1 Kings 16

King James Version

Full text for 1 Kings Chapter 16

1¶ Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,

2Forasmuch 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;

3Behold, I will take away the posterity of Baasha, and the posterity of his house; and will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

4Him 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.

5Now 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?

6So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah: and Elah his son reigned in his stead.

7And 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.

8In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years.

9And 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.

10And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead.

11And 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.

12Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake against Baasha by Jehu the prophet,

13For 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.

14Now 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 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.

16And the people [that were] encamped heard say, Zimri hath conspired, and hath also slain the king: wherefore all Israel made Omri, the captain of the host, king over Israel that day in the camp.

17And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah.

18And 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,

19For 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.

20Now 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?

21Then 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.

22But the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath: so Tibni died, and Omri reigned.

23In the thirty and first year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel, twelve years: six years reigned he in Tirzah.

24And 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.

25But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all that [were] before him.

26For 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.

27Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might that he shewed, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

28So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.

29¶ And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years.

30And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that [were] before him.

31And 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.

32And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

33And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.

34In 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

1 Kings 16 details the rapid succession of kings in Israel, each marked by wickedness and divine judgment. The chapter begins with Jehu's prophecy against Baasha, whose son Elah is then assassinated by Zimri. Zimri's brief seven-day reign ends as Omri, the army captain, becomes king, establishing Samaria as his capital. Omri and his son Ahab are noted for their extreme wickedness, particularly Ahab's introduction of Baal worship, surpassing all previous kings in provoking the LORD.

Medium Summary

The chapter opens with the prophet Jehu's condemnation of King Baasha for following Jeroboam's sinful ways, prophesying the destruction of his house. Baasha's son, Elah, reigns briefly before being assassinated by his servant Zimri, who then eradicates Baasha's entire lineage, fulfilling the divine word. Zimri's own reign lasts only seven days, as the army, hearing of the coup, proclaims Omri as king. Omri besieges Tirzah, leading Zimri to commit suicide by burning the palace. After a brief civil conflict with Tibni, Omri secures the throne, establishes Samaria as the new capital, and reigns for twelve years, yet he too is condemned for his great wickedness. His son, Ahab, succeeds him, proving even more evil by marrying Jezebel and actively promoting the worship of Baal, further provoking the LORD God of Israel.

Long Summary

First Kings chapter 16 chronicles a tumultuous period of regicide and unrighteous rule in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. It commences with the prophet Jehu delivering a divine message to King Baasha, condemning him for his idolatry and for leading Israel into sin, specifically for emulating Jeroboam's apostasy. The prophecy foretells the utter destruction of Baasha's lineage, mirroring the fate of Jeroboam's house. Following Baasha's death, his son Elah assumes the throne but reigns for only two years. Elah is assassinated by his charioteer, Zimri, while in a state of drunkenness. Upon seizing power, Zimri meticulously fulfills the prophecy against Baasha by slaughtering all male members of his household, leaving no survivors. However, Zimri's reign is remarkably short, lasting only seven days. The Israelite army, then encamped against the Philistine city of Gibbethon, hears of Zimri's treachery and immediately proclaims Omri, their captain, as king. Omri leads the army to besiege Tirzah, the capital. Faced with the city's imminent capture, Zimri retreats to the king's palace and sets it ablaze, dying within the flames, a consequence of his own sins and his perpetuation of Jeroboam's idolatry. A period of civil strife ensues as the people are divided between supporting Omri and Tibni; ultimately, Omri's faction prevails, and Tibni dies. Omri then reigns for twelve years, initially in Tirzah, but notably establishes a new capital by purchasing the hill of Samaria and building the city of Samaria upon it. Despite his political success, Omri is judged by the LORD as having committed more evil than all kings before him, continuing the pattern of Jeroboam's sins. His son, Ahab, succeeds him, and his reign is characterized by an unprecedented level of wickedness. Ahab not only follows Jeroboam's sinful ways but takes Jezebel, a Zidonian princess, as his wife, and actively introduces and promotes the worship of Baal, building an altar and a temple for Baal in Samaria. His actions are described as provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger more than all previous kings. The chapter concludes with the account of Hiel the Bethelite rebuilding Jericho, a task that results in the death of his firstborn and youngest sons, fulfilling the ancient curse pronounced by Joshua.

Core Concepts

  • Divine Judgment on KingsThe chapter repeatedly illustrates God's judgment upon the kings of Israel (Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, Ahab) for their wickedness and idolatry, particularly for following the 'way of Jeroboam.' This judgment often manifests through violent overthrow and the eradication of their royal lines.
  • The Sin of JeroboamThis recurring phrase refers to the idolatrous practices initiated by Jeroboam I, specifically the worship of golden calves in Dan and Bethel, which led Israel astray from the LORD. Subsequent kings are condemned for perpetuating this national sin.
  • Rapid Succession and InstabilityThe chapter depicts a period of extreme political instability in Israel, with multiple kings reigning for very short periods (Elah for 2 years, Zimri for 7 days) due to assassinations and coups, before Omri establishes a more stable, though still wicked, dynasty.
  • Rise of Omri and SamariaOmri emerges as a powerful military leader who consolidates power, ends the civil war, and establishes a new capital city, Samaria. This act marks a significant shift in the political and geographical center of the Northern Kingdom.
  • Ahab's Extreme IdolatryAhab's reign is highlighted as the pinnacle of Israelite wickedness up to this point, not merely continuing Jeroboam's sins but actively introducing and promoting the worship of Baal through his marriage to Jezebel and the construction of Baal altars. This marks a new low in the nation's spiritual apostasy.
  • Fulfillment of ProphecyThe chapter demonstrates the precise fulfillment of divine prophecies, such as Jehu's word against Baasha's house being carried out by Zimri, and Joshua's ancient curse on the rebuilder of Jericho being fulfilled in Hiel. This underscores the sovereignty and faithfulness of God's word.