Matthew Poole's Commentary Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, 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. Ahab his son succeedeth him: he is more wicked than his predecessors, 1 Kings 16:29-33. Hiel buildeth Jericho; and Joshua’s curse is fulfilled in him, 1 Kings 16:34. Jehu, a prophet, of whom see more 2 Chronicles 19:2 20:34. Hanani also was a prophet, 2 Chronicles 16:7. 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; Out of the dust; out of a low and mean estate. See 1 Samuel 2:8 Psalm 113:7. Quest: How is Baasha’s exaltation to the kingdom ascribed to God, when he got it by treachery and cruelty? Answ. Though that way or manner of invading the kingdom was from himself, and his own wicked heart; yet the translation of the kingdom from Nadab to Baasha, simply considered, was from God, who by his decree and providence ordered it, and disposed of all occasions, and of the hearts of all the soldiers and people, so that Baasha should have opportunity of executing God’s judgment upon Nadab; and such success thereupon, that he should get a present and quiet possession of the kingdom. Nay, the very act of Baasha, to wit, the killing of his master Nadab, was an act of Divine justice, foretold and appointed by God, 1 Kings 14:10. And if Baasha had done this in obedience to God’s command, and with a single design to execute God’s vengeance threatened against him, it had been no more a sin than Jehu’s act in killing his master king Jehoram, upon the same account, 2Ki 9. But that Baasha did this merely to gratify his own pride, or covetousness, or malice, this was not from God, but from himself, and therefore is charged upon him as murder here, 1 Kings 16:7. To provoke me to anger: See Poole "1 Kings 14:9". 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. No text from Poole on this verse. Him that dieth of Baasha in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth of his in the fields shall the fowls of the air eat. No text from Poole on this verse. Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? No text from Poole on this verse. So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah: and Elah his son reigned in his stead. No text from Poole on this verse. And also by the hand of the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the word of the LORD against Baasha, and against his house, even for all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD, in provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam; and because he killed him. 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. Jehu did what God commanded him in this matter, though it was not without apparent hazard to himself. And because he killed him, i.e. Nadab; who, though he be not expressed, yet is sufficiently understood: 1. By the manifest reference which these words have to the murder committed by Baasha, which was done upon Nadab only, 1 Kings 15:28. 2. By the foregoing words, the house of Jeroboam, i.e. his posterity, which was Nadab. Quest. Why doth God punish him for doing God’s work? Answ. 1. Though God appointed that Jeroboam’s family should be cut off, yet he did not give Baasha commission to do it, nor had declared how or by whom he would do it. 2. Baasha did this not to fulfil God’s will, but his own lusts. See Poole "1 Kings 16:2". In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years. 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". And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza steward of his house in Tirzah. 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. As he was in Tirzah; whilst his forces were elsewhere employed, 1 Kings 16:15, which gave Zimri advantage to execute his design. And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead. No text from Poole on this verse. 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. Kinsfolks, Heb. avengers; to whom it belonged to revenge his death: see Numbers 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. 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, i. e. Thus fulfilling God’s threatening, but either without his knowledge, or merely for his own ends. For 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 with their vanities. i.e. Idols, oft called vanities, as Deu 32:21 1 Samuel 12:21 Jeremiah 14:22, because they are but imaginary deities, and mere nothings, 1 Corinthians 8:4, having nothing at all of a God in them, and nothing of power to do either good or hurt. Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? No text from Poole on this verse. In the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah did Zimri reign seven days in Tirzah. And the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. 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. And the people that were encamped heard say, Zimri hath conspired, and hath also slain the king: wherefore all Israel made Omri, the captain of the host, king over Israel that day in the camp. No text from Poole on this verse. And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah. No text from Poole on this verse. And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the palace of the king's house, and burnt the king's house over him with fire, and died, 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. Zimri, (to whom both the foregoing and following words apparently belong,) who burnt it upon himself, that neither himself nor the royal palace and treasures might come into the hands of his insulting adversary. For his sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight of the LORD, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, to make Israel to sin. 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 intentions or decrees about the continuance of the worship of the calves; or to sacrifice to them for his good success, either already obtained, or further desired. Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason that he wrought, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? No text from Poole on this verse. Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; and half followed Omri. 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. Half of the people followed Tibni, disdaining that the soldiers should usurp such a power over the whole kingdom. Half followed Omri, because they approved the person, though not the manner of his election. But the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath: so Tibni died, and Omri reigned. 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. 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. 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. So he reigned four years in a state of war with Tibni, and eight years peaceably. 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. Built on the hill, to wit, the city; and especially, a royal palace, because that at Tirzah was burnt, 1 Kings 16:18. But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all that were before him. No text from Poole on this verse. For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin, to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities. 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 calves he worshipped devils, i.e. other idols of the heathens, as may be thought from 1 Corinthians 10:20, where his worship of the devils and of the calves is distinguished. Besides, though he did no more for the substance of the action than his predecessors did, yet he might justly and truly be said to do worse than they, because he did it with greater aggravations, after so many terrible examples of Divine vengeance upon the kings and people of Israel for that sin; or because he made severer laws concerning the calf-worship, whence we read of the statutes of Omri, Micah 6:16; or did more industriously and violently execute them, with greater despite against God, and malice against his servants. Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might that he shewed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? No text from Poole on this verse. So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead. No text from Poole on this verse. And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years. No text from Poole on this verse. And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him. No text from Poole on this verse. 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. 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. was this but a small sin, that therefore he needed to add more abominations? where the question, as is usual among the Hebrews, implies a strong denial; and intimates that this was no small sin, but a great crime, and might have satisfied his wicked mind without any additions. Jezebel; a woman infamous for her idolatry, and cruelty, and sorcery, and filthiness. See 1 Kings 18:4 21:8 2 Kings 9:22 Revelation 2:20. Ethbaal, called Ithobalus, or Itobalus, in heathen writers. King of the Zidonians; so she was of a heathenish and idolatrous race, and such whom the kings and people of Israel were expressly forbidden to marry. Baal, i.e. the idol which the Zidonians worshipped, which is thought to be Hercules, or false gods, for this name is common to all such. And this idolatry was much worse than that of the calves; because in the calves they worshipped the true God, but in these, false gods or devils, as is evident from 1 Kings 18:21. And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. No text from Poole on this verse. And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him. Ahab made a grove, against God’s express prohibition, Deu 7:5. In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun. 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, because the judgment threatened against them by Ahijah, 1 Kings 14:15, was not yet executed, though they continued in that calf-worship which he condemned; but to expect the certain accomplishment of it in due time, if they persisted in their impenitency. Or, 2. As an evidence of the horrible corruption of his times, and of that high contempt of God which then reigned. Hiel the Beth-elite; who lived in Beth-el, the seat and sink of idolatry, wherewith he was thoroughly leavened. Built Jericho; a place seated in the tribe of Benjamin, but belonging to the kingdom of Israel; which place he seems to have chosen for his buildings; not so much for his own advantage as out of a contempt of the true God, and of his threatenings, which he designed to convince of falsehood by his own experience; and out of an ambitious desire to. advance his own reputation and interest thereby, by attempting that which he knew his king and queen too would be highly pleased with. He laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his first-born, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub; i.e. in the beginning of his building God took away his first-born, and others successively in the progress of the work, and the youngest when he finished it. And so he found by his own sad experience the truth of God’s word, and how vain it was to contend with him. Quest. Why did not God rather punish Hiel himself? Answ. This was a terrible punishment, to see his children cut off by Divine vengeance before their time, one after another; and all this for his own folly and rashness. Compare Jeremiah 52:10. And as for Hiel himself, possibly after he had been spared so long, that he might be an eyewitness of his sons untimely deaths, he also might be cut off, though it be not recorded, as not belonging to the prophecy here mentioned; or if not, his present impunity was his greatest misery; either as it continued his torment in the sad and lasting remembrance of his loss and misery; or as it was a mean to harden his heart so for greater judgments, to which he was reserved. According to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Joshua; of which See Poole "Joshua 6:26". |
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