Worthy.Bible » STRONG » 1 Kings » Chapter 16 » Verse 31

1 Kings 16:31 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

31 And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing H7043 for him to walk H3212 in the sins H2403 of Jeroboam H3379 the son H1121 of Nebat, H5028 that he took H3947 to wife H802 Jezebel H348 the daughter H1323 of Ethbaal H856 king H4428 of the Zidonians, H6722 and went H3212 and served H5647 Baal, H1168 and worshipped H7812 him.

Cross Reference

2 Kings 17:16 STRONG

And they left H5800 all the commandments H4687 of the LORD H3068 their God, H430 and made H6213 them molten images, H4541 even two H8147 calves, H5695 and made H6213 a grove, H842 and worshipped H7812 all the host H6635 of heaven, H8064 and served H5647 Baal. H1168

2 Kings 10:18 STRONG

And Jehu H3058 gathered H6908 all the people H5971 together, H6908 and said H559 unto them, Ahab H256 served H5647 Baal H1168 a little; H4592 but Jehu H3058 shall serve H5647 him much. H7235

Judges 18:7 STRONG

Then the five H2568 men H582 departed, H3212 and came H935 to Laish, H3919 and saw H7200 the people H5971 that were therein, H7130 how they dwelt H3427 careless, H983 after the manner H4941 of the Zidonians, H6722 quiet H8252 and secure; H982 and there was no magistrate H3423 H6114 in the land, H776 that might put them to shame H3637 in any thing; H1697 and they were far H7350 from the Zidonians, H6722 and had no business H1697 with any man. H120

1 Kings 21:25-26 STRONG

But there was none like unto Ahab, H256 which did sell H4376 himself to work H6213 wickedness H7451 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 whom Jezebel H348 his wife H802 stirred up. H5496 And he did very H3966 abominably H8581 in following H3212 H310 idols, H1544 according to all things as did H6213 the Amorites, H567 whom the LORD H3068 cast out H3423 before H6440 the children H1121 of Israel. H3478

Judges 2:11 STRONG

And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 did H6213 evil H7451 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 and served H5647 Baalim: H1168

Deuteronomy 7:3-4 STRONG

Neither shalt thou make marriages H2859 with them; thy daughter H1323 thou shalt not give H5414 unto his son, H1121 nor his daughter H1323 shalt thou take H3947 unto thy son. H1121 For they will turn away H5493 thy son H1121 from following H310 me, that they may serve H5647 other H312 gods: H430 so will the anger H639 of the LORD H3068 be kindled H2734 against you, and destroy H8045 thee suddenly. H4118

2 Kings 9:30-37 STRONG

And when Jehu H3058 was come H935 to Jezreel, H3157 Jezebel H348 heard H8085 of it; and she painted H7760 H6320 her face, H5869 and tired H3190 her head, H7218 and looked out H8259 at a window. H2474 And as Jehu H3058 entered in H935 at the gate, H8179 she said, H559 Had Zimri H2174 peace, H7965 who slew H2026 his master? H113 And he lifted up H5375 his face H6440 to the window, H2474 and said, H559 Who is on my side? who? And there looked out H8259 to him two H8147 or three H7969 eunuchs. H5631 And he said, H559 Throw her down. H8058 So they threw her down: H8058 and some of her blood H1818 was sprinkled H5137 on the wall, H7023 and on the horses: H5483 and he trode her under foot. H7429 And when he was come in, H935 he did eat H398 and drink, H8354 and said, H559 Go, H6485 see now this cursed H779 woman, and bury H6912 her: for she is a king's H4428 daughter. H1323 And they went H3212 to bury H6912 her: but they found H4672 no more of her than H518 the skull, H1538 and the feet, H7272 and the palms H3709 of her hands. H3027 Wherefore they came again, H7725 and told H5046 him. And he said, H559 This is the word H1697 of the LORD, H3068 which he spake H1696 by H3027 his servant H5650 Elijah H452 the Tishbite, H8664 saying, H559 In the portion H2506 of Jezreel H3157 shall dogs H3611 eat H398 the flesh H1320 of Jezebel: H348 And the carcase H5038 of Jezebel H348 shall be as dung H1828 upon the face H6440 of the field H7704 in the portion H2506 of Jezreel; H3157 so that they shall not say, H559 This is Jezebel. H348

Revelation 2:20 STRONG

Notwithstanding G235 I have G2192 a few things G3641 against G2596 thee, G4675 because G3754 thou sufferest G1439 that woman G1135 Jezebel, G2403 which G3588 calleth G3004 herself G1438 a prophetess, G4398 to teach G1321 and G2532 to seduce G4105 my G1699 servants G1401 to commit fornication, G4203 and G2532 to eat G5315 things sacrificed unto idols. G1494

Ezekiel 34:18 STRONG

Seemeth it a small thing H4592 unto you to have eaten up H7462 the good H2896 pasture, H4829 but ye must tread down H7429 with your feet H7272 the residue H3499 of your pastures? H4829 and to have drunk H8354 of the deep H4950 waters, H4325 but ye must foul H7515 the residue H3498 with your feet? H7272

Ezekiel 16:47 STRONG

Yet hast thou not walked H1980 after their ways, H1870 nor done H6213 after their abominations: H8441 but, as if that were a very H6985 little H4592 H6962 thing, thou wast corrupted H7843 more than they H2004 in all thy ways. H1870

Ezekiel 16:20 STRONG

Moreover thou hast taken H3947 thy sons H1121 and thy daughters, H1323 whom thou hast borne H3205 unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed H2076 unto them to be devoured. H398 Is this of thy whoredoms H8457 a small matter, H4592

Ezekiel 8:17 STRONG

Then he said H559 unto me, Hast thou seen H7200 this, O son H1121 of man? H120 Is it a light thing H7043 to the house H1004 of Judah H3063 that they commit H6213 the abominations H8441 which they commit H6213 here? for they have filled H4390 the land H776 with violence, H2555 and have returned H7725 to provoke me to anger: H3707 and, lo, they put H7971 the branch H2156 to their nose. H639

Isaiah 7:13 STRONG

And he said, H559 Hear H8085 ye now, O house H1004 of David; H1732 Is it a small thing H4592 for you to weary H3811 men, H582 but will ye weary H3811 my God H430 also?

Nehemiah 13:23-29 STRONG

In those days H3117 also saw H7200 I Jews H3064 that had married H3427 wives H802 of Ashdod, H796 of Ammon, H5984 and of Moab: H4125 And their children H1121 spake H1696 half H2677 in the speech of Ashdod, H797 and could H5234 not speak H1696 in the Jews' language, H3066 but according to the language H3956 of each H5971 people. H5971 And I contended H7378 with them, and cursed H7043 them, and smote H5221 certain H582 of them, and plucked off their hair, H4803 and made them swear H7650 by God, H430 saying, Ye shall not give H5414 your daughters H1323 unto their sons, H1121 nor take H5375 their daughters H1323 unto your sons, H1121 or for yourselves. Did not Solomon H8010 king H4428 of Israel H3478 sin H2398 by these things? yet among many H7227 nations H1471 was there no king H4428 like him, who was beloved H157 of his God, H430 and God H430 made H5414 him king H4428 over all Israel: H3478 nevertheless even him H1571 did outlandish H5237 women H802 cause to sin. H2398 Shall we then hearken H8085 unto you to do H6213 all this great H1419 evil, H7451 to transgress H4603 against our God H430 in marrying H3427 strange H5237 wives? H802 And one of the sons H1121 of Joiada, H3111 the son H1121 of Eliashib H475 the high H1419 priest, H3548 was son in law H2860 to Sanballat H5571 the Horonite: H2772 therefore I chased H1272 him from me. Remember H2142 them, O my God, H430 because they have defiled H1352 the priesthood, H3550 and the covenant H1285 of the priesthood, H3550 and of the Levites. H3881

Genesis 6:2 STRONG

That the sons H1121 of God H430 saw H7200 the daughters H1323 of men H120 that they H2007 were fair; H2896 and they took H3947 them wives H802 of all which they chose. H977

1 Kings 21:5-14 STRONG

But Jezebel H348 his wife H802 came H935 to him, and said H1696 unto him, Why is thy spirit H7307 so sad, H5620 that thou eatest H398 no bread? H3899 And he said H1696 unto her, Because I spake H1696 unto Naboth H5022 the Jezreelite, H3158 and said H559 unto him, Give H5414 me thy vineyard H3754 for money; H3701 or else, if it please H2655 thee, I will give H5414 thee another vineyard H3754 for it: and he answered, H559 I will not give H5414 thee my vineyard. H3754 And Jezebel H348 his wife H802 said H559 unto him, Dost thou now govern H6213 the kingdom H4410 of Israel? H3478 arise, H6965 and eat H398 bread, H3899 and let thine heart H3820 be merry: H3190 I will give H5414 thee the vineyard H3754 of Naboth H5022 the Jezreelite. H3158 So she wrote H3789 letters H5612 in Ahab's H256 name, H8034 and sealed H2856 them with his seal, H2368 and sent H7971 the letters H5612 unto the elders H2205 and to the nobles H2715 that were in his city, H5892 dwelling H3427 with Naboth. H5022 And she wrote H3789 in the letters, H5612 saying, H559 Proclaim H7121 a fast, H6685 and set H3427 Naboth H5022 on high H7218 among the people: H5971 And set H3427 two H8147 men, H582 sons H1121 of Belial, H1100 before him, to bear witness H5749 against him, saying, H559 Thou didst blaspheme H1288 God H430 and the king. H4428 And then carry him out, H3318 and stone H5619 him, that he may die. H4191 And the men H582 of his city, H5892 even the elders H2205 and the nobles H2715 who were the inhabitants H3427 in his city, H5892 did H6213 as Jezebel H348 had sent H7971 unto them, and as it was written H3789 in the letters H5612 which she had sent H7971 unto them. They proclaimed H7121 a fast, H6685 and set H3427 Naboth H5022 on high H7218 among the people. H5971 And there came H935 in two H8147 men, H582 children H1121 of Belial, H1100 and sat H3427 before him: and the men H582 of Belial H1100 witnessed H5749 against him, even against Naboth, H5022 in the presence of the people, H5971 saying, H559 Naboth H5022 did blaspheme H1288 God H430 and the king. H4428 Then they carried him forth H3318 out H2351 of the city, H5892 and stoned H5619 him with stones, H68 that he died. H4191 Then they sent H7971 to Jezebel, H348 saying, H559 Naboth H5022 is stoned, H5619 and is dead. H4191

1 Kings 19:1-2 STRONG

And Ahab H256 told H5046 Jezebel H348 all that Elijah H452 had done, H6213 and withal how he had slain H2026 all the prophets H5030 with the sword. H2719 Then Jezebel H348 sent H7971 a messenger H4397 unto Elijah, H452 saying, H559 So let the gods H430 do H6213 to me, and more H3254 also, if I make H7760 not thy life H5315 as the life H5315 of one H259 of them by to morrow H4279 about this time. H6256

1 Kings 18:19 STRONG

Now therefore send, H7971 and gather H6908 to me all Israel H3478 unto mount H2022 Carmel, H3760 and the prophets H5030 of Baal H1168 four H702 hundred H3967 and fifty, H2572 and the prophets H5030 of the groves H842 four H702 hundred, H3967 which eat H398 at Jezebel's H348 table. H7979

1 Kings 18:4 STRONG

For it was so, when Jezebel H348 cut off H3772 the prophets H5030 of the LORD, H3068 that Obadiah H5662 took H3947 an hundred H3967 prophets, H5030 and hid H2244 them by fifty H376 H2572 in a cave, H4631 and fed H3557 them with bread H3899 and water.) H4325

1 Kings 11:4-8 STRONG

For it came to pass, when H6256 Solomon H8010 was old, H2209 that his wives H802 turned away H5186 his heart H3824 after H310 other H312 gods: H430 and his heart H3824 was not perfect H8003 with the LORD H3068 his God, H430 as was the heart H3824 of David H1732 his father. H1 For Solomon H8010 went H3212 after H310 Ashtoreth H6253 the goddess H430 of the Zidonians, H6722 and after H310 Milcom H4445 the abomination H8251 of the Ammonites. H5984 And Solomon H8010 did H6213 evil H7451 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 and went not fully H4390 after H310 the LORD, H3068 as did David H1732 his father. H1 Then did Solomon H8010 build H1129 an high place H1116 for Chemosh, H3645 the abomination H8251 of Moab, H4124 in the hill H2022 that is before H6440 Jerusalem, H3389 and for Molech, H4432 the abomination H8251 of the children H1121 of Ammon. H5983 And likewise did H6213 he for all his strange H5237 wives, H802 which burnt incense H6999 and sacrificed H2076 unto their gods. H430

1 Kings 11:1-2 STRONG

But king H4428 Solomon H8010 loved H157 many H7227 strange H5237 women, H802 together with the daughter H1323 of Pharaoh, H6547 women of the Moabites, H4125 Ammonites, H5984 Edomites, H130 Zidonians, H6722 and Hittites; H2850 Of the nations H1471 concerning which the LORD H3068 said H559 unto the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 Ye shall not go in H935 to them, neither shall they come in H935 unto you: for surely H403 they will turn away H5186 your heart H3824 after H310 their gods: H430 Solomon H8010 clave H1692 unto these in love. H157

Judges 10:12 STRONG

The Zidonians H6722 also, and the Amalekites, H6002 and the Maonites, H4584 did oppress H3905 you; and ye cried H6817 to me, and I delivered H3467 you out of their hand. H3027

Judges 10:6 STRONG

And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 did H6213 evil H7451 again H3254 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 and served H5647 Baalim, H1168 and Ashtaroth, H6252 and the gods H430 of Syria, H758 and the gods H430 of Zidon, H6721 and the gods H430 of Moab, H4124 and the gods H430 of the children H1121 of Ammon, H5983 and the gods H430 of the Philistines, H6430 and forsook H5800 the LORD, H3068 and served H5647 not him.

Judges 3:7 STRONG

And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 did H6213 evil H7451 in the sight H5869 of the LORD, H3068 and forgat H7911 the LORD H3068 their God, H430 and served H5647 Baalim H1168 and the groves. H842

Joshua 23:12-13 STRONG

Else if ye do in any wise H7725 go back, H7725 and cleave H1692 unto the remnant H3499 of these nations, H1471 even these that remain H7604 among you, and shall make marriages H2859 with them, and go in H935 unto them, and they to you: Know H3045 for a certainty H3045 that the LORD H3068 your God H430 will no more H3254 drive out H3423 any of these nations H1471 from before H6440 you; but they shall be snares H6341 and traps H4170 unto you, and scourges H7850 in your sides, H6654 and thorns H6796 in your eyes, H5869 until ye perish H6 from off this good H2896 land H127 which the LORD H3068 your God H430 hath given H5414 you.

Numbers 16:9 STRONG

Seemeth it but a small thing H4592 unto you, that the God H430 of Israel H3478 hath separated H914 you from the congregation H5712 of Israel, H3478 to bring you near H7126 to himself to do H5647 the service H5656 of the tabernacle H4908 of the LORD, H3068 and to stand H5975 before H6440 the congregation H5712 to minister H8334 unto them?

Genesis 30:15 STRONG

And she said H559 unto her, Is it a small matter H4592 that thou hast taken H3947 my husband? H376 and wouldest thou take away H3947 my son's H1121 mandrakes H1736 also? And Rachel H7354 said, H559 Therefore he shall lie H7901 with thee to night H3915 for H8478 thy son's H1121 mandrakes. H1736

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on 1 Kings 16

Commentary on 1 Kings 16 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary


Verses 1-7

1 Kings 16:7 adds a supplementary remark concerning the words of Jehu (1 Kings 16:2.), not to preclude an excuse that might be made, in which case וגם would have to be taken in the sense of nevertheless, or notwithstanding (Ewald, § 354, a .), but to guard against a misinterpretation by adding a new feature, or rather to preclude an erroneous inference that might be drawn from the words, “I (Jehovah) have made thee prince” (1 Kings 16:2), as through Baasha had exterminated Nadab and his house by divine command (Thenius). וגם simply means “ and also ,” and is not to be connected specially with יהוּא בּיד , but to be taken as belonging to the whole sentence: “also the word of Jehovah had come to Baasha through Jehu, ... not only because of the evil, etc., but also ( ועל ... ועל ) because he had slain him (Jeroboam).” With regard to this last reason, we must call to mind the remark made at 1 Kings 11:39, viz., that the prediction of the prophet to Baasha gave him no right to put himself forward arbitrarily as the fulfiller of the prophecy. The very fact that Baasha continued Jeroboam's sin and caused the illegal worship to be perpetuated, showed clearly enough that in exterminating the family of Jeroboam he did not act under divine direction, but simply pursued his own selfish ends.


Verses 8-14

The Reign of Elah. - As Baasha reigned from the third to the twenty-sixth year of Asa, i.e., not quite twenty-four years, but only twenty-three years and a few months, so his son Elah reigned from the twenty-sixth to the twenty-seventh year of Asa, i.e., not quite two years.

1 Kings 16:9-11

Zimri , the commander of the half of his war-chariots, conspired against him, and not only slew him, when he was intoxicated ( שׁכּור שׁתה ) at a drinking bout in the house of Arza , the prefect of his palace, but after ascending the throne exterminated the whole family of Baasha to the very last man. The prefect of the palace was no doubt a party to the conspiracy, and had probably arranged the drinking bout in his house for the purpose of carrying it out. “He did not leave him בּקיר משׁתּין (see at 1 Kings 14:10), either his avengers ( גּאליו , blood-relations, who might have avenged his death) or his friends.” These words simply serve to explain בּקיר משׁתּין , and show that this phrase is to be understood as relating to males only.

1 Kings 16:12-14

“According to the word of the Lord;” see at 1 Kings 16:1. כּל־חטּאות אל , with regard to all, i.e., on account of all the sins (compare 1 Kings 16:7, where על is used). בּהבליהם , through their nothingnesses, i.e., their idols, by which the golden calves are meant.


Verses 15-18

The Reign of Zimri lasted only seven days. As soon as the people of war ( העם ), who were besieging Gibbethon (see at 1 Kings 15:27), heard of his conspiracy, his usurpation of the throne, and his murderous deeds, they proclaimed Omri king in the camp of the military commanders, and he at once, with all Israel, i.e., all the army, raised the siege of Gibbethon, to lay siege to Thirza. Now when Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the castle of the royal palace and burned the king's house over his own head, as Sardanapalus did, according to Justin ( Hist . i. 3). ארמון does not mean harem (Ewald), but the high castle (from ארם , to be high); here and in 2 Kings 15:25, the citadel of the royal palace, which consisted of several buildings.


Verse 19-20

1 Kings 16:19 is connected with ויּמת in 1 Kings 16:18 : “and so died for his sins,” i.e., as a punishment for them.


Verse 21-22

But Omri did not come into possession of an undisputed sovereignty immediately upon the death of Zimri. The nation divided itself into two halves; one half was behind Tibni , the son of Ginath (i.e., declared in favour of Tibni), to make him king, the other adhered to Omri . Nevertheless Omri's gained the upper hand over the party of Tibni, and the latter died, whereupon Omri became king after four years, as we may see from a comparison of 1 Kings 16:15, 1 Kings 16:16 with 1 Kings 16:23. The “people of Israel” (1 Kings 16:21) are probably the fighting people, so that the succession to the throne was decided by the military. אהרי היה as in 2 Samuel 2:10. הזק , with an accusative instead of with על , in the sense of to overpower, as in Jeremiah 20:7. According to Josephus ( Ant . viii. 12, 5), Tibni was slain by his opponent; but this is not contained in the words; on the contrary, all that is implied in the connection of ויּמת with וגו ויּחזק וגו/ is that he met with his death in the decisive engagement in which the opposing party triumphed.


Verses 23-28

The Reign of Omri. - 1 Kings 16:23. Omri reigned twelve years, i.e., if we compare 1 Kings 16:15 and 1 Kings 16:23 with 1 Kings 16:29, reckoning from his rebellion against Zimri; so that he only possessed the sole government for eight years (or, more exactly, seven years and a few months), viz., from the 31st to the 38th years of Asa, and the conflict with Tibni for the possession of the throne lasted about four years. “At Thirza he reigned six years,” i.e., during the four years of the conflict with Tibni, and after his death two years more.

1 Kings 16:24

As soon as he had obtained undisputed possession of the throne, he purchased the hill Shomron (Samaria) from Shemer ( Semer ) for two talents of silver, about 5200 thalers (£780 - Tr.), built houses upon it, and named the town which he built after the former owner of the hill שׁמרון , rendered by the lxx Σεμηρών here, but everywhere else Σαμάρεια (Samaria), after the Chaldee form שׁמרין (Ezra 4:10, Ezra 4:17). This city he made his seat ( Residenz , place of residence, or capital), in which he resided for the last six years of his reign, and where he was buried after his death (1 Kings 16:28). Samaria continued to be the capital of the kingdom of the ten tribes from that time forward, and the residence of all succeeding kings of Israel until the destruction of this kingdom after its conquest by Salmanasar (2 Kings 18:9-10). The city was two hours and a half to the north-west of Sichem, upon a mountain or hill in a mountain-hollow ( Bergkessel , lit., mountain-caldron) or basin of about two hours in diameter, surrounded on all sides by still higher mountains. “The mountains and valleys round about are still for the most part arable, and are alive with numerous villages and diligent cultivation.” The mountain itself upon which Samaria stood is still cultivated to the very top, and about the middle of the slope is surrounded by a narrow terrace of level ground resembling a girdle. And even higher up there are marks of smaller terraces, where streets of the ancient city may possibly have run. After the captivity Samaria was retaken and demolished by John Hyrcanus, and lay in ruins till Gabinius the Roman governor rebuilt it (Joseph. Ant . xiii. 19, 2, 3, and iv. 5, 3). Herod the Great afterwards decorated it in a marvellous manner, built a temple there to the emperor Augustus, and named the city after him Σεβαστή , i.e., Augusta , from which arose the present name Sebuste or Sebustieh , borne by a village which is still standing on the ancient site: “a pitiable hamlet consisting of a few squalid houses, inhabited by a band of plunderers, notorious as thieves even among their lawless fellow-countrymen” (V. de Velde, i. p. 378). - But by the side of this there are magnificent ruins of an ancient Johannite church, with the reputed grave of John the Baptist and remains of limestone columns at the foot of the mountain (cf., Robinson, Pal . iii. p. 136ff.; Van de Velde, Syria and Pal . i. p. 374ff.; and C. v. Raumer, Pal . pp. 159,160).

1 Kings 16:25-28

Omri also walked in the ways of Jeroboam, and acted worse than his predecessors upon the throne. - For 1 Kings 16:26 and 1 Kings 16:27, compare 1 Kings 16:13 and 1 Kings 16:14.


Verse 29

The ascent of the throne of Israel by Ahab (1 Kings 16:29) formed a turning-point for the worse, though, as a comparison of 1 Kings 16:30 with 1 Kings 16:25 clearly shows, the way had already been prepared by his father Omri.


Verses 30-32

Whereas the former kings of Israel had only perpetuated the sin of Jeroboam, i.e., the calf-worship. or worship of Jehovah under the image of an ox, which he had introduced, Ahab was not satisfied with this. לכתּו הנקל ויהי , “it came to pass, was it too little?” i.e., because it was too little (cf. Ewald, §362, a .) to walk in the sins of Jeroboam, that he took as his wife Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal the king of the Sidonians, and served Baal, and worshipped him. ויּלך before ויּעבד , “he went and served,” is a pictorial description of what took place, to give greater prominence to the new turn of affairs. אתבּעל .sri (i.e., with Baal) is the Εἰθώβαλος ( בּעל אתּו or Ἰθόβαλος : Jos. Ant . viii. 13, 1) mentioned by Menander in Josephus, c. Ap . i. 18, who was king of Tyre and Sidon, and priest of Astarte, and who usurped the throne after the murder of his brother, king Pheles, and reigned thirty-two years. Jezebel ( איזבל , i.e., probably without cohabitation, cf. Genesis 30:20, = untouched, chaste; not a contraction of אביזבל , as Ewald, §§ 273, b ., supposes) was therefore, as tyrant and murderess of the prophets, a worthy daughter of her father, the idolatrous priest and regicide. Baal (always הבּעל with the article, the Baal, i.e., Lord κατ ̓ ἐξοχήν ) was the principal male deity of the Phoenicians and Canaanites, and generally of the western Asiatics, called by the Babylonians בּל = בּעל (Isaiah 46:1), Βῆλος , and as the sun-god was worshipped as the supporter and first principle of psychical life and of the generative and reproductive power of nature (see at Judges 2:13). Ahab erected an altar to this deity הבּעל בּית , in the house (temple) of Baal, which he had built at Samaria. The worship of Baal had its principal seat in Tyre, where Hiram, the contemporary of David and Solomon, had built for it a splendid temple and placed a golden pillar ( χρυσοῦν κίονα ) therein, according to Dius and Menander, in Joseph. Ant . viii. 5, 3, and c. Ap . i. 18. Ahab also erected a similar pillar ( מצּבה ) to Baal in his temple at Samaria (vid., 2 Kings 3:2; 2 Kings 10:27). For statues of images of Baal are not met with in the earlier times; and the בּעלים are not statues of Baal, but different modifications of that deity. It was only in the later temple of Baal or Hercules at Tyre that there was, as Cicero observes ( Verr . iv. 43), ex aere simulacrum ipsius Herculis, quo non facile quidquam dixerim me vidisse pulcrius .


Verse 33

“And Ahab made את־האשׁרה , i.e., the Asherah belonging to the temple of Baal” (see at Judges 6:25 and Exodus 34:13), an idol of Astarte (see at 1 Kings 14:23).


Verse 34

In his time Hiכl the Bethelite ( האלי בּית ; compare Ges. § 111. 1 with § 86, 2. 5) built Jericho: “he laid the foundation of it with Abiram his first-born, and set up its gates with Segub his youngest, according to the word of Jehovah,” etc. (for the explanation see the Comm. on Joshua 6:26). The restoration of this city as a fortification, upon which Joshua had pronounced the curse, is mentioned as a proof how far ungodliness had progressed in Israel; whilst the fulfilment of the curse upon the builder shows how the Lord will not allow the word of His servants to be transgressed with impunity. Jericho , on the border of the tribe of Ephraim (Joshua 16:7), which was allotted to the Benjaminites (Joshua 18:21), had come into the possession of the kingdom of Israel on the falling away of the ten tribes from the royal house of David, and formed a border city of that kingdom, through the fortification of which Ahab hoped to secure to himself the passage across the Jordan.