16:15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Zimri became king over Israel; he ruled for seven days in Tirzah. Zimri’s revolt took place while the army was deployed 1 in Gibbethon, which was in Philistine territory. 16:16 While deployed there, the army received this report: 2 “Zimri has conspired against the king and assassinated him.” 3 So all Israel made Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that very day in the camp. 16:17 Omri and all Israel went up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah. 16:18 When Zimri saw that the city was captured, he went into the fortified area of the royal palace. He set the palace on fire and died in the flames. 4 16:19 This happened because of the sins he committed. He did evil in the sight of 5 the Lord and followed in Jeroboam’s footsteps and encouraged Israel to continue sinning. 6
16:20 The rest of the events of Zimri’s reign, including the details of his revolt, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 7
16:21 At that time the people of Israel were divided in their loyalties. Half the people supported Tibni son of Ginath and wanted to make him king; the other half supported Omri. 16:22 Omri’s supporters were stronger than those who supported Tibni son of Ginath. Tibni died; Omri became king.
16:23 In the thirty-first year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Omri became king over Israel. He ruled for twelve years, six of them in Tirzah. 16:24 He purchased the hill of Samaria 8 from Shemer for two talents 9 of silver. He launched a construction project there 10 and named the city he built after Shemer, the former owner of the hill of Samaria. 16:25 Omri did more evil in the sight of 11 the Lord than all who were before him. 16:26 He followed in the footsteps of Jeroboam son of Nebat and encouraged Israel to sin; 12 they angered the Lord God of Israel with their worthless idols. 13
16:27 The rest of the events of Omri’s reign, including his accomplishments and successes, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 14
1 tn Heb “Now the people were encamped.
2 tn Heb “and the people who were encamped heard.”
3 tn Heb “has conspired against and also has struck down the king.”
4 tn Heb “and he burned the house of the king over him with fire and he died.”
5 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
6 tn Heb “walking in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he did to make Israel sin.”
7 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Zimri, and his conspiracy which he conspired, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”
8 map For location see Map2-B1; Map4-D3; Map5-E2; Map6-A4; Map7-C1.
9 tn The Hebrew term כִּכָּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 150 pounds of silver.
10 tn Heb “he built up the hill.”
11 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
12 tn Heb “walked in all the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sin which he made Israel sin.”
13 tn Heb “angering the
14 tn Heb “As for the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his strength which he demonstrated, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”