1 Kings 16:18

1Ki 16:18 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,

Ver. 18. The city was taken.] And so himself like to be unkinged. Of the Ruteni it is storied, that many times they have each day a new king, or more, as any of them are of power to make themselves so. This must needs be regnum Cuclopicum.

And burnt the king’s house over him.] The like did Sardanapalus, the last king of Assyria, not willing to fall into the hands of Arbacus his own general, by whom he was besieged at Nineveh. {a}

{a} Diodor. Justin. Strabo.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ki 16:18. When Zimri saw that the city was taken — Tirzah, though a beautiful city, it seems, was not fortified; so that Omri soon made himself master of it, and forced Zimri into the palace; which, as he was unable to defend, and yet unwilling to surrender it, he burned, and himself in it: grudging that his rival should ever enjoy so sumptuous a palace, and fearing that if he fell into the hands of his enemies, either alive or dead, he should be ignominiously treated. See to what desperate practices men’s wickedness sometimes brings them, and how it hurries them to 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!

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

16:18-19 burned it down over himself: Zimri’s cowardice is evident in his suicide in the face of capture.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Hebrew, burnt the King’s house upon him.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(18) The palace of the king’s house.—The same phrase is found in 2Ki_15:25. The word here rendered “palace” evidently means (as is clear from its derivation) “the high place,” or “citadel,” of the building. Some render it the “harem,” with which the curious rendering (ἄντρον) of the LXX.—signifying properly a cave or “lurking-place”—may perhaps, agree. But this is not suggested by the word itself. This desperate act of Zimri, which has many parallels in Eastern history, seems to indicate that there was held to be something especially treasonable, and therefore unpardonable, in his assassination of Elah. (See 1Ki_16:20, and 2Ki_9:31.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18. the palace [R.V. castle] of the king’s house] The word is most frequently rendered ‘palace’ in A.V.; but here and in 2Ki_15:25, the sense required is some strong and well barricaded part of the royal residence, where any one might retire and the enemy be unable to reach him. The root of the noun is probably a verb implying ‘height.’

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

In the thirty first year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel twelve years,.... Which are to be reckoned not from the thirty first of Asa; for Ahab the son of Omri began to reign in his thirty eighth year, and so his reign would be but seven or eight years; but they are reckoned from the twenty seventh of Asa, the beginning of it, when Elah was slain by Zimri, and he died, which to the end of the thirty eight of Asa make twelve years; for the division, according to the Jewish chronology (d), lasted four years; Jarchi says five (e); and from the beginning of that his reign is reckoned, though he did not reign over all Israel, or completely, until the thirty first of Asa, when Tibni died:

six years reigned he in Tirzah; the royal city of the kings of Israel, from Jeroboam to this time, and the other six he reigned in Samaria, built by him, as in the next verse.

(d) Seder Olam Rabba, c. 17. p. 45. (e) So Tzemach David, par. 1. fol. 11. 2.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The palace of the king’s house - The tower of the king’s house. A particular part of the palace - either the “harem,” or, more probably, the keep or citadel, a tower stronger and loftier than the rest of the palace.

Zimri’s desperate act has been repeated more than once. That the last king of Assyria, the Sardanapalus of the Greeks, thus destroyed himself, is almost the only “fact” which we know concerning him.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Himself. Hebrew may also signify, "he (Amri) burnt him." --- Zambri, his rival. But the other sense is more natural. (Calmet) --- Thus Sardanapalus chose to destroy himself, with all his riches, (Justin i.; Atheneus xii. 7.) to prevent the dead body from being insulted. It was for this reason the Sylla, the first of the Cornelian family, ordered his remains to be burnt. (Cicero, Leg. i.) (Tirinus)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Burnt the king’s house over him; or, and he burnt, &c. Either,

1. Omri burnt it over Zimri; for pronouns sometimes respect more remote nouns. Or rather,

2. Zimri, (to whom both the foregoing and following words apparently belong,) who burnt it upon himself, that neither himself nor the royal palace and treasures might come into the hands of his insulting adversary.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

18. Palace of the king’s house — Rather, as Gesenius explains it, “Fortress of the king’s house; the innermost part, as the highest and strongest — the citadel. J.D. Michaelis, and after him most modern interpreters, here translate it the women’s apartment; but there is no trace of this in the ancient interpreters, nor is there any reason for departing from the simple explanation given above.”

Burnt the king’s house over him with fire — As Saracus, or Sardanapalus, is said to have done, when besieged in a similar way at Nineveh.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken the meaning is probably that which Josephus gives: "When he saw that the city had none to defend it," or possibly, "when he saw that a breach was made", that he went into the palace wOmra" citadel, fortress, from altus fuit. So Gesen., Keil, Bight, al. The palace, no doubt, consisted of a string of buildings (1Ki_7:2-9) of which this was the highest and strongest part. Ewald thinks that the harem a word which has almost the same radicals or women"s apartment, is meant the most secluded portion of the great palace (Josephus understands it to mean "the inmost part"), and hence infers, as also from 2Ki_9:31, that the women of the palace had willingly submitted to the effeminate murderer of their lord, and that even the queen-mother had made advances towards him (vol. 4. p. 36). But, as Bight remarks there is nothing of this in the text, and Zimri"s desperate act rather shows daring and contempt of death than effeminacy or sensuality. And 2Ki_15:25 (cf. Psa_122:7) seems to point to a stronghold rather than a seraglio of the king"s house, and burnt the king"s house probably the palace which Jereboam had built. Ewald thinks it was this structure gave Tirzah its reputation for beauty; Song of Son_6:4 over him with fire According to the Syriac, the besiegers set fire to the palace. Similarly Jarchi. But the text is decisive. The parallel deed of Sardanapalus will occur to all readers. Rawlinson also refers to Heb 1:176, and 7:107, and died. This word is intimately connected with the verse following. But there is no need to rearrange the verses. The text, as it stands, conveys clearly enough that Zimri"s tragical death was a retribution for his sins. Bahr remarks that of Elah and Zimri we learn nothing, apart from the fact that they held to the sin of Jeroboam, except how they died.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

that the city had been taken

This can be stated in active form. AT: "that Omri and the army had taken the city" (See: Active or Passive)

what was evil in the sight of Yahweh

The sight of Yahweh represents Yahweh's judgment. AT: "what was evil in Yahweh's judgment" or "what Yahweh considers to be evil" (See: Metaphor)

walking in the way of Jeroboam

Here walking represents behaving. AT: "doing the same things that Jeroboam had done" (See: Metaphor)

so as to lead Israel to sin

Leading people to do something represents influencing them to do it. AT: "so as to influence Israel to sin" (See: Metaphor)

the treason that he carried out

This treason refers to Zimri's plot to kill Elah, the king of Israel. The full meaning of this statement can be made clear. AT: "how he plotted against King Elah" or "how he killed the king of Israel" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

are they not written in the book of the events of the kings of Israel?

This question is used to either inform or remind the readers that the information about Zimri is in this other book. This rhetorical question can be translated as a statement. See how you translated a similar phrase concerning Judah in 1 Kings 14:29. AT: "they are written in the book of the events of the kings of Israel." (See: Rhetorical Question)

are they not written ... Israel?

This can be stated in active form. AT: "someone has written about them in the book of the events of the kings of Israel." (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

stronghold

palace

fire

sin

evil

Yahweh

walk

Jeroboam

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.