1 Kings 16:29 kjv
And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years.
1 Kings 16:29 nkjv
In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel; and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years.
1 Kings 16:29 niv
In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years.
1 Kings 16:29 esv
In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years.
1 Kings 16:29 nlt
Ahab son of Omri began to rule over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of King Asa's reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria twenty-two years.
1 Kings 16 29 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Ki 16:23-26 | In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign... but Omri did more evil... | Preceding reign of Omri, Ahab's wicked father, setting the dynastic tone. |
| 1 Ki 16:25 | Omri did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did more evil than all who were before him. | Establishes Omri's wickedness, which Ahab inherited and surpassed. |
| 1 Ki 16:28 | So Omri rested with his fathers... and Ahab his son reigned in his place. | Direct continuation of the lineage and transfer of power. |
| 1 Ki 16:30 | Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him. | Directly describes Ahab's surpassing wickedness immediately after his reign begins. |
| 1 Ki 16:31-33 | He married Jezebel... and went and served Baal... provoking the LORD. | Immediate actions defining Ahab's reign: promoting Baal worship and idolatry. |
| 1 Ki 17:1 | Elijah the Tishbite... said to Ahab, "As the LORD... there shall be neither dew nor rain..." | Beginning of divine confrontation against Ahab's idolatry and spiritual decline. |
| 1 Ki 18:18 | Elijah answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house..." | Highlights the trouble caused by Ahab and his father Omri due to their idolatry. |
| 1 Ki 21:20 | "Have you found me, O my enemy?" And Ahab answered, "I have found you..." | Illustrates the ongoing conflict between God's prophet (Elijah) and Ahab's wicked reign. |
| 1 Ki 21:25-26 | Indeed, there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness... | Confirms the unique depth of Ahab's depravity, emphasized immediately after the Naboth incident. |
| 1 Ki 22:34-40 | Now a certain man drew a bow... And Ahab rested with his fathers... | Conclusion of Ahab's reign and its violent end, fulfilling prophecy. |
| 2 Ki 1:17 | So he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken... | The consequences of Ahab's choices affecting his son and confirming prophetic words. |
| 2 Ki 3:1-3 | Joram the son of Ahab became king over Israel... He did what was evil... | The wicked legacy of the Omride dynasty continued by Ahab's descendants. |
| 2 Ki 9:7-9 | You shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, that I may avenge... | God's direct judgment pronounced against the entire house of Ahab/Omri due to their great sin. |
| 2 Ki 10:1-11 | Jehu sent letters to Samaria... So they struck down all who remained of the house of Ahab. | The brutal fulfillment of divine judgment upon Ahab's descendants, confirming prophetic warnings. |
| 2 Ch 17:1-2 | Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place... and strengthened himself against Israel. | Indicates Judah's attempts to counter the negative spiritual influence emanating from Omri/Ahab's Israel. |
| Ex 20:3-5 | You shall have no other gods before me... You shall not make for yourself a carved image... | Fundamental commandments violated systematically by Ahab's reign, leading to God's judgment. |
| Deut 6:14 | You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you. | Law against idolatry, precisely what Ahab promoted. |
| Deut 17:14-20 | When you come to the land... and say, 'I will set a king over me like all the nations...' | Guidelines for Israelite kings, completely ignored by Ahab and his predecessors. |
| Judg 2:19 | But whenever the judge died, they turned back... following other gods... | Reflects the recurring cycle of apostasy in Israel's history, intensifying during Ahab's reign. |
| Jer 32:30 | For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done nothing but evil... | The deep-rooted idolatry and wickedness, culminating in the apostasy of Omri/Ahab's period. |
| Eze 14:6-8 | Thus says the Lord GOD: "Repent and turn away from your idols... I will set my face against that man..." | God's pronouncements against idolatry and its severe consequences, evident in Ahab's time. |
| Hos 8:4 | They set up kings, but not by me; they made princes, but I knew nothing of it. | A critique of Israel's unrighteous leadership, reflecting the divine disapproval of kings like Ahab. |
| Rev 2:20-23 | Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel... | New Testament echo of the pervasive corrupting influence of idolatry and false teaching, embodied by Jezebel in Ahab's reign. |
1 Kings 16 verses
1 Kings 16 29 Meaning
1 Kings 16:29 marks the beginning of the reign of Ahab over Israel, noting its commencement in the thirty-eighth year of Asa, king of Judah. This precise chronological detail positions Ahab's rule within the history of the divided kingdom. Ahab, son of Omri, reigned for twenty-two years, setting the stage for one of the most infamously wicked periods in Israel's history. The verse, while a mere chronological entry, immediately alerts the reader to a significant turning point, as Ahab's reign would intensify idolatry and challenge prophetic ministry, ultimately leading to severe divine judgment.
1 Kings 16 29 Context
The verse is situated in a pivotal chapter chronicling the kings of Israel after the schism of the northern kingdom. Following Jeroboam, the first king of Israel who set the precedent for idolatry with the golden calves, successive kings like Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, and Omri continued or escalated this deviation from YHWH worship. Omri, Ahab’s father, consolidated power by founding the Omride dynasty and building Samaria as its capital. He is explicitly described as more wicked than any king before him (1 Ki 16:25). Therefore, 1 Kings 16:29 doesn't just state a historical fact; it announces the reign of a king from a notoriously idolatrous lineage, who would push Israel even deeper into apostasy, prompting the extraordinary ministries of prophets like Elijah and Elisha and setting the stage for national calamity. The contemporary historical and cultural context included the persistent struggle against surrounding polytheistic influences, especially Phoenician Baal worship, which Ahab would prominently introduce through his marriage to Jezebel. This marriage and the subsequent state-sponsored idolatry stood as a direct polemic against the foundational covenant beliefs of Israel regarding exclusive worship of YHWH.
1 Kings 16 29 Word analysis
- In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah: This precise synchronization highlights the coexistence of two separate kingdoms, Judah (faithful line of David) and Israel (successive, often wicked dynasties). It anchors the northern kingdom's events within the known timeline of the southern kingdom.
- Ahab (Hebrew: אַחְאָב, ’Aḥ’āḇ): Meaning "father's brother" or "brother of the father," indicating kinship or familial connection. Biblically, this name becomes synonymous with profound wickedness and idolatry. His reign is foundational for later prophetic criticisms of Israel's depravity.
- the son of Omri: Emphasizes patrilineal succession and the perpetuation of the Omride dynasty's character. Omri was significant for establishing a new capital at Samaria and surpassing all previous kings in evil (1 Ki 16:25). Ahab inherited and magnified this legacy of rebellion against YHWH.
- began to reign over Israel: Denotes the formal commencement of his kingship, ushering in an era of heightened national apostasy. The term for "reigned" (מלך, mālak) implies assumption of kingly power.
- Israel: Refers specifically to the northern kingdom, distinguished from Judah, whose kings often remained relatively more faithful to YHWH, providing a stark contrast in the historical narrative.
- Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel twenty-two years: Repetition for emphasis on the new ruler and confirmation of the length of his long reign. A significant period, indicating ample time for his policies, especially regarding Baal worship, to take root deeply within the northern kingdom. This duration also explains the extensive interaction between Elijah and Ahab in the subsequent chapters. The 22 years indicate not just a historical period but a sustained era of spiritual conflict and decline.
1 Kings 16 29 Bonus section
The name "Ahab" later appeared in New Testament times in various rabbinic traditions, often associated with a prototype of wickedness, though not directly derived from the Gospels or epistles themselves. The sheer duration of Ahab’s rule, 22 years, allowed for deeply entrenched paganism within Israelite society. This meant the challenge for prophets like Elijah was not just to combat a transient idol worship but a systematic, institutionalized rebellion against God, permeating all levels of society, from the court to the common people. The long duration also sets up the protracted struggles and various confrontations recorded in 1 Kings, culminating in the judgment on Ahab's house that unfolded over several more years, showing the long-term ramifications of a leader's unrighteousness. The synchronism with Asa king of Judah highlights a contrast: Asa, despite his flaws, generally walked in the ways of his father David (1 Ki 15:11), representing a lineage of more consistent (though imperfect) faithfulness in Judah, whereas Omri and Ahab epitomized the deep corruption of Israelite monarchy.
1 Kings 16 29 Commentary
1 Kings 16:29 serves as a brief but profoundly significant historical marker, introducing King Ahab, who would preside over one of the darkest periods in the Northern Kingdom's history. While merely a chronological statement, its full weight is understood in light of the subsequent biblical narrative. Ahab's twenty-two-year reign was characterized by state-sponsored Baal worship, intensified through his marriage to Jezebel (1 Ki 16:31-33). This union formalized a pagan system that directly challenged the covenant relationship with YHWH, culminating in dramatic confrontations with prophets like Elijah on Mount Carmel (1 Ki 18) and the severe judgment of the Omride dynasty (2 Ki 9-10). The verse, therefore, quietly announces the genesis of an era defined by extreme apostasy, prophetic confrontation, and ultimate divine retribution, illustrating the dire consequences of leadership that actively turns a nation away from God's commands. It underlines the consistent biblical principle that the moral and spiritual state of the king significantly impacts the nation's spiritual health and its relationship with God.