1 Kings 16 15

1 Kings 16:15 kjv

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.

1 Kings 16:15 nkjv

In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri had reigned in Tirzah seven days. And the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines.

1 Kings 16:15 niv

In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah seven days. The army was encamped near Gibbethon, a Philistine town.

1 Kings 16:15 esv

In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines,

1 Kings 16:15 nlt

Zimri began to rule over Israel in the twenty-seventh year of King Asa's reign in Judah, but his reign in Tirzah lasted only seven days. The army of Israel was then attacking the Philistine town of Gibbethon.

1 Kings 16 verses

1 Kings 16 15 Meaning

1 Kings 16:15 states that Zimri began his seven-day reign over Israel in the twenty-seventh year of King Asa of Judah. At that time, the Israelite army was encamped at Gibbethon, a Philistine city. This verse marks the briefest kingship in the history of the Northern Kingdom, occurring amidst constant conflict and political instability.

1 Kings 16 15 Context

1 Kings Chapter 16 is part of the narrative chronicling the reigns of the kings of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. This particular chapter details a period of extreme instability and rapid succession in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Following King Jeroboam's sin of establishing idolatrous worship, God pronounced judgment on his house, a judgment that was fulfilled by Baasha. However, Baasha also "walked in the way of Jeroboam" (1 Ki 15:34), leading to a prophetic pronouncement of judgment against his house by the prophet Jehu (1 Ki 16:1-4).

1 Kings 16:15 marks the culmination of this cycle of sin, judgment, and political upheaval for the Omride dynasty. King Elah, Baasha's son, was killed by Zimri, his chariot commander, while he was drinking in Tirzah (1 Ki 16:9-10). Zimri's coup fulfills the prophecy against Baasha's house (1 Ki 16:11-12). The verse emphasizes Zimri's unbelievably brief seven-day reign, setting the stage for yet another swift transition of power, initiated by the army at Gibbethon. This constant shift in leadership highlights the profound spiritual sickness of the Northern Kingdom, marked by apostasy, violence, and a complete disregard for God's divine order concerning kingship. Unlike Judah, where the Davidic covenant promised a perpetual dynasty, Israel's throne was repeatedly seized through bloodshed, reflecting its turning away from the True King.

1 Kings 16 15 Word analysis

• In the twenty-seventh year: This precise chronological marker dates Zimri's reign relative to Asa, King of Judah, providing an anchor to the Judahite timeline. It emphasizes the historical specificity of God's unfolding plan and judgments.
• Asa king of Judah: Asa was a king of Judah who largely walked in righteousness before the Lord, unlike the consistent wickedness of the Northern Kingdom kings. His long and relatively stable reign stands in stark contrast to the volatile succession in Israel, underscoring the spiritual divergence between the two kingdoms.
• Zimri: The individual who executed Elah and seized the throne. He was "commander of half the chariots" (1 Ki 16:9), indicating a position of military power from which he could orchestrate his coup. His name itself offers no particular unique meaning here, but his actions define him as a usurper and rebel.
• reigned seven days: "שִׁבְעַת יָמִים" (shiv'at yamim). This phrase is central to the verse. The duration of "seven days" is remarkably short, making Zimri's reign one of the briefest recorded in biblical history.
  • Significance of "seven days":
    • Divine Judgment: It vividly demonstrates the swift and decisive hand of God in fulfilling His prophecy against Baasha's house (1 Ki 16:11-12). This rapid downfall highlights God's immediate judgment upon sin and illegitimate authority.
    • Fleeting Power: It emphasizes the extreme brevity and futility of power seized through ungodly means, particularly in defiance of divine appointment or approval. It was not a reign, but merely an interlude of chaos.
    • Derision: Zimri's "reign" became a subject of derision and proverb for its comical brevity, underscoring his failure to truly consolidate power or achieve lasting authority.
• in Tirzah: "תִּרְצָה" (Tirtzah). This city was the capital of the Northern Kingdom before Samaria. It was the site of the coup against Elah and subsequently Zimri's own demise. Its mention highlights the ongoing power struggles occurring at the heart of the Israelite monarchy.
• Now the army: The presence and immediate actions of the army are crucial. It signifies where the real political power resided in this unstable period of Israel's history—not in dynastic succession (as established by God in Judah), but in military might and the favor of its commanders. The army's reaction against Zimri reveals the shallow nature of his authority.
• was encamped: Implies ongoing military activity. The army was deployed away from the capital, engaging in conflict.
• against Gibbethon: "גִּבְּתוֹן" (Gibbeton). This was a Philistine city (1 Ki 15:27) that the Israelites had been trying to capture, or prevent its control, since the time of Nadab (Baasha's predecessor). This repeated siege suggests a prolonged military stalemate and significant external pressure on Israel, which likely contributed to internal unrest and instability within its army leadership, making coups easier to execute. The fact that the king (Elah) was reveling while the army was on the front lines against an ancient enemy further highlights the detachment and decadence of the monarchy and the underlying tensions that led to Zimri's rise and fall.

1 Kings 16 15 Bonus section

• The brevity of Zimri's reign is so extreme that it has been termed an "anti-reign," serving more as a punctuation mark of chaos than a period of rule. It is almost comically short, reflecting the immediate rejection of his authority by the military establishment, which quickly rallied behind Omri.
• The fact that Zimri ascended from being a chariot commander, and Omri from being commander of the army, points to a pattern in the Northern Kingdom where military figures became king-makers or kings themselves. This contrasts sharply with the divinely appointed Davidic line in Judah.
• Zimri's self-destruction in the burning palace in Tirzah, described in the verses that follow (1 Ki 16:18-19), completes the tragicomic nature of his attempt at kingship, making his seven-day rule an object lesson in the consequences of rejecting God. His end, like his beginning, was violent and inglorious.

1 Kings 16 15 Commentary

1 Kings 16:15 succinctly captures a pivotal, albeit brief, moment of political upheaval in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Zimri's seven-day reign stands as the ultimate illustration of God's swift judgment against rebellion and apostasy, mirroring the earlier fulfillment of the prophecy against Jeroboam's house. His violent seizure of the throne, and equally violent end, demonstrates the profound instability plaguing a kingdom that had forsaken divine order. The immediate selection of Omri by the army at Gibbethon further highlights that true power in this disobedient kingdom rested with the military, not with any God-sanctioned dynastic succession. This short, chaotic period underscores the spiritual and moral bankruptcy of Israel's leadership, emphasizing the ultimate futility of human ambition when it defies God's will and law.