English Standard Version
1 Kings 16:9
9But 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 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (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.
- New King James Version (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.
- New Living Translation (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.
Context of 1 Kings 16:9
7Moreover, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha and his house, both because of all the evil that he did in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and also because he destroyed it. 8In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned two years. 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, 10Zimri came in and struck him down and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place. 11When he began to reign, as soon as he had seated himself on his throne, he struck down all the house of Baasha. He did not leave him a single male of his relatives or his friends.
Read all of 1 Kings 161 Kings 16:9 word by word
וַיִּקְשֹׁ֤ר עָלָיו֙ עַבְדּ֣וֹ זִמְרִ֔י שַׂ֖ר מַחֲצִ֣ית הָרָ֑כֶב וְה֤וּא בְתִרְצָה֙ שֹׁתֶ֣ה שִׁכּ֔וֹר בֵּ֣ית אַרְצָ֔א אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־הַבַּ֖יִת בְּתִרְצָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And his servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- Zimriזִמְרִיzimrîy · ZimriH2174
- captainשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
- of halfמַחֲצִיתmachătsîyth · halfH4276
- chariotsרֶ֫כֶבrekeb · chariotH7393
- conspiredקָשַׁרqâshar · to conspireH7194
- against him, as he was in Tirzahתִּרְצָהtirtsâh · TirzahH8656
- drinkingשָׁתָהshâthâh · to drinkH8354
- himself drunkשִׁכֹּרshikkôr shikkôr · drunkenH7910
- in the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- of Arzaאַרְצָא'artsâ' · ArzaH777
- houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
Cross-references for 1 Kings 16:9
- 2 Kings 9:31And as Jehu entered the gate, she said, "Is it peace, you Zimri, murderer of your master?"
- 1 Kings 15:27Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him. And Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.
- 2 Kings 9:14Thus Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram with all Israel had been on guard at Ramoth-gilead against Hazael king of Syria,
- 2 Kings 12:20His servants arose and made a conspiracy and struck down Joash in the house of Millo, on the way that goes down to Silla.
- 2 Kings 15:10Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him and struck him down at Ibleam and put him to death and reigned in his place.
- 1 Kings 20:16And they went out at noon, while Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the booths, he and the thirty-two kings who helped him.
- 1 Samuel 25:36And Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he was holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. So she told him nothing at all until the morning light.
- 2 Samuel 13:28Then Absalom commanded his servants, "Mark when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, 'Strike Amnon,' then kill him. Do not fear; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant."
- Proverbs 23:29Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
- Jeremiah 51:57I will make drunk her officials and her wise men, her governors, her commanders, and her warriors; they shall sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake, declares the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts.
- Daniel 5:1King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.
- Daniel 5:30That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed.
- Nahum 1:10For they are like entangled thorns, like drunkards as they drink; they are consumed like stubble fully dried.
- Habakkuk 2:15"Woe to him who makes his neighbors drink— you pour out your wrath and make them drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness!
- Matthew 24:49and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards,
- Luke 21:34"But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.
Commentaries on 1 Kings 16:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Captain of half his chariots - It is probable that Zimri, and some other who is not here named, were commanders of the cavalry.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9The conspiracy of Zimri - Elah‘s “servant” (i. e., “subject”) - was favored by his position, which probably gave him military authority in the city, by the absence of a great part of the people and of the officers who might have checked him, at Gibbethon 1 Kings 16:15, and by the despicable character of Elah, who, instead of going up to the war, was continually reminding men of his low origin by conduct unworthy of royalty. Steward - The office was…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9-10Elah got drunk in Tirzah while his army fought for their lives in the Philistine-controlled city of Gibbethon (1 Kings 16:15). This showed his poor character. He was even less suitable to rule than his father, Baasha (see 1 Kings 16:13).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 9-129-12. Zimri ... conspired against him--"Arza which was over his house." During a carousal in the house of his chamberlain, Zimri slew him, and having seized the sovereignty, endeavored to consolidate his throne by the massacre of all the royal race.Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Kings 16:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Kings 16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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Commentaries