He slew all the house of Baasha - He endeavored to exterminate his race, and blot out his memory; and the Jews say, when such a matter is determined, they not only destroy the house of the person himself, but the five neighboring houses, that the memory of such a person may perish from the earth. read more
For all the sins of Baasha - We see why it was that God permitted such judgments to fall on this family. Baasha was a grievous offender, and so also was his son Elah; and they caused the people to sin; and they provoked God to anger by their idolatries. read more
The people were encamped against Gibbethon - It appears that, at this time, the Israelites had war with the Philistines, and were now besieging Gibbethon, one of their cities. This army, hearing that Zimri had rebelled and killed Elah, made Omri, their general, king, who immediately raised the siege of Gibbethon, and went to attack Zimri in the royal city of Tirzah; who, finding his affairs desperate, chose rather to consume himself in his palace than to fall into the hands of his... read more
The House of Baasha. The character of Baasha is drawn in the paragraphs immediately preceding, which also contain an account of his end, which was better than he deserved, and suggests the reality of a future retribution. His family so fully followed in his steps that we have no mention of an Abijah amongst them, "in whom was found some good thing towards the Lord God of Israel" (see 1 Kings 14:18 ). The judgment of God upon this wicked house is written in the words before us. We have to... read more
A Divine judgment and its instrument. I. THE JUDGMENT . 1 . It was delayed in God's long suffering . Baasha had reigned nearly twenty-four years; Elah nearly two. The Lord is swift to bless but slow to strike. He has no delight in a sinner's death. Do we remember that God's long suffering today is not forgetfulness or indifference, but the restraining of infinite love? 2 . It came upon him in his sin . The army was in the field, but he was not there. He was deaf to the... read more
And Zimri went in [cf. 3:20 ; 2 Samuel 4:7 ] and smote him and killed him in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead . [Cf. 1 Kings 15:28 and 2 Kings 15:1-38 :93. It is curious how it happened three times in the history of Israel that "the only powerful prince in a new dynasty was its founder, and after his son and successor reigned two years, the power passed into other hands" (Ewald).] The Reign of Zimri . read more
And it came to pass when he began to reign, as soon as he sate on his throne, that he slew all the house of Baasha [see note on 1 Kings 15:29 . The LXX . Vat. omits the rest of this verse and the first clause of 1 Kings 15:12 ]: he left him not one that pisseth against a wall [ i.e; not a boy. See 1 Kings 14:10 note], neither of [Heb. and ] his kinsfolks [The גֹּאֵל is strictly the person to whom And this being the next of kin ( Ruth 2:12 , Ruth 2:13 ), the word... read more
Thus did Zimri destroy an the house of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord which he spake against Baasha, by [Heb. in the hand of ] Jehu the prophet [Verses 1, 7; cf. 1 Kings 15:29 . The analogy is now complete], read more
For [ אֶל corresponds with the עַל of 1 Kings 16:7 = propter ; cf. 1 Kings 14:5 ; 1 Kings 21:22 ] 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 [the formula of 1 Kings 15:30 , etc.] with their vanities. [The calves, not idols, are referred to here. Cf. Deuteronomy 32:21 ; 1 Corinthians 8:4 . The same idea is embodied in the word Bethaven ; Hosea 4:15... read more
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John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 16:18
And it came to pass, that when Zimri saw that the city was taken ,.... That Omri, and the army with him, had got into it, being a place not much fortified, and Zimri not having force enough to defend it against such an army: that he went into the palace of the king's house ; into the innermost and most splendid, as well as the strongest part of it: and burnt the king's house over him with fire, and he died ; that he might not fall into the hands of his rival, who he might fear would... read more