For his sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight of the Lord,.... In the former part of his life, as well as now: in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did to make Israel sin; worshipping the golden calves, which he might do while a captain of the chariots, and also since he usurped the crown, sacrificing to them by way...
Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason that he wrought, are they not written in the book of the kings of Israel?] What he did both before and after his usurpation, during the seven days he was king, and the manner of his conspiracy, and success in it.
Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts,.... About the succession in the kingdom: half the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king: these were the friends of Zimri, or however such who did not like that the army should impose a king upon them; who this Tibni was is not said: and half followed Omri; the general of...
But the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath,.... Very probably they had a battle, in which the latter were worsted: so Tibni died; in the battle: and Omri reigned; took possession of the throne, his rival being slain.
In the thirty first year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel twelve years,.... Which are to be reckoned not from the thirty first of Asa; for Ahab the son of Omri began to reign in his thirty eighth year, and so his reign would be but seven or eight years; but they are reckoned from the twenty seventh of Asa, the beginning of it,...
And he bought the hill of Samaria of Shemer, for two talents of silver,.... A talent of silver, according to Brerewood (f), was of our money three hundred and seventy five pounds, so that this hill was purchased at seven hundred and fifty pounds: and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, owner...
But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the Lord,.... Openly and publicly, as if it were in defiance of him: and did worse than all that were before him; taking no warning by the judgments inflicted on them, which aggravated his sins; and besides, he not only worshipped the calves, as the rest, and drew Israel by his example into the same, as they...
For he walked in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin,.... Worshipping the calves; to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger with their vanities; these, and whatsoever idols else were worshipped by him, see 1 Kings 16:13.
Now the rest of the acts of Omri, which he did, and his might which he showed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?] Where those of the preceding kings were written, see 1 Kings 14:19.
So Omri slept with his fathers,.... Died a natural death: and was buried in Samaria; the city he had built, and now the royal seat and metropolis of the kingdom: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead; of whom much is said in the following history.
And in the thirty fifth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel,.... At the latter end of it, the same year his father died, see 1 Kings 16:23 and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty two years; the same number of years Jeroboam did, 1 Kings 14:20.
And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, above all that were before him. Adding other idols to the calves, and those more abominable than they; since the other kings pretended to worship God in them, but he worshipped other gods besides him, as the following verses show.
And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sin of Jeroboam the son of Nebat,.... To worship the golden calves he set up: that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians; who is called Ithobalus and Itobalus king of the Tyrians, by Heathen historians (h); and, by Theophilus of Antioch (i),...
And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. That he might not go so far as Tyre or Zidon; and for his wife's convenience also he built a temple in Samaria for Baal, and erected an altar there to offer sacrifices upon it unto him; so open and daring was he in his idolatrous practices.
And Ahab made a grove,.... About the temple of Baal, or elsewhere, in which he placed an idol, and where all manner of filthiness was secretly committed; or rather "Asherah", rendered "grove", is Astarte, the goddess of the Zidonians, an image of which Ahab made: and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of...
And in his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho,.... Which was forbidden by Joshua under an anathema; but this man, either ignorant of that adjuration of Joshua, or in contempt and defiance of it, and knowing it might please the king and queen, set about the rebuilding of it; and it being done by the leave and under the authority of Ahab, is...