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16:1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, 16:2 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; 16:3 Behold, 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.
16:4 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.
16:5 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? 16:6 So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah: and Elah his son reigned in his stead.
16:7 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.
16:8 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.
16:9 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.
16:10 And 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.
16:11 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.
16:12 Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake against Baasha by Jehu the prophet.
16:13 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.
16:14 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?
16:15 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.
16:16 And 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.
16:17 And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah.
16:18 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.
16:19 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.
16:20 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? 16:21 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.
16:22 But the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath: so Tibni died, and Omri reigned.
16:23 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.
16:24 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.
16:25 But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all that were before him.
16:26 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.
16:27 Now 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? 16:28 So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.
16:29 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.
16:30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him.
16:31 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.
16:32 And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.
16:33 And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.
16:34 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.


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Everything King James Bible:1 Kings
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to: 1 Kings
Book: 1 Kings
Chapter: 16

Overview:
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)

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.

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.

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 embolden 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 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?

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