TRV
Translation
King James Version
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.
Complete Jewish Bible
for he lived entirely in the manner of Yarov'am the son of N'vat, committing the sins with which he made Isra'el sin, thereby angering ADONAI the God of Isra'el with their worthless idols.
Berean Standard Bible
For he walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sins, which he caused Israel to commit, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger with their worthless idols.
American Standard Version
For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sins wherewith he made Israel to sin, to provoke Jehovah, the God of Israel, to anger with their vanities.
World English Bible Messianic
For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sins with which he made Israel to sin, to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger with their vanities.
Geneva Bible (1599)
For he walked in all the way of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, and in his sinnes wherewith he made Israel to sinne in prouoking the Lord God of Israel with their vanities.
Young's Literal Translation
and walketh in all the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and in his sin that he caused Israel to sin, to provoke Jehovah, God of Israel, with their vanities.
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In the KJVVerse 9,310 of 31,102
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Commentary on 1 Kings 16 verses 15–28
15 ¶ 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.
16 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.
17 And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah.
18 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,
19 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.
20 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?
21 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.
22 But the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath: so Tibni died, and Omri reigned.
23 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.
24 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.
25 But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all that were before him.
26 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.
27 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?
28 So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.
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.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 15–28. Public domain.
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Richard ChallonerAD 1781
With their vanities: That is, their idols their golden calves, vain, false, deceitful things.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
This verse delivers a searing indictment of King Omri's reign over the northern kingdom of Israel, succinctly capturing his profound spiritual apostasy and its devastating national consequences. It reveals that despite his political and military successes, Omri's legacy was defined by his adherence to the idolatrous path established by Jeroboam, thereby leading the entire nation into sin and provoking the righteous anger of the LORD God through their futile worship of "vanities."
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several potent literary devices to convey its damning indictment. The phrase "the way of Jeroboam" serves as a powerful Epithet and a form of Symbolism, encapsulating an entire system of apostasy and idolatry established by the first king of the northern kingdom. It functions as a shorthand for the specific sin of establishing golden calves and alternative worship sites, representing the quintessential spiritual deviation of Israel. The use of "all the way" can be seen as a form of Hyperbole or Emphasis, stressing the comprehensive and unreserved nature of Omri's adherence to this wicked path, leaving no room for partial fidelity. Furthermore, the explicit statement that Omri "made Israel to sin" highlights the Causality and direct impact of leadership on national spiritual health, while the term "vanities" is a stark example of Dysphemism or Derogatory Language, stripping idols of any perceived power or divinity and reducing them to mere emptiness in the eyes of the true God. This rhetorical choice underscores the absurdity and offense of worshipping such impotent objects.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse profoundly illustrates the theological principle of corporate responsibility and the enduring consequences of spiritual rebellion. Omri's sin is not merely personal but national, demonstrating how leadership's spiritual choices directly shape a nation's destiny and its relationship with God. The persistent "way of Jeroboam" underscores the cyclical nature of sin and the challenge of breaking from entrenched patterns of apostasy. Furthermore, the concept of "provoking the LORD God to anger" highlights God's active holiness and His righteous intolerance for idolatry, which is a direct affront to His unique sovereignty and covenant faithfulness. The "vanities" serve as a stark reminder of the futility of worshipping anything other than the living God, emphasizing the exclusive claim of Yahweh on His people's devotion.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The stark condemnation of Omri in 1 Kings 16:26 resonates deeply with contemporary life, offering timeless warnings and profound spiritual insights. It compels us to examine our own lives and the institutions we inhabit, asking whether we, like Omri, prioritize worldly success or convenience over uncompromising spiritual fidelity. The "way of Jeroboam" can manifest today as any system or ideology that subtly or overtly displaces God from the center of our lives, whether it be the pursuit of wealth, power, comfort, or even self-righteousness. This verse reminds us that true prosperity is not measured by earthly achievements but by our unwavering devotion to the LORD. Moreover, it highlights the profound ripple effect of personal choices, particularly for those in positions of influence, underscoring the responsibility we bear to lead ourselves and others towards genuine worship and obedience, rather than towards "vanities" that promise much but deliver only emptiness and divine displeasure.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What exactly was "the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat" that Omri followed?
Answer: "The way of Jeroboam" refers to the specific religious innovations introduced by Jeroboam I, the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel, after the kingdom divided. To prevent his subjects from returning to Jerusalem for worship and potentially shifting their allegiance back to the Davidic dynasty, Jeroboam established two new cultic centers at Dan and Bethel. At these sites, he set up golden calves and appointed non-Levitical priests, declaring, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Behold your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!" (1 Kings 12:28). This act constituted a profound breach of the Mosaic covenant, particularly the first two commandments, by introducing idolatry and unauthorized worship. It became the benchmark of spiritual apostasy by which almost every subsequent king of Israel was judged, signifying a deep-seated national sin.
Why is Omri's reign, which was politically successful, condemned so harshly in the biblical narrative?
Answer: The biblical narrative, particularly in the Deuteronomistic History (which includes 1 Kings), applies a consistent theological framework for evaluating kings: their fidelity to the LORD God of Israel and the Mosaic covenant. While Omri was indeed a politically and militarily successful king, even establishing Samaria as the new capital (1 Kings 16:24), his reign is condemned because he failed the ultimate spiritual test. He not only continued the idolatrous practices of Jeroboam but actively perpetuated them, leading the nation further into sin. For the biblical authors, political success was secondary to spiritual obedience. A king's primary duty was to lead the people in worship of the one true God, and Omri's failure in this regard rendered his reign spiritually bankrupt, regardless of his earthly achievements.
What does the term "vanities" signify in this verse?
Answer: The term "vanities" (Hebrew: hebel, H1892) is a highly derogatory and dismissive term used in the Old Testament to refer to idols or false gods. It literally means "emptiness," "worthless things," "non-gods," or "things of naught." This word choice powerfully conveys the utter emptiness, futility, and impotence of the objects of worship that Israel had embraced. Unlike the living God of Israel, who is omnipotent, active in history, and faithful to His covenant, these "vanities" are lifeless, powerless, and unable to deliver on any promises. Their worship is therefore not only an insult to the true God but also a profound act of self-deception and spiritual folly, as highlighted in passages like Psalm 115:4-8 and Isaiah 44:9-20.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The condemnation of Omri in 1 Kings 16:26 for perpetuating the "way of Jeroboam" and leading Israel into sin, thereby provoking God's anger with their "vanities," finds its ultimate resolution and fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Omri's failure as king highlights humanity's persistent inability to perfectly obey God and lead others in righteousness. The "way of Jeroboam" represents the universal human tendency to create idols—whether physical or ideological—that displace the one true God, leading to spiritual death and divine judgment. Jesus, however, is the perfect King who did not "walk in the way" of sin, but perfectly fulfilled the law and walked in complete obedience to the Father (Hebrews 4:15). He is the true "Lamb of God" who takes away the sin of the world, offering Himself as the ultimate sacrifice to atone for the very idolatry and rebellion that provoked God's anger in Israel's history (John 1:29). Through His death and resurrection, Christ not only redeems us from the "vanities" of this world but also empowers us by His Spirit to turn from all forms of idolatry and to worship the living God in spirit and truth (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10). He is the King who leads His people not into sin, but into eternal life and true fellowship with God, demonstrating God's ultimate solution to the problem of human sin and idolatry.