtler the temptation. We are tempted to step over some lines; it
seems right that we should do so; we say we ought to take advantage of our good
fortune
and if God has come so near He means us to take the one last step. It
is just there that many a man suffers the supreme trial of his faith and the
supreme agony of his sensibilities. We have referred to the supreme trial of a
man’s sensibilities; let us explain our meaning. We often say of this man or
that
How narrowly he escapes being a great man! There is only one thing
wanting
one element
one force
one virtue--one thing thou lackest
one thing
is needful! And the man himself is tormented by a sense of greatness which is
always nearing the point of royalty but never absolutely reaching it. He feels
that the great poem which would give him literary immortality is breathing
within him and around him
but the moment he puts pen to paper the inspiration
ceases and will not harden into words. He has m him strange wild dreamings of
power; he can write a book
he can found a new school of philosophy
he can
illumine the whole horizon of theology
he can save the State; innumerable
things he attempts and completes in his dreams
but the day of execution never
dawns! It is in such men that Tibni still lives; in disappointed hearts
in
blighted hopes
in brilliant prospects overcast
in kingdoms made of cloud
in
castles built in air.
3. Omri still lives in those who turn great powers and great openings
to dishonourable and unholy uses. Omri got the throne. For twelve years he
reigned in Israel
six of them in Tirzah. His rival died
and he was left in
undisputed sovereignty. But his way was not honourable before the Lord. “Omri
wrought evil in the eyes of the Lord
and did worse than all that were before him.”
Some providences seem to be altogether thrown away
and we stand aghast at the
destruction
saying
“Why was this waste made?” Great talents are made to serve
the devil; great voices of song are never heard in the sanctuary; noble powers
of speech are dumb when the righteous cause has to be pleaded. Application:
Verse 28
Omri slept with his fathers . . . Ahab his son
reigned in his stead.
Omri and Ahab
A careful study of the two kingdoms
Israel and Judah
compels one
to feel that communities do the best when they most honour God
and that
forgetfulness of Him
and especially revolt from Him
brings disturbance and
destruction. It is true these events transpired more than two thousand five
hundred years ago
but they “are written for our learning.” Why should they be
if there is nothing that we need to learn from them?
1. We need not trouble ourselves with the settling of the periods
making up the dozen years of Omri’s reign
which had its opening portion in
Tirzah
the royal seat (1 Kings 16:17). Omri had ability of
a certain sort
and hence
probably
was able to secure the adhesion of so many
of the people and the conquest of his two rivals. He showed it in the selection
of a new capital. Shemer owned a tract of land with a hill of great strategic
value. With an opening out into the wider distant plain through the level
grounds which divided it elsewhere
all around
from the mountains
it had on
one side a gentle slope
and on all the others it was easily made strong
against an enemy
when bows and arrows and spears constituted the common
weapons of assault. The town got its name from him who owned the hill
and most
fitly
for it was the synonym of “watch-tower
” the very thing at which Omri
aimed
having in mind through the slaughter of how many enemies he had to wade
to the throne
and how necessary it was to be strong against any future assaults.
They who part with Jehovah as Guide and Protector
and trust to human
resources
need to multiply these to the utmost. Jeroboam had not flung off God
formally. He had only modified the way of serving Him. He had set up the
calves. This was politic
expedient
necessary. It was in harmony too with the
ways of the nations. This was “the Way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat” (1 Kings 16:26). It was not the way
of loyalty to Jehovah; it was not the way of truth. It was the way of
disobedience under the inspiration of policy. Between this sin and the others
that followed it was only a question of degree
not of kind. Set up taste
usage
popular craving
fashion
artistic completeness
or anything else as
changing
modifying the method of Divine appointment
and you enter on the
inclined plane. How far down and how fast you will go is determined by
circumstances. So Omri’s working “evil in the eyes of the Lord
” and doing
“worse than all that were before him” (1 Kings 16:25)
is only walking in
all “the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat
” and in his corrupting and
contaminating sin. So it is ever. Given the supremacy of Peter
then his
control of all things
secular and sacred; then his infallibility! What was the
effect of all these modifications? Toward man
to keep Israel together and from
union with Judah. But in the other and higher direction--toward God--the effect
was “to provoke (1 Kings 16:26) the Lord God of
Israel to anger with their vanities.” (See
for the “statutes of Omri
” Micah 6:16.) When Omri died
the
chronicles of the kings of Israel (1 Kings 16:27) containing the record
of his deeds
they buried him in his capital
Samaria
and the throne fell to
his son Ahab in the thirty-eighth year of Asa of Judah (1 Kings 16:29)
and about nine
hundred and eighteen years before the coming of our Lord. His career is as full
of darkness and weakness as a king’s life could well be. His reign of
twenty-two years was a continued curse to the people. He held on the way of his
father
but
according to the common rule in such cases
descending lower and
lower. Moral rottenness
like material putrefaction
must increase. “Evil men
and seducers wax worse and worse
deceiving and being deceived.” He married
Jezebel
the daughter of Ethbaal
King of the Zidonians. We are not surprised
at the character of the daughter when we know the career of her father as it is
learned from outside history. Among the innovations of Ahab our version
mentions a “grove
” a misleading word into which the translators were led from
its being really an idolatrous image or group of images
including the “sacred
symbolic tree” so frequently seen in Assyrian monuments. That it could not be a
grove
a wood
is clear from 2 Kings 22:4
where Josiah brought
out “the grove”--asherah in Hebrew--from the house of the Lord. It was
doubtless a new and imposing idol
in keeping with the luxurious life now being
lived by the Israelites as wealth grew through commerce.
──《The Biblical Illustrator》