1 Kings 16 Jehu prophesieth against Baasha, 1 Kings 16:1–7, Elah succeedeth him: him Zimri slayeth and succeedeth: he, besieged by Omri, burneth himself, 1 Kings 16:8–20. Omri prevaileth against Tibni, and is king; buildeth Samaria; followeth the sins of Jeroboam, and dieth, 1 Kings 16:21–28.

Jehu, a prophet, of whom see more 2 Chron. 19:2, 2 Chron. 20:34. Hanani also was a prophet, 2 Chron. 16:7.

Out of the dust; out of a low and mean estate. See 1 Sam. 2:8, Ps. 113:7. Quest: How is Baasha’s exaltation to the kingdom ascribed to God, when he got it by treachery and cruelty? Answ.

By the hand of the prophet Jehu came the word of the Lord: the meaning is, the message which came from the Lord to Jehu, 1 Kings 16:1;c., was here delivered by the hand, i.e. the ministry, of Jehu, unto Baasha.

One complete, and part of the other, 1 Kings 16:10, which in Scripture account is reckoned for a year. See Poole “1 Kings 15:25”.

Captain of half his chariots, i.e. of all his military chariots, and the men belonging to them; the chariots for carriage of necessary things being put into other and meaner hands.

Kinsfolks, Heb. avengers; to whom it belonged to revenge his death: see Num. 35:12. Nor of his friends; his confidants and familiar acquaintance, such as were most likely to hinder his settlement in the throne, and to avenge their friend’s quarrel.

i. e. Thus fulfilling God’s threatening, but either without his knowledge, or merely for his own ends.

i.e. Idols, oft called vanities, as Deut. 32:21, 1 Sam. 12:21, Jer. 14:22, because they are but imaginary deities, and mere nothings, 1 Cor. 8:4, having nothing at all of a God in them, and nothing of power to do either good or hurt.

Which had been besieged before, 1 Kings 15:27, but, it seems, was then relieved, or afterwards recovered by the Philistines, taking the advantage of the disorders and contentions which were among their enemies.

Burnt the king’s house over him; or, and he burnt, &c. Either, 1. Omri burnt it over Zimri; for pronouns sometimes respect more remote nouns. Or rather, 2.

For his sins, i.e. this befell him for his sins. Walking in the way of Jeroboam; which he might do, either before his reign, in the whole course of his life, which is justly charged upon him, because of his impenitency; or in the seven days of his reign; in which he had time enough to publish his…

The people of Israel fell into a civil war; yet neither this nor any other of God’s dreadful judgments could win them to repentance; which is an evidence of their prodigious impiety and incorrigibleness, and how ripe they were for ruin.

The people that followed Omri prevailed; partly because they had the army on their side; and principally by the appointment and judgment of God, giving up the Israelites to him who was much the worst, 1 Kings 16:25–26. Tibni died a violent death in the battle.

Began Omri to reign over Israel twelve years, i.e. and he reigned twelve years, not from this thirty-first year of Asa, for he died in his thirty-eighth year, 1 Kings 16:29; but from the beginning of his reign, which was in Asa’s twenty-seventh year, 1 Kings 16:15–16.

Built on the hill, to wit, the city; and especially, a royal palace, because that at Tirzah was burnt, 1 Kings 16:18.

He walked in all the way of Jeroboam, i.e. did not only promote the worship of the calves, as Jeroboam and all his successors hitherto had done; but did also imitate all Jeroboam’s other sins, which doubtless were many and great; and peradventure he added this to the rest, that together with the…

As if it had been a light thing for him; as if that sin were not big enough to express his contempt of God; as if he thought it below his wit and dignity to content himself with such a vulgar fault. But the Hebrew runs thus, Was it a light thing, &c.? i.e.

Ahab made a grove, against God’s express prohibition, Deut. 7:5.

In his days: this is here added, 1. As a character of the time, and an instance of the truth and certainty of Divine predictions and comminations, this being fulfilled eight hundred years after it was threatened; and withal, as a warning to the Israelites, not to think themselves innocent or safe,…