1KI 16

1 Kings 16:24

WEB

He bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.

BSB

He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city there, calling it Samaria after the name of Shemer, who had owned the hill.

KJV

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.

Matthew Henry

Verses 15–28

1 Kings 16:15–28

Solomon observes (Pro 28:2) that for the transgression of a land many were the princes thereof (so it was here in Israel), but by a man of understanding the state thereof shall be prolonged - so it was with Judah at the same time under Asa. When men forsake God they are out of the way of rest and establishment. Zimri, and Tibni, and Omri, are here striving for the crown. Proud aspiring men ruin one another, and involve others in the ruin. These confusions end in the settlement of Omri; we must therefore take him along with us through this part of the story.

I. How he was chosen, as the Roman emperors often were, by the army in the field, now encamped before Gibbethon. Notice was soon brought thither that Zimri had slain their king (Kg1 16:16) and set up himself in Tirzah, the royal city, whereupon they chose Omri king in the camp, that they might without delay avenge the death of Elah upon Zimri. Though he was idle and intemperate, yet he was their king, and they would not tamely submit to his murderer, nor let the treason go unpunished. They did not attempt to avenge the death of Nadab upon Baasha, perhaps because the house of Baasha had ruled with more gentleness than the house of Jeroboam; but Zimri shall feel the resentments of the provoked army. The siege of Gibbethon is quitted (Philistines are sure to gain when Israelites quarrel) and Zimri is prosecuted.

II. How he conquered Zimri, who is said to have reigned seven days (Kg1 16:15), so long before Omri was proclaimed king and himself proclaimed traitor; but we may suppose it was a longer time before he died, for he continued long enough to show his inclination to the way of Jeroboam, and to make himself obnoxious to the justice of God by supporting his idolatry, Kg1 16:19. Tirzah was a beautiful city, but not fortified, so that Omri soon made himself master of it (Kg1 16:17), forced Zimri into the palace, which being unable to defend, and yet unwilling to surrender, he burnt, and himself in it, Kg1 16:18. Unwilling that his rival should ever enjoy that sumptuous palace, he burnt it; and fearing that if he fell into the hands of the army, either alive or dead, he should be ignominiously treated, he burnt himself in it. See what desperate practices men's wickedness sometimes brings them to, and how it hurries them into their own ruin; see the disposition of incendiaries, who set palaces and kingdoms on fire, though they are themselves in danger of perishing in the flame.

III. How he struggled with Tibni, and at length got clear of him: Half of the people followed this Tibni (Kg1 16:21), probably those who were in Zimri's interest, with whom others joined, who would not have a king chosen in the camp (lest he should rule by the sword and a standing army), but in a convention of the states. The contest between these two lasted some years, and, it is likely, cost a great deal of blood on both sides, for it was in the twenty-seventh year of Asa that Omri was first elected (Kg1 16:15) and thence the twelve years of his reign are to be dated; but it was not till the thirty-first year of Asa that he began to reign without a rival; then Tibni died, it is likely in battle, and Omri reigned, Kg1 16:22. Sir Walter Raleigh, in his History of the World (2.19.6), enquires here why it was that in all these confusions and revolutions of the kingdom of Israel they never thought of returning to the house of David, and uniting themselves again to Judah, for then it was better with them than now; and he thinks the reason was because the kings of Judah assumed a more absolute, arbitrary, and despotic power than the kings of Israel. It was the heaviness of the yoke that they complained of when they first revolted from the house of David, and the dread of that made them ever after averse to it, and attached to kings of their own, who ruled more by law and the rules of a limited monarchy.

IV. How he reigned when he was at length settled on the throne. 1. He made himself famous by building Samaria, which, ever after, was the royal city of the kings of Israel (the palace at Tirzah being burnt), and in process of time grew so considerable that it gave name to the middle part of Canaan (which lay between Galilee on the north and Judea on the south) and to the inhabitants of that country, who were called Samaritans. He bought the ground for two talents of silver, somewhat more than 700l. of our money, for a talent was 353l. 11s. 10 1/2d. Perhaps Shemer, who sold him the ground, let him have it considerably the cheaper upon condition that the city should be called after his name, for otherwise it would have borne the name of the purchaser; it was called Samaria, or Shemeren (as it is in the Hebrew), from Shemer, the former owner, Kg1 16:24. The kings of Israel changed their royal seats, Shechem first, then Tirzah, now Samaria; but the kings of Judah were constant to Jerusalem, the city of God. Those that cleave to the Lord fix, but those that leave him ever wander. 2. He made himself infamous by his wickedness; for he did worse than all that were before him, Kg1 16:25. Though he was brought to the throne with much difficulty, and Providence had remarkably favoured him in his advancement, yet he was more profane, or more superstitious, and a greater persecutor, than either of the houses of Jeroboam or Baasha. He went further than they had done in establishing iniquity by a law, and forcing his subjects to comply with him in it; for we read of the statutes of Omri, the keeping of which made Israel a desolation, Mic 6:16. Jeroboam caused Israel to sin by temptation, example, and allurement; but Omri did it by compulsion.

V. How he ended his reign, Kg1 16:27, Kg1 16:28. He was in some repute for the might which he showed. Many a bad man has been a stout man. He died in his bed, as did Jeroboam and Baasha themselves; but, like them, left it to his posterity to fill up the measure, and then pay off the scores, of his iniquity.

Cross-references: Prov 28:2 · 1Kgs 16:16 · 1Kgs 16:15 · 1Kgs 16:19 · 1Kgs 16:17 · 1Kgs 16:18 · 1Kgs 16:21 · 1Kgs 16:22 · 1Kgs 16:24 · 1Kgs 16:25 · Mic 6:16 · 1Kgs 16:27 · 1Kgs 16:28

Hebrew interlinear

H7069

קָנָהqânâh/kaw-naw'/

v — erect, create, procure, sell, own

Derivation: a primitive root;

to erect, i.e. create; by extension, to procure, especially by purchase (causatively, sell); by implication to own

KJV: attain, buy(-er), teach to keep cattle, get, provoke to jealousy, possess(-or), purchase, recover, redeem, × surely, × verily.

קָנָה

vb — get

קָנָה 84 vb. get, acquire

Qal 81

1. get, acquire (all poet.)

2. elsewhere buy

Niph. be bought

Hiph. caused (one) to purchase me, i.e. made me a bondman

H853

אֵתʼêth/ayth/

prt — self, even, namely

Derivation: apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity;

properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)

KJV: [as such unrepresented in English].

אֵת

mark of the accusative

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

H2022

הַרhar/har/

n-m — mountain, range

Derivation: a shortened form of 2042;

a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)

KJV: hill (country), mount(-ain), × promotion.

הַר

n.m — mountain

הַר 568 n.m. mountain, hill, hill-country

1. mountain, hill

2. hill-country, mountain-region

H8111

שֹׁמְרוֹןShômᵉrôwn/sho-mer-one'/

n-pr-loc — Shomeron

Derivation: from the active participle of 8104; watch-station;

Shomeron, a place in Palestine

KJV: Samaria.

שִׁמְרוֹן

n.pr.loc — Samaria

שִׁמְרוֹן 109 n.pr.loc. capital of N. Isr. from Omri's time

H854

אֵתʼêth/ayth/

prep — nearness, near, with, by, at, among

Derivation: probably from 579;

properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc.

KJV: against, among, before, by, for, from, in(-to), (out) of, with. Often with another prepositional prefix.

אֵת

prep — with

אֵת, prep. with—prep. denoting proximity

1. Of companionship, together with

2. Of localities

3. אֵת פּ׳ denotes specially

a. in one's possession or keeping

b. in one's knowledge or memory

4. מֵאֵת from proximity with

Note. אֵת expresses closer association than עִם: hence while מֵעִם sts. denotes hardly more than from the surroundings or belongings of, מֵאֵת expresses from close proximity to.

H8106

שֶׁמֶרShemer/sheh'-mer/

n-pr-m — Shemer

Derivation: the same as 8105;

Shemer, the name of three Israelites

KJV: Shamer, Shemer.

שֶׁ֫מֶר

n.pr.m — Shamer

שֶׁ֫מֶר n.pr.m. (prop. clan-name)

1. orig. owner of hill where Sam. was built

2.

a. Levite

b. in Asher

c. in Benj.

H3603

כִּכָּרkikkâr/kik-kawr'/

n-f — circle, Ghor, loaf, talent, coin

Derivation: from 3769;

a circle, i.e. (by implication) a circumjacent tract or region, especially the Ghor or valley of the Jordan; also a (round) loaf; also a talent (or large [round] coin)

KJV: loaf, morsel, piece, plain, talent.

כִּכָּר

n.f — a round

כִּכָּר n.f. a round: hence 1. a round district. 2. a round loaf. 3. a round weight, talent

H3701

כֶּסֶףkeçeph/keh'-sef/

n-m — silver, pale, money

Derivation: from 3700;

silver (from its pale color); by implication, money

KJV: money, price, silver(-ling).

כֶּ֫סֶף

n.m — silver

כֶּ֫סֶף 402 n.m. silver, money

1. = silver ore, raw silver

2. silver as bright, shining

3. silver, as wealth

4. silver as spoil of war

5. silver as merchandise

6. silver as costly gift

7. silver as material

8. silver as measure of weight and value

9. among vbs. and phr.

H1129

בָּנָהbânâh/baw-naw'/

v — build

Derivation: a primitive root;

to build (literally and figuratively)

KJV: (begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make, repair, set (up), × surely.

בָּנָה

vb — build

בָּנָה 373 vb. build

Qal build

Niph.

1.

a. be built

b. be rebuilt

2.

a. (fig.) of restored exiles, = established

b. established, made permanent

H7121

קָרָאqârâʼ/kaw-raw'/

v — call out to

Derivation: a primitive root (rather identical with 7122 through the idea of accosting a person met);

to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)

KJV: bewray (self), that are bidden, call (for, forth, self, upon), cry (unto), (be) famous, guest, invite, mention, (give) name, preach, (make) proclaim(-ation), pronounce, publish, read, renowned, say.

קָרָא

vb — call

קָרָא 724 vb. call, proclaim, read

Qal

1.

a. call, cry, utter a loud sound

b. call, cry

2.

a. call unto some one

b. cry for help

3. proclaim

4.

a. read aloud

b. read to oneself

5. summon

6. call = name

Niph.

1. reflex.

2. pass. be called

Pu. be called

H8034

שֵׁםshêm/shame/

n-m — appellation, honor, authority, character

Derivation: a primitive word [perhaps rather from 7760 through the idea of definite and conspicuous position; compare 8064];

an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character

KJV: base, (in-) fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.

שֵׁם

n.m — name

שֵׁם 864 n.m. name (√ unknown)

1. of river, beasts, city, i.e. exact designation of it

2.

a. usu. of pers.

b. = reputation

c. esp. as giving a man a kind of posthumous life, esp. in his sons

3. name, as designation of God

4. of false gods, use forbidden

5. = memorial, monument

H5892

עִירʻîyr/eer/

n-m — city, waking, encampment, post

Derivation: or (in the plural) עָר; or עָיַר; (Judges 10:4), from 5782

a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)

KJV: Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.

עִיר

n.f — city

עִיר 1092 n.f. city, town

1. city, town, abode of men

2. of fortress in a city

3. appar. fortified place, of any size

עִיר

n.[m.] — excitement

עִיר n.[m.] excitement;—of terror; of rage

H834

אֲשֶׁרʼăsher/ash-er'/

r — who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

Derivation: a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number);

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.

KJV: × after, × alike, as (soon as), because, × every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how(-soever), × if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), × though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither(-soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.

אֲשֶׁר

part. of relation — who

אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause.

בַאֲשֶׁר

adv — in which

בַאֲשֶׁר

a. in (that) which

b. adv. in (the place) where

c. conj. in that, inasmuch as

d. on account of whom?

כַּאֲשֶׁר

conj — according as

כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when

1. according to that which, according as, as

2. with a causal force, in so far as, since

3. with a temporal force, when

מֵאֲשֶׁר

adv — who

מֵאֲשֶׁר

a. from (or than) that which

b. adv. from (the place) where

c. conj. from (the fact) that …, since

H5921

עַלʻal/al/

prep — above, over, upon, against

Derivation: properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following);

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

KJV: above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, × as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, × both and, by (reason of), × had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, × with.

כִּי עַל כֵּן

forasmuch as

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

עַל

subst — above

עַל, עָ֑ל

I. subst. height

II. As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

1. Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

a.

(a). of clothing, etc., which any one wears

(b). With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

b. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

c. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

d. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

e. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

f. Of the ground or basis, on which a thing is done

2. It expresses excess

3. It denotes elevation or pre-eminence

4. It expresses addition

5. It expresses the idea of being extended, or suspended over anything, without however being in contact with it, above, over

6. From the sense of inclining or impending over, על comes to denote contiguity or proximity, Engl. by (or sts. on)

7. In connection with verbs of motion (actual or fig.)

8. By writers of the silver age, על is sts. used with the force of a dative

9. With other particles:

III. As conj.

a. עַל אֲשֶׁר because that

b. עַל כִּי similar in meaning, but less frequent

c. עַל alone:

(a). because

(b). notwithstanding that, although

IV. Compounds:

1. with כְּ (rare and late)

a. as concerning, as upon

b. the like of their deeds is the like of (that which) he will repay

2. מֵעַל from upon, from over, from by

H113

אָדוֹןʼâdôwn/aw-done'/

n-m — sovereign, controller

Derivation: or (shortened) אָדֹן; from an unused root (meaning to rule);

sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine)

KJV: lord, master, owner. Compare also names beginning with 'Adoni-'.

אָדוֹן

n.m — lord

אָדוֹן n.m. lord (אֲדֹנִי, אֲדֹנַי, אֲדֹנָי are variations of Mass. pointing to distinguish divine reference fr. human. Pl., with few exc. an intens. pl. of rank; word takes sf. as pl. in all other pers.; so doubtless here. Orig. reading prob. in all cases אֲדֹנַי; אֲדֹנִי now found in J 51 t.)

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