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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 Then came the word of Yahweh unto Jehu |
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| 2 son of Hanani, against Baasha, saying: Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and gave thee to be leader over my people Israel,–and yet thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and caused, my people Israel, to sin, provoking me to anger with their sins, |
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| 3 Behold me! consuming after Baasha, and after his house,–and I will deliver up thy house, like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat: |
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| 4 Him that dieth of Baasha in the city, shall, the dogs, eat, and, him that dieth of his in the field, shall, the birds of heaven, eat. |
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| 5 Now, the rest of the story of Baasha, and what he did, and his might, are, they, not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? |
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| 6 So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah,–and, Elah his son, reigned, in his stead. |
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| 7 Moreover also, through Jehu son of Hanani the prophet, the word of Yahweh, came against Baasha and against his house, even because of all the wickedness that he had done in the eyes of Yahweh, provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, becoming like the house of Jeroboam,–notwithstanding that he smote him. |
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| 8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, began Elah son of Baasha to reign over Israel, in Tirzah, [and he reigned] two years. |
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| 9 Then conspired against him his servant Zimri, captain of half the chariots,–as he was in Tirzah drinking himself drunk, in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah. |
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| 10 And Zimri went in, and smote him and slew him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah,–and reigned in his stead. |
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| 11 And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he smote all the house of Baasha, he left him not even the meanest,–neither of his kinsfolks, nor of his friends. |
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| 12 Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha,–according to the word of Yahweh which he spake unto Baasha, through Jehu the prophet; |
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| 13 as to all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son,–wherewith they sinned, and wherewith they caused, Israel, to sin, provoking to anger Yahweh God of Israel, with their vanities. |
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| 14 Now, the rest of the story of Elah, and all that he did, are, they, not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? |
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| 15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, did Zimri reign, seven days in Tirzah,–but, the people, were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistine. |
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| 16 When therefore the people who were encamped, heard say, Zimri hath conspired, moreover also, he hath smitten the king, all Israel made Omri, general of the army, king over Israel, on that day, in the camp. |
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| 17 So Omri, and all Israel with him, went up from Gibbethon,–and laid siege against Tirzah. |
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| 18 And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was captured, that he entered into the citadel of the house of the king,–and burned over him the house of the king, with fire, and died: |
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| 19 because of his sins which he committed by doing the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh,–by walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he committed, by causing, Israel, to sin. |
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| 20 Now, the rest of the story of Zimri, and his conspiracy wherein he conspired, are, they, not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? |
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| 21 Then, were the people of Israel divided,–half the people, were following Tibni son of Ginath, to make him king, and, half, following Omri. |
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| 22 But, the people that followed Omri, prevailed against, the people that followed Tibni son of Ginath; so that, Tibni, died, and, Omri, reigned. |
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| 23 In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, began Omri to reign over Israel [and he reigned] twelve years: in Tirzah, reigned he six years. |
Omri – A great general, he succeeded Jeroboam on the throne. His dynasty was a successful one according to worldly standards but a failure from the divine standpoint. R4729:2
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| 24 And he bought the hill Samaria, of Shemer, for two talents of silver,–and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer lord of the hill–Samaria. |
City which he built – Omri strengthened his hold upon the people by the building of a new capital city, Samaria. R3399:2
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| 25 And Omri did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh,–and did more wickedly than all who were before him; |
Omri wrought evil – Outranked Jeroboam as a misleader. Worldly wisdom suggested a still further departure from God. R4729:3
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| 26 yea he walked in all the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and in his sin wherewith he caused, Israel, to sin,–provoking to anger Yahweh, God of Israel, with their vanities. |
In his sin – Introducing idolatry and licentious practices. R3399:2
Vanities – Vain religious ceremonies, provocative of greater evils. R3399:2
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| 27 Now, the rest of the story of Omri, what he did, and his might that he shewed, are, they, not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? |
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| 28 So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria,–and, Ahab his son, reigned, in his stead. |
Omri slept – We are not to draw the inference that, as a wicked man, he went to eternal torment and that the nature of the torment is sleep. R4729:3, R3399:2
With his fathers – The Grecian theory, that when people die they become more alive than ever, had not yet been introduced. R3399:2
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| 29 Now, Ahab son of Omri, began to reign over Israel, in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah,–and Ahab son of Omri reigned over Israel, in Samaria, twenty-two years. |
And Ahab – Typical of the Roman empire. B256; R234:3
Typified the civil government, symbolically called the "dragon" in Revelation. OV268:3; R4730:4
Ahab's name signified "like his father." Surely he was. His was a reign still more successful in unrighteousness. R4729:3
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| 30 And Ahab son of Omri did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh,–and did more wickedly than all that were before him. |
Did evil – For 22 years he devoted himself to the further undermining of true religion and to the introduction of the worst forms of licentious, heathen idolatry. R4730:4, R4729:5
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| 31 And it come to pass, as though it had been too light a thing that he should walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and bowed down to him. |
To wife Jezebel – Typical of the apostate Church of Rome. R5629:1; B256
The improper marriage of Ahab and Jezebel, contrary to the Jewish Law, typified the marriage, or union, of church and state. R4730:4, R234:3
Typified a religious system. She was a desperate character, used to symbolize the great mystery of iniquity in the book of Revelation. (Rev. 2:20) R3399:4
In marrying her Ahab secured an able accomplice in evil. R3399:4
Her name signifies "chaste"; yet she used her great influence for the furtherance of unchastity in connection with the worship of Baal and Ashtoreth. R4729:5
The effect of the prosperity of Ahab and Jezebel was two-fold: degrading one class, while separating from itself another class--the true worshippers of God. So it is today. R4730:1
Ethbaal – A priest of Baal who murdered his father, the king of Tyre, and then succeeded him. R3399:4
Served Baal – Or Bel; type of the god of Babylon, the Pope. D40
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| 32 And he reared an altar unto Baal,–in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. |
An altar for Baal – The ordained worship in the Temple was neglected and image worship established. Thus was the true Temple and priesthood counterfeited. Similarly, we have in nominal spiritual Israel a great counterfeit system. PD46/56; R3399:5
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| 33 And Ahab made the Sacred Stem,–and Ahab did yet more to provoke to anger Yahweh God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him. |
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| 34 In his days, did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho,–At the price of Abiram his firstborn, he laid its foundation, and, at the price of Segub his youngest, he set up its doors, according to the word of Yahweh which he spake through Joshua son of Nun. |
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