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Israel's Kings from Nadab to Omri
This reign record moves quickly through several kings of Israel. It gives dates, lengths of rule, changes of power, and the repeated verdict that these rulers kept following Jeroboam’s sinful way before Yahweh.
Understanding the passage
Understanding this record
The passage begins with Nadab son of Jeroboam and ends with Omri, father of Ahab. These summaries report when each king began to reign, how long he ruled, key changes in power, and whether he did evil in Yahweh’s sight. Yahweh’s word against Baasha through Jehu is included.
1 Kings 15:25–16:28Main takeaway
This passage shows that rulers changed quickly in Israel, but Yahweh’s judgement on leaders who continued in Jeroboam’s sin remained the same.
Explore the record
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01Nadab falls and Baasha takes the throneNadab, the son of Jeroboam, reigns over Israel for two years. The writer says he does evil in Yahweh’s sight and walks in his father’s sin, making Israel sin.
Explanation
Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, reigns over Israel for two years. The writer says he does evil in Yahweh’s sight and walks in his father’s sin, making Israel sin. Baasha conspires against him at Gibbethon, strikes him there, kills him, and reigns in his place.
02Baasha destroys Jeroboam’s house but repeats Jeroboam’s sinWhen Baasha becomes king, he strikes all the house of Jeroboam until none are left, according to Yahweh’s word spoken by Ahijah.
Explanation
When Baasha becomes king, he strikes all the house of Jeroboam until none are left, according to Yahweh’s word spoken by Ahijah. Yet Baasha is not presented as faithful. He also does evil in Yahweh’s sight, walks in Jeroboam’s way, and makes Israel sin, so Yahweh’s word comes against him through Jehu.
03Elah and Zimri show how quickly another house can fallElah, Baasha’s son, reigns for two years. Zimri conspires against him, kills him, and then destroys all the house of Baasha according to Yahweh’s word by Jehu.
Explanation
Elah, Baasha’s son, reigns for two years. Zimri conspires against him, kills him, and then destroys all the house of Baasha according to Yahweh’s word by Jehu. Zimri’s own reign lasts only seven days. When the army hears what happened, all Israel makes Omri king in the camp.
04The people divide, Omri prevails, and the evil continuesAfter Zimri dies in the king’s house by fire, the writer again says his sins followed Jeroboam’s way.
Explanation
After Zimri dies in the king’s house by fire, the writer again says his sins followed Jeroboam’s way. Then Israel is divided, with half following Tibni and half following Omri. Omri’s side prevails, Tibni dies, and Omri reigns. He builds Samaria, yet the verdict is severe: he does evil above all before him.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What repeated judgement does the writer give about these kings?
Trace the repeated wording about doing evil in Yahweh’s sight and walking in Jeroboam’s way.
02How does the passage connect royal violence with Yahweh’s spoken word?
Notice where the text says destruction happened according to Yahweh’s word through Ahijah or Jehu.
03Which details show instability in Israel’s kingship during this passage?
Look for short reigns, conspiracies, divided support, and one ruler replacing another.
Read the Bible passages
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
1 Kings 15:25–34
25Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah; and he reigned over Israel two years.
26He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin.
27Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha struck him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel were besieging Gibbethon.
28Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha killed him and reigned in his place.
29As soon as he was king, he struck all the house of Jeroboam. He didn’t leave to Jeroboam any who breathed, until he had destroyed him, according to the saying of Yahweh, which he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite;
30for the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and with which he made Israel to sin, because of his provocation with which he provoked Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger.
31Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
32There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
33In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah began to reign over all Israel in Tirzah for twenty-four years.
34He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin.
1 Kings 16:1–28
1Yahweh’s word came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,
2“Because I exalted you out of the dust and made you prince over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins,
3behold, I will utterly sweep away Baasha and his house; and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
4The dogs will eat Baasha’s descendants who die in the city; and he who dies of his in the field, the birds of the sky will eat.”
5Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and his might, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
6Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah; and Elah his son reigned in his place.
7Moreover Yahweh’s word came by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha and against his house, both because of all the evil that he did in Yahweh’s sight, to provoke him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he struck him.
8In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah for two years.
9His servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him. Now he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah;
10and Zimri went in and struck him 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 sat on his throne, he attacked all the house of Baasha. He didn’t leave him a single one who urinates on a wall among his relatives or his friends.
12Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha, according to Yahweh’s word which he spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet,
13for all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned and with which they made Israel to sin, to provoke Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger with their vanities.
14Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
15In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. Now the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines.
16The people who were encamped heard that Zimri had conspired, and had also killed the king. Therefore all Israel made Omri, the captain of the army, king over Israel that day in the camp.
17Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah.
18When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the fortified part of the king’s house and burned the king’s house over him with fire, and died,
19for his sins which he sinned in doing that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did to make Israel to sin.
20Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason that he committed, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
21Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri.
22But the people who followed Omri prevailed against the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath; so Tibni died, and Omri reigned.
23In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri began to reign over Israel for twelve years. He reigned six years in Tirzah.
24He bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.
25Omri did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and dealt wickedly above all who were before him.
26For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sins with which he made Israel to sin, to provoke Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger with their vanities.
27Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might that he showed, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
28So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria; and Ahab his son reigned in his place.