1 Kings 16:9

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.
• English Standard Version (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,
• 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.

Context of 1 Kings 16:9

7The message from the Lord against Baasha and his family came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani. It was delivered because Baasha had done what was evil in the Lord’s sight (just as the family of Jeroboam had done), and also because Baasha had destroyed the family of Jeroboam. The Lord’s anger was provoked by Baasha’s sins. 8Elah son of Baasha began to rule over Israel in the twenty-sixth year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. He reigned in the city of Tirzah for two years. 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. 10Zimri walked in and struck him down and killed him. This happened in the twenty-seventh year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. Then Zimri became the next king. 11Zimri immediately killed the entire royal family of Baasha, leaving him not even a single male child. He even destroyed distant relatives and friends.

1 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 9:31When Jehu entered the gate of the palace, she shouted at him, “Have you come in peace, you murderer? You’re just like Zimri, who murdered his master!”
• 1 Kings 15:27Then Baasha son of Ahijah, from the tribe of Issachar, plotted against Nadab and assassinated him while he and the Israelite army were laying siege to the Philistine town of Gibbethon.
• 2 Kings 9:14So Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi, led a conspiracy against King Joram. (Now Joram had been with the army at Ramoth-gilead, defending Israel against the forces of King Hazael of Aram.
• 2 Kings 12:20Joash’s officers plotted against him and assassinated him at Beth-millo on the road to Silla.
• 2 Kings 15:10Then Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah, assassinated him in public, and became the next king.
• 1 Kings 20:16About noontime, as Ben-hadad and the thirty-two allied kings were still in their tents drinking themselves into a stupor,
• 1 Samuel 25:36When Abigail arrived home, she found that Nabal was throwing a big party and was celebrating like a king. He was very drunk, so she didn’t tell him anything about her meeting with David until dawn the next day.
• 2 Samuel 13:28Absalom told his men, “Wait until Amnon gets drunk; then at my signal, kill him! Don’t be afraid. I’m the one who has given the command. Take courage and do it!”
• Proverbs 23:29Who has anguish? Who has sorrow? Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining? Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
• Jeremiah 51:57I will make her officials and wise men drunk, along with her captains, officers, and warriors. They will fall asleep and never wake up again!” says the King, whose name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
• Daniel 5:1Many years later King Belshazzar gave a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles, and he drank wine with them.
• Daniel 5:30That very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed.
• Nahum 1:10His enemies, tangled like thornbushes and staggering like drunks, will be burned up like dry stubble in a field.
• Habakkuk 2:15“What sorrow awaits you who make your neighbors drunk! You force your cup on them so you can gloat over their shameful nakedness.
• Matthew 24:49and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk?
• Luke 21:34“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware,

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

• Anger
• Arza
• Citizens
• Conspiracy
• Drunkenness
• Elah
• Homicide
• King
• Prophecy
• Regicide
• Servant
• Tirzah
• Usurpation
• Zimri

In the dictionaries

• Tirzah
• Ahab
• Baasha
• Elah
• Zimri
• Arza
• Chariot
• Drunkenness
• Elah (2)
• Eliakim

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