1 Kings 16:25

1Ki 16:25 But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all that [were] before him.

Ver. 25. And did worse than all.] Noluit solita peccare, as Seneca saith of some in his time: et puduit non esse impudentem, as Augustine of others in his: he sought to outsin his predecessors.

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 16:25. Omri wrought evil in the sight of the Lord — He rendered himself infamous for his wickedness. And did worse than all that were before him — Not only walking in the way of Jeroboam, in worshipping the calves, but, as is likely, introducing other idolatries, which his son Ahab established among them. Or, perhaps, he compelled the people to worship the calves, and by severe laws restrained them from going up to Jerusalem, which laws some think are intended by the statutes of Omri, Mic 6:16. Though he was brought to the throne with much difficulty, and providence had remarkably favoured him in his advancement, yet, he was more profane, or more superstitions, and a greater persecutor, than any prince that had preceded him, either of the house of Jeroboam or that of Baasha. He went further than any of them had done in establishing iniquity by a law, and forcing his subjects to comply with him in it.

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

16:25-26 evil: As in the transition from the first to the second dynasties (15:33-34), the new dynastic change did not improve Israel’s spiritual climate.

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

For such is the nature of idolatry, that the superstition thereof doth daily increase, and the older it is the more abominable it is before God and his Church.

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

But Omri wrought evil--The character of Omri's reign and his death are described in the stereotyped form used towards all the successors of Jeroboam in respect both to policy as well as time.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 25. Did worse than all - before him] Omri was,

1. An idolater in principle;

2. An idolater in practice;

3. He led the people to idolatry by precept and example; and, which was that in which he did worse than all before him,

4. He made statutes in favour of idolatry, and obliged the people by law to commit it.

See Mic 6:16, where this seems to be intended: For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(25) Did worse than all that were before him.—This phrase, used of Jeroboam in 1Ki_14:9, may indicate, in addition to the acceptance and development of the old idolatry, some anticipation of the worse idolatry of Baal, formally introduced by Ahab. The “statutes of Omri” are referred to by Micah (Mic_6:16) in parallelism with the “works of the house of Ahab,” as the symbol of hardened and hopeless apostasy.

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

25. But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the Lord] R.V. and Omri did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. Thus translating as in other passages.

and did worse than] R.V. and dealt wickedly above. Cf. 2Ki_21:11.

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.

And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. That he might not go so far as Tyre or Zidon; and for his wife's convenience also he built a temple in Samaria for Baal, and erected an altar there to offer sacrifices upon it unto him; so open and daring was he in his idolatrous practices.

And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. That he might not go so far as Tyre or Zidon; and for his wife's convenience also he built a temple in Samaria for Baal, and erected an altar there to offer sacrifices upon it unto him; so open and daring was he in his idolatrous practices.

1 Kings 16:33

kg1 16:33

kg1 16:33

kg1 16:33And Ahab made a grove,.... About the temple of Baal, or elsewhere, in which he placed an idol, and where all manner of filthiness was secretly committed; or rather "Asherah", rendered "grove", is Astarte, the goddess of the Zidonians, an image of which Ahab made:

and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him: his idolatries being more open and barefaced, and without any excuse, presence, or colour, as well as more numerous.

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

Omri outwent his idolatrous predecessors in his zeal, reducing the calf-worship to a regular formal system, which went down to posterity (compare the marginal reference).

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

Above. He made a law, (Calmet) to force all to conform to the established irreligion, Micheas vi. 16. (Haycock)

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).

25. Did worse than all that were before him — Worse than Jeroboam, Nadab, Baasha, and Elah. “He went further than they had done,” says Henry, “in establishing iniquity by law, and forcing his subjects to comply with him in it; for we read, Mic_6:16, of the ‘statutes of Omri,’ the keeping of which made Israel a desolation.” “We cannot doubt,” remarks Kitto, “that these statutes of Omri were measures adopted for more completely isolating the people of Israel from the services of the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, and of perpetuating — perhaps increasing — their idolatrous practices.”

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

But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the Lord, and did worse than all that were before him. It has been thought that Mic_6:16 ("the statutes of Omri, etc.") points to a fresh departure from the Jewish faith; to the organization of the calf worship into a regular formal system, or to "measures for more competely isolating the people of Israel from the services of the house of the Lord at Jerusalem" (Kitto).

HOMILIES BY J.A. MACDONALD. Vers. 25-34.

The Seed of Evil doers.

The subject before us furnishes illustration of the following propositions, viz.:

I WICKED ARE THE SEED OF THE WICKED.

1. There is a sense in which this is generally true.

(1) Jeroboam "made Israel to sin." Nadab "did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin whereby he made Israel to sin.

(2) Baasha murdered Nadab and usurped his throne. Then he exterminated the whole house of Jeroboam. In this he fulfilled the words of Ahijah the Shilonite. Yet was it not out of zeal for God, but to serve his own selfish ambition. So under the same evil promptings he continued in the sin of Jeroboam (ver. 34). And his son after him walked in his steps.

(3) Do we not still find that those who loyally serve God are children or grandchildren of godly persons? "The seed of the righteous is blessed.

(4) This is the rule, but not without its exceptions; else missions to the heathen, abroad and at home, would be hopeless, which, thank God, they are not.

2. There is a sense in which this is universally true.

(1) "Seed" is not always reckoned according to the flesh. "The children of the promise are counted for the seed" (Rom_9:8; see also the reasoning,. (Rom_9:13-18)

(2) Thus God can, out of the very stones, raise up children to Abraham. Gentile believers in Christ are such (see Mat_3:9; Gal_3:26, Gal_3:29)

(3) In this sense all are not Israel who are of Israel. Descendants of Abraham who follow not his true faith and good works are not his seed (Joh_8:37, Joh_8:40; Rom_2:28 Rom_9:7; Gal_6:15)

(4) As the good, whether sprung from evil or good ancestors, are the seed of God; so are the wicked, whether sprung from evil or good ancestors, the seed of the devil (see Gen_3:15; Joh_8:44; 1Jn_3:8) So are the wicked, without exception, the seed of the wicked.

II THE TRIUMPHING OF THE WICKED IS SHORT.

1. How brief was the reign of these kings!

(1) "The days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years". (1Ki_14:20) But this was little more than half the term of Asa"s reign (ver. 10).

(2) Nadab "reigned over Israel two years." This was really but a portion of two years, for, according to the usage of Scripture, a year entered is reckoned as if completed. He "began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa," and "in the third year of Asa" did Baasha slay him (vers. 25, 28).

(3) Baasha reigned "twenty and four years," still little more than half the time of Asa"s reign. This son of David sat upon the throne of Judah long enough to see eight kings upon the throne of Israel, viz., Jeroboam, Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Tibni, Omri, and Ahab. In these he witnessed no less than five dynasties!

2. How little happiness had they in their rule!

(1) Sin brings the vexation of an evil conscience, with its attendant disquiet, suspicion, and fear.

(2) Also the vexation of an angry Providence. They that take the sword take the blade with the haft. The wars of these ever changing dynasties left little room for repose.

(3) How difficult for men to learn that worldly ambition and vexation are sisters; that abiding happiness is found only in the ways of God!

III THE END OF THE WICKED IS DESTRUCTION.

1. This is written in history.

(1) It is recorded in the history of these kings. Jeroboam in person died upon his bed, but in his family his light was extinguished in blood. Baasha in like manner died on his bed, but in his family he too perished by the sword.

(2) These examples are but samples of history at large sacred, secular.

2. It is also written in prophecy.

(1) We meet with it in the alternatives to the conditions of salvation.

(2) This destruction follows the spirit into the invisible world, and is a "much sorer punishment" than that which terminates in natural death.

(3) The judgments upon the wicked recorded in history are but figures of the more terrible doom threatened in prophecy. J.A.M.

HOMILIES BY J. URQUHART Vers. 25-34.

God"s threatenings find at last a complete fulfilment.

I THE LAST STEP IN A CAREER OF REBELLION AND FOLLY. Nadab might have been warned. His way to the throne was opened up by God"s judgment in the removal of Abijah. He must have heard of the Divine threatenings; he might have seen the evil results of his father"s sin. But in the face of all these things he adopted the sinful policy of his father.

1. He did evil in the sight of the Lord." His heart and life were estranged from God and righteousness. This is the explanation of all that follows. Contempt of the claims of revelation, and rebellion against God are but the revelation to men of a heart and life which have already grieved and provoked God.

2. He continued in a path already dark with the frown of God: "and walked in the way of his father." The son who continues in his father"s sin may incur thereby a deeper guilt than his. The iniquity of it may not have been at first so fully manifested. It might have been considered and abandoned in the shadow of the father"s death. As the ages roll on sins manifest themselves, and the nation which will not turn from them seals itself for destruction. Are there sins with us the evil of which we know today as we did not know before? Then the guilt of their retention is greater than that of their first commission.

3. He resolutely pursued a path which meant destruction, not.for himself only, but for an entire people: "and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin." It was nothing less than an attempt to rob God of His chosen people, and them of Him, in order that the house of Jeroboam might reign in safety. The terrible selfishness and the murderous heart of sin!

II THE JUDGMENT.

1. He was smitten in the midst of his army. The host of his warriors could not save him. There is no place where God"s hand cannot reach us.

2. He was slain, not by the Philistines, but by one of his own servants. Treachery and rebellion were visited with fitting punishment. The strict justice of the Divine vengeance. His judgments are repayments: "I will repay.

3. The Divine threatening literally fulfilled (ver. 29). God"s words against sin are not lightly spoken. The end is hid from us, but His eye is resting, while He speaks, upon the woe. J.U.

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

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)

walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat

Walking represents behaving. AT: "did all the same things that Jeroboam son of Nebat did" (See: Metaphor)

in his sins by which he led Israel to sin

Possible meanings are that "his" and "he" refer to 1) Baasha or 2) Jeroboam.

in his sins

Possible meanings are walking in his sins represents 1) sinning as Jeroboam sinned. AT: "he sinned as Jeroboam sinned" or 2) or sinning habitually. AT: "he sinned habitually" (See: Metaphor)

by which he led Israel to sin

Leading people to sin represents influencing them to sin. AT: "his sins, by which he influenced Israel to sin" or "and by sinning like this, he influenced people to sin.

to provoke Yahweh ... to be angry with their worthless idols

God became angry with the people because they worshiped idols. See how you translated a similar phrase in 1 Kings 16:13. AT: "to make Yahweh, the God of Israel, angry because they worshiped worthless idols" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

their worthless idols

The word "worthless" here reminds people that idols are worthless because they cannot do anything. AT: "their idols, which are worthless" or "their idols, which are useless" (See: Distinguishing versus Informing or Reminding)

the God of Israel

Here the word "Israel" refers to all of the twelve tribes descended from Jacob.

translationWords

evil

Yahweh

walk

Jeroboam

God

Israel

anger

false god

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