1 Kings 16:9 kjv
And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza steward of his house in Tirzah.
1 Kings 16:9 nkjv
Now his servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him as he was in Tirzah drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, steward of his house in Tirzah.
1 Kings 16:9 niv
Zimri, one of his officials, who had command of half his chariots, plotted against him. Elah was in Tirzah at the time, getting drunk in the home of Arza, the palace administrator at Tirzah.
1 Kings 16:9 esv
But his servant Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him. When he was at Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah,
1 Kings 16:9 nlt
Then Zimri, who commanded half of the royal chariots, made plans to kill him. One day in Tirzah, Elah was getting drunk at the home of Arza, the supervisor of the palace.
1 Kings 16 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Ki 16:1-4 | The word of the LORD came to Jehu... saying, “I will utterly sweep away the descendants of Baasha and the descendants of Jeroboam.” | Jehu's prophecy against Baasha's house. |
| 1 Ki 15:29 | As soon as he was king, he struck down all the household of Jeroboam... | Precedent: Baasha eradicating Jeroboam's house. |
| 1 Ki 16:5 | The rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? | Mention of Elah's brief reign and record. |
| 1 Ki 16:6 | Elah slept with his fathers, and Zimri reigned in his place. | Elah's death, Zimri's usurpation (summary). |
| 1 Ki 16:11-12 | And when he began to reign, as soon as he was seated on his throne, he struck down all the house of Baasha... | Zimri's complete fulfillment of the prophecy. |
| 1 Ki 16:13 | For all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, which they committed and by which they made Israel sin... | Reason for the judgment: their idolatry. |
| 1 Ki 14:7-10 | prophecy against Jeroboam for his sin, promising to cut off his house. | Earlier pattern of divine judgment on kings. |
| 2 Ki 9:7-9 | For I will strike down the house of Ahab, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets... | Later similar prophecy and execution on Ahab's house. |
| Pss 18:25-27 | With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless... | God's justice in dealing with the wicked. |
| Ps 75:6-7 | For promotion comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the judge... | God's sovereignty over earthly rulers. |
| Pro 14:34 | Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. | The societal impact of a ruler's sin. |
| Isa 3:10-11 | Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them... Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him... | General principle of judgment for wickedness. |
| Rom 13:1 | For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. | God's ultimate authority even over usurpers. |
| Jer 22:13-19 | Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness... | Judgment on kings for unrighteousness. |
| 1 Ki 11:29-39 | Ahijah's prophecy to Jeroboam about tearing the kingdom. | Divine control over the rise and fall of kings. |
| 1 Ki 12:19-20 | Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day... So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David... | Political instability of Northern Kingdom. |
| Hos 8:4 | They make kings, but not through me. They set up princes, but I know it not... | Israel's kings setting themselves up outside God's will. |
| Job 12:19 | He leads princes away stripped, and overthrows the mighty. | God's power to depose rulers. |
| Eze 21:26-27 | remove the turban, and take off the crown. Things shall not remain as they are. Exalt that which is low, and abase that which is high. | God's power to overturn earthly powers. |
| Pss 37:35-36 | I have seen a wicked, ruthless man... but he passed away, and behold, he was no more... | The fleeting nature of wicked prosperity. |
1 Kings 16 verses
1 Kings 16 9 Meaning
First Kings 16:9 states the swift and violent overthrow of King Elah of Israel by his captain Zimri, which led to the complete destruction of Baasha's royal lineage. This act fulfilled God's prophetic judgment delivered through Jehu against Baasha and his house, underscoring the immediate consequences of disobedience and idolatry. It signifies the ongoing divine retribution upon the Northern Kingdom's wicked kings and their unstable reigns.
1 Kings 16 9 Context
The verse 1 Kings 16:9 describes a pivotal moment of regicide within the Northern Kingdom of Israel. This occurs immediately after Elah's brief and wicked reign is noted in verse 8, following the reign of his father, Baasha. Baasha had established his rule by completely eradicating the house of Jeroboam (1 Ki 15:29), fulfilling a prophecy from Ahijah (1 Ki 14:10). However, Baasha himself then "did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam" (1 Ki 15:34). For this sin, and the sin of making Israel sin, the prophet Jehu son of Hanani was commissioned by God to declare judgment against Baasha's house, promising the same utter destruction that befell Jeroboam's lineage (1 Ki 16:1-4).
Historically, the Northern Kingdom of Israel (often referred to as Ephraim or Samaria) was marked by constant political instability, idolatry, and a rapid succession of short-lived, violent dynasties. This period, following the division of the united monarchy, lacked the stability provided by the Davidic covenant in Judah. Kings often rose through military coups, consolidating power by eliminating rival claimants and the previous royal family. The act of Zimri slaying Elah and then eradicating Baasha's entire household was a common, brutal method of securing a throne, fulfilling a divine prophecy. This pattern underscored God's judgment on Israel's pervasive sin, particularly its calf worship established by Jeroboam, and its refusal to return to the worship of the LORD alone.
1 Kings 16 9 Word Analysis
- And his servant: This introduces Zimri, a member of Elah's own court. The term 'servant' here (Hebrew: 'ebed) implies an officer or official under the king, highlighting the treacherous nature of the coup. It's a captain of half his chariots, a position of trust and military power, yet it becomes the instrument of his downfall.
- Zimri: The individual responsible for the coup. His name means "my music" or "my song", ironically ending the music of the Baasha dynasty. Zimri's reign lasted only seven days, indicating the extremely unstable nature of Israelite kingship during this period.
- captain of half his chariots: This specific detail emphasizes Zimri's high-ranking military position. It was a role of significant power and trust, making his betrayal particularly heinous. Such military leaders often had the means to initiate successful revolts.
- conspired against him: (Hebrew: qashar 'al - literally "bound against him," implying a plot or conspiracy). This term frequently describes rebellious acts against established authority throughout the Old Testament. It signifies premeditated betrayal and an illegal seizure of power, typical of the volatile Northern Kingdom.
- as he was in Tirzah: Tirzah was the capital city of the Northern Kingdom from Jeroboam's time until Omri moved the capital to Samaria. The location is important as the seat of royal power.
- drinking himself drunk: (Hebrew: shoṯeh šikkôr - "drinking a drunkard," meaning "drinking to the point of intoxication" or "getting drunk"). This detail portrays Elah as careless and vulnerable, incapacitated by alcohol. It suggests his unfitness to rule and presents him as an easy target for the conspiracy, symbolizing his spiritual drunkenness as well. The state of his body reflects the state of his spiritual life and reign.
- in the house of Arza: This specifies the precise location of the assassination. Arza was presumably a trusted household steward or court official. This detail reinforces the intimate and insidious nature of the betrayal within the royal household itself, not during a public campaign.
- steward: (Hebrew: ‘al-bayit - "one who is over the house"). This was a high-ranking position, similar to a chief of staff or majordomo. The king was within what should have been a safe and trusted environment, making the betrayal more profound.
- in Tirzah: Repetition of the capital for emphasis, anchoring the event in the place of royal authority.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him": This phrase encapsulates the core action: internal betrayal by a powerful figure within the king's own ranks. It highlights the vulnerability of unchecked power and the corrupting nature of ambition within an ungodly system. This is a direct act of treason against divinely allowed, albeit unrighteous, authority.
- "as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, his steward in Tirzah": This section paints a vivid scene of the king's demise. His intoxication makes him utterly unprepared and highlights a moral failing. The location within the steward's house signifies a breach of trust in what should have been a safe, familiar environment. The double mention of "Tirzah" firmly places the event at the heart of Israelite power, showing the vulnerability of its very core. The act is not merely a political maneuver, but an immediate divine judgment against the king's carelessness and moral decay.
1 Kings 16 9 Bonus section
The rapid succession of kings and violent coups in the Northern Kingdom, particularly seen from Jeroboam to Zimri, serves as a strong biblical polemic against the idea of self-appointed or non-divinely sanctioned leadership. It demonstrates the inherent instability and corruption that results when a nation departs from YHWH's covenant and law. Each subsequent ruler, instead of learning from their predecessor's downfall, replicated the same sins, leading to the same divinely ordained judgments. This repeating pattern underlines the severity of the sin of idolatry (walking in the ways of Jeroboam) which consistently invited God's punitive justice upon the kings and their houses, culminating in their swift obliteration, just as was warned in Deuteronomy regarding curses for disobedience.
1 Kings 16 9 Commentary
First Kings 16:9 meticulously details the violent end of King Elah, a pivotal moment of judgment against the house of Baasha. The verse serves as the immediate fulfillment of Jehu's prophecy in 1 Kings 16:1-4. Elah's inebriated state rendered him oblivious and defenseless, illustrating not only a king's personal failing but also perhaps a spiritual apathy that pervaded the Northern Kingdom. The conspirator, Zimri, a high-ranking military officer, embodied the treacherous ambition characteristic of Israel's volatile political landscape. This act was more than a mere coup; it was an instrument of God's righteous wrath against Baasha and Elah for their sins—specifically their idolatry and leading Israel astray in the footsteps of Jeroboam. The setting in Tirzah, the capital, in a private residence, underscores the insidious and inescapable nature of divine judgment that penetrates even supposedly secure inner circles. This event dramatically demonstrates that God's Word spoken through His prophets does not return void, and justice for unrepentant sin is certain. It reminds us that authority derived without adherence to God's will is inherently unstable and ultimately destined for collapse under His sovereign hand.