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The LORD’s word came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,
Verse 1. Jehu was different from one of the same name and parentage, who came to Josaphat; (2 Chronicles 19:2. D. Tirinus.) though, if Baasa did not put him to death, as there is some reason to doubt, he might be the same, verse 7. Calmet.—Hanani had been sent to Asa, 2 Chronicles 16:7. Abulens. q. 3.
“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,
Verse 2. I have. All power comes from God, though he frequently disapproves of the means by which people obtain it. Bible.—Baasa was a traitorous usurper.—My people. Many had abandoned the Lord: ( Bible.) yet he still regards Israel as his people, sending prophets to reclaim them, and preserving many from bending the knee before Baal.
behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house; and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
Verse 3. Posterity, (posteriora. Bible.) children, and all that he shall leave behind. Calmet.—Baasa himself died a natural death, verse 6. Salien.
The 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.”
Now 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?
Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah; and Elah his son reigned in his place.
Moreover the LORD’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 the LORD’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.
Verse 7. The evil, to punish it. Menochius.—He, God, slew him, Baasa, ( Calmet.) or “because the latter slew” Nadab, and so forth Grotius—God punished his usurpation and murders. Calmet.—That is, and so forth is not found in Hebrew Chal. Septuagint nor in some Latin copies. E.—Hence Jehu might survive to admonish Josaphat, verse 1. Calmet.
In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah for two years.
Verse 8. Years, in part, as he was slain in the 27th year of Asa, verse 10.
His 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;
Verse 9. Horsemen. Hebrew “chariots.” Septuagint Calmet.—But Josephus styles him, Hipparchon, “general of the horse.” Menochius.—Rebelled. Hebrew “conspired.” Bible.—He acted privately at first. Menochius.—Governor. Hebrew “steward of his house.” Chal. and Arab. “in the temple of the idol Arsa,” the earth, whom the pagans worshipped as the mother of gods and men; unless Arsa be put for Asera, or Astarte. Calmet.
and Zimri went in and struck him and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place.
When 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.
Verse 11. Wall. See 1 Kennicott. 25:22.—Friends, from whom he had any thing to fear. Menochius.
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Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to the LORD’s word which he spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet,
for 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 the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger with their vanities.
Verse 13. Vanities; idols. Bible.—They raised fresh altars; or, by their example, encouraged the people to persevere in their impiety. Menochius.
Now 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 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.
The 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.
Verse 16. All Israel, that was in the army, while others took part with Zambri. Worthington.
Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah.
When 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,
Verse 18. Himself. Hebrew may also signify, “he (Amri) burnt him.”—Zambri, his rival. But the other sense is more natural. Calmet.—Thus Sardanapalus chose to destroy himself, with all his riches, (Justin i. Athen. xii. 7.) to prevent the dead body from being insulted. It was for this reason the Sylla, the first of the Cornelian family, ordered his remains to be burnt. Cic. Leg. i. Tirinus.
for his sins which he sinned in doing that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did to make Israel to sin.
Verse 19. To sin. Zambri had sufficient time, in seven days, ( Bible.) to manifest his evil dispositions, of which he had perhaps given proof before. Calmet.
Now 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?
Then 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.
Verse 21. Parts. Those who had chosen Amri, were mortified at the election made by the army, and therefore set up another king. Calmet.—The contest seems to have lasted four years. Houbigant.
But the people who followed Omri prevailed against the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath; so Tibni died, and Omri reigned.
Verse 22. Died in the battle, wherein Amri prevailed. Menochius.
In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel for twelve years. He reigned six years in Tirzah.
Verse 23. In the one and thirtieth year, and so forth Amri began to reign in the seven and twentieth year of Asa; but had not the quiet possession of the kingdom, till the death of his competitor Thebni, which was in the one and thirtieth year of Asa’s reign. Challoner.—Twelve years in all, ( Worthington.) comprehending the four of civil war; six at Thersa, and two in Samaria. Houbigant.
He 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.
Verse 24. Silver: 684l. 7s. 6d. sterling. Arbuthnot.—The place was sold so cheap, on condition that it should be called after the original owner. Salien.—Somer dwelt there; and several houses had been already erected, (Calmet. 13:32) and even streets, by the king of Syria, for the convenience of his merchants, Calmet. 20:34. Bible.—Thersa had lately been so much ruined by civil wars, that Amri thought proper to choose a new seat of government. Samaria was greatly adorned by succeeding kings. Calmet. 22:39. It stood in a delightful and commanding situation, and gave its name to the adjacent territory, and to the whole kingdom of Israel. Benadad besieged it twice; and Salmanasar took it. The kings of Egypt laid claim to it, after the death of Alexander: but Antiochus, of Syria, took it from them. Hyrcanus levelled it with the ground. Herod the Great rebuilt the city, and called it Sebaste, in honour of Augustus.
A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds.
Omri did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, and dealt wickedly above all who were before him.
Verse 25. Above. He made a law, ( Calmet.) to force all to conform to the established irreligion. Mic. 6:16. Bible.
For 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 the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger with their vanities.
Verse 26. With their vanities. That is, their idols, their golden calves, vain, false, deceitful things.
Now 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?
So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria; and Ahab his son reigned in his place.
In 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.
Ahab the son of Omri did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight above all that were before him.
As 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.
Verse 31. Jezabel, whose name is become proverbial, to designate a proud, lewd, cruel, and impious woman. Revelation 2:20. Grotius compares her with Tullia, Fulvia, and Eudoxia, the respective wives of Tarquin, Anthony, and Arcadius. She was the chief promoter of all the evils of Achab’s reign. He did not insist that she should embrace the true religion, when he married her; as it is supposed former kings had done, when they espoused women who had been brought up in idolatry. Calmet.—He even introduced her country’s idols, and thus enhanced upon the wickedness of his predecessors. Bible.—Ethbaal. Menander (ap. Jos. c. Ap. i.) calls him Ithobaal, and remarks that his reign was memorable for a year’s drought; probably that of three years, under Achaz. Calmet. 17:1. Ethbaal was king of Tyre, and ruled over the Sidonians likewise. Calmet. 5:6.
He raised up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.
Ahab made the Asherah; and Ahab did more yet to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
In 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 the LORD’s word, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.
Verse 34. Hand. Josue had committed this curse to writing. Bible.—Hiel, an idolater, did not regard it, and Achab had not zeal to attempt to hinder him. But divine Providence punished his audacity. Calmet.—All his sons perished, while the city was rebuilding. Worthington.—See Joshua 6:26. Calmet.