Bible Chapter Summary
1 Kings 16 Summary
Quick Succession of Israel's Kings
The prophet Jehu rebukes Baasha for walking in Jeroboam's sins and prophesies the destruction of his house like Jeroboam's; Baasha dies and his son Elah begins to reign. Zimri, captain of half the chariots, conspires against Elah while he drinks in his steward's house and kills him, then slays all of Baasha's house to fulfill the prophecy against Baasha. However, the people make Omri king instead; Omri besieges Tirzah, Zimri burns the palace and dies, and Omri establishes himself as king, building the city of Samaria. Ahab, Omri's son, reigns after him and does evil above all before him, taking Jezebel as wife and serving Baal.
Key themes
Key verses
1 Kings 16:1-3
“Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over my people Israel; and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins; Behold, I will take away the posterity of Baasha, and the posterity of his house; and will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.”
1 Kings 16:11-12
“And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he slew all the house of Baasha: he left him not one that pisseth against a wall, neither of his kinsfolks, nor of his friends. Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake against Baasha by Jehu the prophet,”
1 Kings 16:23-24
“In the thirty and first year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel, twelve years: six years reigned he in Tirzah. And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria.”
1 Kings 16:31
“And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.”
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