1 Kings 16: Jehu's word against Baasha, then Elah, Zimri, Omri and Ahab
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What happens?
The word of Yahweh comes to the prophet Jehu against Baasha: because Baasha walked in the way of Jeroboam, Yahweh will sweep away his house like the house of Jeroboam. Baasha's son Elah reigns two years, and while he is drunk in Tirzah his servant Zimri kills him and strikes the whole house of Baasha. Zimri reigns seven days: the army makes Omri king, besieges Tirzah, and Zimri burns the king's house over himself and dies. After the people are split between Tibni and Omri, Omri reigns, buys the hill of Samaria and builds the city there. His son Ahab does more evil than all before him: he marries Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, serves Baal, builds an altar for him in Samaria and makes the Asherah. In his days Hiel of Bethel rebuilds Jericho, with the loss of his firstborn and his youngest son, as Yahweh had spoken by Joshua.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. God's own words are in 3 of the 34 verses: the word of Yahweh that came to the prophet Jehu against Baasha, in verses 2 to 4 (verse 1 tells that it came). Verse 7, that the word of Yahweh came by Jehu, and verses 12 and 34, that things happened according to Yahweh's word, are the narrator's words. No one else speaks in this chapter. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Yahweh’s word came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,
In plain English: The word of Yahweh came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha:
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2“Because I exalted you out of the dust and made you prince over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins,God speaks
In plain English: "Because I lifted you up out of the dust and made you leader (this Bible: prince) over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made my people Israel sin, provoking me to anger with their sins,
Good to know: Here the text gives the words of Yahweh to the prophet Jehu, so they are in gold. These words are spoken to Baasha ("I exalted you"). Verse 7 says the word of Yahweh came "by the hand of" Jehu, but the text does not tell Jehu speaking it to Baasha. Jehu the son of Hanani is a prophet; he is not Jehu the son of Nimshi, who is named in and anointed king in .
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3behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house; and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.God speaks
In plain English: look, I am about to sweep away (or: burn up) Baasha and his house. I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
The Hebrew word: "Sweep away" is ba'ar, which the dictionary gives as "to kindle, i.e. consume (by fire or by eating)". It is the word used of the house of Jeroboam in , "as a man sweeps away dung until it is all gone".
What changes: Read as "sweep away", Yahweh will clear Baasha's house out completely. Read as "burn up", he will consume it as fire does. Either way, the verse says his house will be made like the house of Jeroboam.
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4The dogs will eat Baasha’s descendants who die in the city; and he who dies of his in the field, the birds of the sky will eat.”God speaks
In plain English: Whoever belongs to Baasha and dies in the city, the dogs will eat. Whoever of his dies in the open country, the birds of the sky will eat."
Good to know: Ahijah spoke the same words against the house of Jeroboam in .
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5Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and his might, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
In plain English: The rest of what Baasha did, his deeds and his strength, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
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6Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah; and Elah his son reigned in his place.
In plain English: Baasha slept with his fathers (or: ancestors) and was buried in Tirzah. His son Elah became king in his place.
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7Moreover Yahweh’s word came by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha and against his house, both because of all the evil that he did in Yahweh’s sight, to provoke him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he struck him.
In plain English: Also, the word of Yahweh came through (literally: by the hand of) the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha and his house, because of all the evil he did in Yahweh's eyes, provoking him to anger with the work of his hands and being like the house of Jeroboam, and also because he struck it (or: him) down.
Good to know: The Hebrew says only "because he struck him" (or: it). The text does not say whom: it may be the house of Jeroboam, which Baasha struck down in , or Nadab, whom he killed (). 15:29 says the striking of the house of Jeroboam was "according to the saying of Yahweh", and this verse gives "because he struck him" as one of the reasons for the word against Baasha. The text says both and does not explain more.
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8In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah for two years.
In plain English: In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha became king over Israel in Tirzah, and reigned two years.
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9His servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him. Now he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah;
In plain English: His servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, plotted against him. Elah was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah.
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10and Zimri went in and struck him and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place.
In plain English: Zimri went in, struck him and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and became king in his place.
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11When he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, he attacked all the house of Baasha. He didn’t leave him a single one who urinates on a wall among his relatives or his friends.
In plain English: As soon as he became king and sat on his throne, he struck down the whole house of Baasha. He did not leave him a single male (literally: one who urinates on a wall), not among his relatives (literally: his redeemers) or his friends.
The Hebrew words: "One who urinates on a wall" is word for word what the Hebrew says; see the note on . "Relatives" is go'el, from ga'al, which the dictionary gives as "to be the next of kin (and as such to buy back a relative's property, marry his widow, etc.)".
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12Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to Yahweh’s word which he spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet,
In plain English: So Zimri destroyed the whole house of Baasha, as Yahweh had said against Baasha through Jehu the prophet,
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13for all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned and with which they made Israel to sin, to provoke Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger with their vanities.
In plain English: because of all the sins of Baasha and the sins of his son Elah, the sins they committed and made Israel commit, provoking Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger with their empty things (this Bible: vanities).
The Hebrew word: "Vanities" is hevel, which the dictionary gives as "emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory". The text does not say more about what the empty things were. The same word is in verse 26.
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14Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
In plain English: The rest of what Elah did, and all his deeds, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
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15In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. Now the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines.
In plain English: In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. The army (literally: the people) was camped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines.
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16The people who were encamped heard that Zimri had conspired, and had also killed the king. Therefore all Israel made Omri, the captain of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp.
In plain English: The army in the camp heard that Zimri had plotted and had also killed the king. So that same day, in the camp, all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel.
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17Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah.
In plain English: Omri and all Israel with him went up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah.
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18When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the fortified part of the king’s house and burned the king’s house over him with fire, and died,
In plain English: When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel (this Bible: the fortified part) of the king's house, set the king's house on fire over himself, and died,
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19for his sins which he sinned in doing that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did to make Israel to sin.
In plain English: because of the sins he had committed, doing what was evil in Yahweh's eyes, walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin, the sin he did to make Israel sin.
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20Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason that he committed, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
In plain English: The rest of what Zimri did, and the plot he carried out, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
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21Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri.
In plain English: Then the people of Israel split into two parts. Half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri.
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22But the people who followed Omri prevailed against the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath; so Tibni died, and Omri reigned.
In plain English: But the people who followed Omri were stronger than the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath. So Tibni died, and Omri became king.
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23In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel for twelve years. He reigned six years in Tirzah.
In plain English: In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king over Israel, and reigned twelve years. He reigned six years in Tirzah.
Good to know: These are the text's own numbers (see the note on ). Verse 15 puts Zimri's seven days in the twenty-seventh year of Asa, and this verse puts the start of Omri's reign in the thirty-first. The text does not say how long the people were split between Tibni and Omri (verses 21 and 22).
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24He bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.
In plain English: He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver. He built on the hill, and he named the city he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.
Good to know: The text itself gives the reason for the name: the city is called Samaria, in Hebrew Shomeron, after Shemer, who owned the hill. The two names sound alike. Omri is buried there (verse 28), and Ahab reigns there (verse 29).
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25Omri did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and dealt wickedly above all who were before him.
In plain English: Omri did what was evil in Yahweh's eyes, and did worse than all who were before him.
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26For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sins with which he made Israel to sin, to provoke Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger with their vanities.
In plain English: He walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in the sins he made Israel commit, provoking Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger with their empty things (this Bible: vanities).
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27Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might that he showed, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
In plain English: The rest of what Omri did, and the strength he showed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
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28So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria; and Ahab his son reigned in his place.
In plain English: Omri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab became king in his place.
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29In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel. Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years.
In plain English: In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel. Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years.
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30Ahab the son of Omri did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight above all that were before him.
In plain English: Ahab the son of Omri did what was evil in Yahweh's eyes, more than all who were before him.
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31As if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him.
In plain English: As if it were a small thing (literally: a light thing) for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took as his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians. He went and served Baal and bowed down to him.
Good to know: Jezebel's father is Ethbaal, a name with "Baal" in it. The dictionary gives him as "a Phoenician king". "Baal" is the god explained in the note on . The name Jezebel comes again in , for a woman in the church at Thyatira "who calls herself a prophetess".
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32He raised up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.
In plain English: He set up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal that he had built in Samaria.
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33Ahab made the Asherah; and Ahab did more yet to provoke Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
In plain English: Ahab also made the Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
Good to know: "The Asherah" is the goddess and her image explained in the note on .
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34In his days Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho. He laid its foundation with the loss of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates with the loss of his youngest son Segub, according to Yahweh’s word, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.
In plain English: In his days Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of (literally: with) Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, as Yahweh had said through Joshua the son of Nun.
Good to know: Joshua spoke this curse over Jericho in : "With the loss of his firstborn he will lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he will set up its gates" (see the note there). The Hebrew here says only "with Abiram" and "with Segub". The text does not say how the two sons died. It says it was "according to Yahweh's word, which he spoke by Joshua".
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