1 Kings 16 10

1 Kings 16:10 kjv

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.

1 Kings 16:10 nkjv

And Zimri went in and struck him and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place.

1 Kings 16:10 niv

Zimri came in, struck him down and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah. Then he succeeded him as king.

1 Kings 16:10 esv

Zimri came in and struck him down and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place.

1 Kings 16:10 nlt

Zimri walked in and struck him down and killed him. This happened in the twenty-seventh year of King Asa's reign in Judah. Then Zimri became the next king.

1 Kings 16 verses

1 Kings 16 10 Meaning

1 Kings 16:10 describes the moment Zimri, a captain of chariots, assassinated King Elah of Israel in Tirzah and subsequently seized the throne. This act took place during the twenty-seventh year of Asa's reign over Judah, providing a crucial historical timestamp for events in both kingdoms. It signifies a violent change of power and the continuation of instability in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, particularly as it marks the fulfillment of a divine judgment pronounced earlier by the prophet Jehu against the house of Baasha.

1 Kings 16 10 Context

This verse is situated in 1 Kings chapter 16, which chronicles the succession of kings in both Israel and Judah. It marks a particularly tumultuous period for the Northern Kingdom. Preceding this verse, the prophet Jehu son of Hanani had delivered a severe prophecy against Baasha's house (1 Kgs 16:1-4), mirroring the judgment upon Jeroboam's dynasty for their sins. Elah, Baasha's son, inherited the throne but continued his father's wicked ways, which included perpetuating the idolatry established by Jeroboam (worship of golden calves at Bethel and Dan). Historically, the Northern Kingdom (Israel) lacked the divinely established dynastic stability of the Southern Kingdom (Judah), which was rooted in the Davidic covenant. This resulted in frequent assassinations and coups, making its political landscape volatile and unpredictable, often leading to short and violent reigns like that of Zimri, foreshadowed here. The mention of Asa, king of Judah, provides a synchronized timeline, contrasting the relative stability (though not perfect) of the Davidic line with Israel's chaos.

1 Kings 16 10 Word analysis

• So: An introductory particle, signifying the consequence or continuation of the preceding narrative, where Zimri's treachery is mentioned.
• Zimri (זִמְרִי - Zimrī): A captain of half the chariots. His name may relate to "my music" or "my branch." He is known for his brief and treacherous reign. This identifies the specific individual who carried out the assassination.
• went in (וַיָּבֹא - vayyāḇōʾ): "And he entered." This verb (Qal imperfect consecutive of בּוֹא, boʾ, "to go in") implies he gained access, likely into the king's private quarters or palace in Tirzah (1 Kgs 16:9). It indicates a direct and decisive movement leading to the act.
• struck him down (וַיַּכֵּהוּ - vayyakkēhû): "And he smote him/struck him down." This is the Hiphil imperfect consecutive of נָכָה (nākâ), a strong verb often used for inflicting a fatal blow or defeat in battle. It highlights the violent, deadly nature of the act.
• and put him to death (וַיְמִיתֵהוּ - vaymîtêhû): "And he caused him to die." This is the Hiphil imperfect consecutive of מות (mûṯ), "to die," literally "made him die." It emphasizes the finality of the act and confirms Elah's death. The two verbs "struck down" and "put to death" together underscore the premeditated and effective nature of the assassination.
• in the twenty-seventh (בִּשְׁנַת עֶשְׂרִים וָשֶׁבַע - bišnat ʿeśrîm wāševaʿ): "In the year twenty and seven." This provides a precise chronological marker for the event. The "year" (שָׁנָה, shanah) signifies the annual cycle of rule.
• year of Asa (לְאָסָא - ləʾāṣāʾ): "To Asa," meaning 'belonging to' or 'of' Asa. Asa was king of the southern kingdom of Judah. This synchronizes the dating of events between the two separate kingdoms of Israel and Judah.
• king of Judah (מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה - melekh Yehudah): Identifies Asa's specific reign, in contrast to the unstable kingship of Israel.
• and reigned (וַיִּמְלֹךְ - vayyimlokh): "And he became king" or "he began to reign." This signifies the immediate consequence of the assassination—Zimri's assumption of the throne, a key aspect of usurpation.
• in his place (תַּחְתָּיו - taḥtāyw): "Under him" or "in his stead." This phrase clearly indicates that Zimri seized the position previously held by Elah, completing the coup and demonstrating the transfer of royal authority, albeit through illicit means.

Words-group analysis:

• "So Zimri went in and struck him down and put him to death": This phrase encapsulates the decisive, violent action taken by Zimri. It portrays him as the immediate executor of the regicide, emphasizing his direct culpability and the abrupt end of Elah's reign. It reflects the harsh political realities and instability of the Northern Kingdom where power was often seized through force.
• "in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah": This is a crucial chronological synchronism. By linking Israelite events to the established reign of a king in Judah, it roots the narrative firmly within the historical framework of the biblical account, providing a reliable point of reference for the dating of the Northern Kingdom's turbulent successions.
• "and reigned in his place": This describes the immediate outcome of the assassination: the usurpation of the throne. It highlights that the act was not merely one of violence, but a calculated move for power, signifying the cycle of violence and unstable transfer of power in the Northern Kingdom as opposed to the dynastic succession found in Judah.

1 Kings 16 10 Bonus section

The brief seven-day reign of Zimri (mentioned subsequently in 1 Kgs 16:15) stands as a stark testament to the ultimate futility and divine judgment on such treachery when it lacks God's blessing. His immediate destruction of "all the house of Baasha" (1 Kgs 16:11-12) upon ascending the throne demonstrates the ruthless nature of power consolidation in this period and how prophecies often played out in a wholesale fashion. The historical detail of Tirzah being the capital underscores its significance as a center of power during this period before Omri built Samaria. The political instability marked by assassinations like this set the stage for later prophetic ministries, such as Elijah and Elisha, who would confront the spiritual brokenness of Israel's kings and their deep-seated idolatry.

1 Kings 16 10 Commentary

1 Kings 16:10 narrates the brutal end of King Elah's reign and the beginning of Zimri's short-lived rule, vividly illustrating the prophetic judgment against the house of Baasha (Elah's father). This act of regicide by Zimri was not merely a political maneuver; it was the direct fulfillment of Jehu's prophecy given just verses earlier (1 Kgs 16:3-4). The text subtly underlines divine sovereignty, as even wicked human acts like assassination serve God's ultimate purposes in bringing about judgment against idolatry and disobedience. Elah's drunkenness, noted in the preceding verse, points to his moral failings and perhaps a vulnerability that facilitated Zimri's coup. This event also starkly contrasts the perpetual Davidic dynasty promised to Judah with the constant, violent changes in leadership within Israel, a direct consequence of their abandonment of Yahweh and adherence to Jeroboam's sins. This perpetual instability in Israel would continue, marking a consistent theme of a kingdom without divine foundation, constantly producing rulers who "did what was evil in the sight of the Lord."