23. In the thirty and first year of Asa . . . began Omri to reign—The twelve years of his reign are computed from the beginning of his reign, which was in the twenty-seventh year of Asa's reign. He held a contested reign for four years with Tibni; and then, at the date stated in this verse, entered on a sole and peaceful reign of eight years. read more
24. he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer—The palace of Tirzah being in ruins, Omri, in selecting the site of his royal residence, was naturally influenced by considerations both of pleasure and advantage. In the center of a wide amphitheatre of mountains, about six miles from Shechem, rises an oblong hill with steep, yet accessible sides, and a long flat top extending east and west, and rising five hundred or six hundred feet above the valley. What Omri in all probability built as a mere... read more
25-27. But Omri wrought evil—The character of Omri's reign and his death are described in the stereotyped form used towards all the successors of Jeroboam in respect both to policy as well as time. read more
A. The First Period of Antagonism 12:1-16:28After the division of the kingdom, their respective kings were hostile to one another for 57 years. read more
9. Zimri’s evil reign in Israel 16:15-20Zimri’s seven-day reign in 885 B.C. was the shortest in the history of the Northern Kingdom.Omri was commander-in-chief of Israel’s army. He outranked Zimri. When word of Zimri’s assassination of Elah reached the soldiers at Gibbethon (cf. 1 Kings 15:27), they immediately sided with their general and marched back to the capital to claim the throne for Omri. Zimri realized he could not oppose Omri successfully and chose suicide over execution. He also... read more
10. Omri’s evil reign in Israel 16:21-28Controversy over who should succeed to Israel’s throne raged for six years (885-880 B.C.) in Israel and threatened to consume the nation. Civil war followed Zimri’s death (1 Kings 16:21-22). Omri finally overpowered Tibni and probably executed him (1 Kings 16:22). One writer argued that Tibni did not necessarily die but simply passed off the scene. [Note: J. Max Miller, "So Tibni Died," Vetus Testamentum 18 (1968):392-94.] The text seems to contradict... read more
The Reigns of Elah, Zimri, and Omri1. Jehu the son of Hanani] Hanani is mentioned in 2 Chronicles 16:7-10. Jehu’s denunciation of Baasha is similar to Ahijah’s denunciation of Jeroboam (1 Kings 14:7-11). 9. As he was.. drunk] Elah’s incapacity and dissoluteness doubtless tempted Zimri to aspire to the throne.13. Vanities] i.e. idols, and so in 1 Kings 16:26.15. Gibbethon] see 1 Kings 15:27. The siege, begun in the reign of Nadab, had apparently not succeeded, and had been resumed. 18. Palace]... read more
(16) Made Omri . . . king.—This exaltation of Omri, as a matter of course, shows how entirely the kingdom of Israel had become the prize of the sword. By a curious coincidence (see 1 Kings 15:27) the dynasty of Baasha had been founded in the camp before the same city of Gibbethon. Zimri’s conspiracy appears to have been hastily planned, with no provision of adequate means of support; for Tirzah is taken at once. read more
(18) The palace of the king’s house.—The same phrase is found in 2 Kings 15:25. The word here rendered “palace” evidently means (as is clear from its derivation) “the high place,” or “citadel,” of the building. Some render it the “harem,” with which the curious rendering (ἄντρον) of the LXX.—signifying properly a cave or “lurking-place”—may perhaps, agree. But this is not suggested by the word itself. This desperate act of Zimri, which has many parallels in Eastern history, seems to indicate... read more
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Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - 1 Kings 16:22
22. Tibni died—The Hebrew does not enable us to determine whether his death was violent or natural. :-. OMRI BUILDS SAMARIA. read more