Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 1 · 1 Kings · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
BVt the word of the Lord came to Iehu the sonne of Hanani against Baashah, saying, V. 1, 2.because I have exalted thee out of the dust, &c.] Hanani the father of this Iehu was also a prophet sent before to Asa, 2 Chron. 16, 7. and this very saying, Iehu Hieron. in Zephan.the sonne of Hanani, according to the tradition of the Iews, intimateth him to be a prophet, for they say, that when any prophet is named together with his father, his father was also a prophet. Of this Iehu, sent long after this to Iehosaphat, see more 2 Chron. 19. 2. although some think him to have been another man. The prophet putteth Baasha in minde of his former mean condition, out of which he was raised by God, or else he could never have attained to this regall dignity, as hath been formerly touched. It is not necessary because of this saying, to hold with Sallianus, that some message was formerly brought unto him, that he should reign, by the same Iehu, as had been to Ieroboam, to whom he was so like; first, in comming to the kingdome, being taken from another for idolatry; secondly, in idolatry; thirdly, in having a son to reign after him but two years onelyonly, being then slain; fourthly, in the cutting off of all his posterity and the manner of it. For if any message had come unto him before it would have been expressed, as that to Ieroboam, neither would his sin against his master in slaying him and his posterity have been so great. For he did not out of obedience to God, but out of ambition and barbarous cruelty, unwittingly working the will of God herein. To put which out of doubt this is reckoned, as one point of Baashah his wickednesse, that he slew Nadab, v. 7. in these words.
And by Iehu the prophet, the sonne of Hanani, the word of the Lord came against V. 7.Baasha and against his house, for all the evill which he did in the eyes of the Lord, because he provoked him with the works of his hands, that he should be like the house of Ieroboam, and because that he slew him.] For thus these words [he slew him] are expounded by Martyr, who saith that in the vulg. Lat. indeed, these words [he slew P. Martyr.him] are expounded, that is, the prophet Iehu, but erroneously, because Iehu lived still to speak to Iehoshaphat divers years after Baasha his death, as hath been already touched. And Lyra confesseth, that some expositour wrote these words in the vulgar Lyra.Latin, [that is, Iehu the prophet] for explication, and afterwards by corruption they crept into the text, for R. Solomon saith, that it ought to be referred to Nadab, in slaying whom Baasha greatly sinned, seeing he was his master, and although he were wicked, yet Baasha was worse, and had no authority given him to strike him. If it be objected, it was the will of God, that he should be thus smitten, it hath been already sufficiently answered, the fulfilling of his will unwittingly herein, did no more justifie Baasha, then the Iews fulfilling of what was by God before determined, their bloudy crucifying of our Lord Iesus. So then here is a repetition made in this verse of things past, not idly, but to shew one cause more of Gods severity against Baasha and his house, that he might be punished in his kinde, the same measure being meted to him, that he had measured to others. And the Hebrews say, that God was the more offended with Baasha for killing Nadab so treacherously at that time, when he was besieging Gibbethon, because the taking therof from the Philistims was hereby hindered. Touching the prophet Iehu, that it is not meant that he was slain by Baasha is the more probable also, because Iosephus makes no mention of his death, nor yet the sacred history, as it doth commonly, when any prophet is slain for doing the message, about which God sendeth him.
To proceed now again, in the prophesie of Iehu, he threatneth Baashah from V. 3.the Lord, that his posterity should be cut off, as Iereboams, and not have any buriall, but be eaten up by the dogs, and fowles of the ayr, because he followed him in idolatry, which sheweth, that he did not destroy Ieroboams posterity in any zeal to God, but out of his own malice. Whereas Baashah is said to have slept with V. 6.his fathers, and to have been buried in Thirza, it is to be understood, that the threatning before-going of being devoured with dogs and fowles is to be restrained onelyonly to his posterity, and not extended to his person only.
In the 26 year of Asa began Elah, the sonne of Baashah to reign over Israel in V. 8.Thirza, &c.] How Baashah is said to warre against him, and 36 of Asa his reign; 2 Chr. 16. seeing he was dead, and his son set up for King 10 yeares before that time hath been resolved upon that place. Of Elah is nothing commemorated, but that he was slain by Zimri a Captain of halfe his chariots, when he was drunken in the second V. 9.year of his reign, and he reigned in his steed; that all, men by his example might learn to beware of drunkennesse, which hath been the overthrow of kings and great men, Benhadad, Belshazzar, Holofernes, Alexander, and Cyrus, Ammon, and Nabal, &c. The idolatry of Elah, wherein he followed his father is not here mentioned, but v. 13. they are both put together, as making Israel to sin; for which, both he and the whole house of Baashah were destroyed by Zimri and their friends and kinsmen, which was doubtlesse done on his part to make the kingdome the more sure to himselfe; but on Gods part one wicked man was used as an instrument to punish another, and to fulfill his word. Neither did his taking away of all, that might endanger him, any thing conduce to his establishment upon the throne, which he had usurped; for he was again put down, and slain in seven dayes V. 15, 16.by the army lying still against Gibbethon of the Philistines. Whereby it appeareth that although Nadab the sonne of Ieroboam fought against it, yet in all Baashah his time, which was 24 yeares, it was not taken, nor in Elab his time: viz. two yeares more. It is to be conceived, that Baashah by reason of his warres with Asa, did nothing against it all his time; but the siege was again begun by Elah, and continued till he was slaine. For the manner of Zimri that usurpers death, the army before Gibethon hearing of his treachery in killing the king, immediately made Omri Captain of the army, king; who forth with marched with his army to Thirza, V. 17, 18.where Zimri had usurped, which was distant from Gibbethon 36 miles, and took the city; which Zimri seeing, entred the kings palace, and setting it on fire, burnt it and himselfe together, which is set forth as a judgement befalling him for V. 19.his sinnes; wherein he was like unto Baashah: not so much after his comming to the kingdome, for that time was too short, being but seven dayes; but before, when he was a private man. Omri being made king, could not at the first enjoy this dignity quietly, for part of the people set up Tibni to bee king, but within a few V. 21.yeares he dyed, and then Omri reigned twelve yeares; that is, saith Iunius, counting the time that he had a competitour, and the time that he reigned alone; for he began to reign immediately after the death of Elah was heard of, that is, Anno 28. of Asa, seeing Elah began his reign, Anno 26. and was slain in his second year; and in the 31 of Asa he began to reigne in quiet, Tibni being dead; and v. 29. his sonne Ahab began to reigne the 38 of Asa. Which times being counted together, doe indeed make but 10 yeares. Wherefore Expositours say, that his time began the 27th of Asa, and Elahs two yeares, one yeare before his father Baashah dyed, he being made king together with him in his life time; and touching Ahab, the like may be conceived, that he reigned also a year with his father, who atteined to the 39 of Asa by this account, reigning still with his sonne one year, after his coronation; or else his 12 year being incompleat when he dyed, is counted both to him, and his sonne Ahab also. Whereas Tibni is said to have dyed, and then Omri began to reign the 31 of Asa; it is to be understood, not by a naturall, but a violent V. 24. This place was Shechem, where Jacob dwelt sometime, for his Wel was there, Ioh. 4. here Ieroboam began to reign, although he removed to Thirza, & here Abimelech long before him, was made king.death; as is intimated in these words. The people that followed Omri prevailed over them that followed Tibni, That is, in warre, wherein most probably he was slaine; and thus also saith Iosephus: and then Omri is said to begin to reign, that is, to enjoy the whole kingdome of Israel, which he had before but in part, it being yet uncertain, to whom the whole would fall,
Omri being established in the kingdom, bought the mountain Someron of one Semir for two talents of silver, and built it, and called the name of the city Samaria, after the name of the Lord thereof; and so this city was thenceforth made the state of the kingdome of Israel; and it is most probable, that occasion was given unto him to leave Thirza, and to build his palace, here, because the kings house at Thirza was burnt by Zimri, that he might not enjoy it, nor the goods therein. Two talents of silver are by some computed to be 3000 crownes.
Of this Omri it is said, that hee did worse before the Lord, then all that were before him, &c. that is, as Martyr expoundeth it, because being warned in their V. 25.Note. examples, yet hee without fear of Gods judgements followed them in the same P. Martyr.abominations. And thus we that live in these times, wherein we see so many made examples of Gods judgement for their sins, if we sinne likewise, shall be judged as worse then any of them, and be punished accordingly. But Omri is thought to have done worse, not only by persisting without all feare in the same wickednesse, but by adding some things more to their idolatries and superstitions.
Then Omri died, and Ahab his son reigned in his stead, who is said to have done V. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33.worse then all that were before him; which may be expounded as the like said before touching Omri, for he took Iezabell a Sidonian to wife, and set up her gods also, and sinned in the very taking of her contrary to Gods lawes, and in killing the Prophets of God, as is afterwards noted, which none of his predecessours durst do. Iezabel is said to be the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, their very names, saith Martyr, being taken from Bell & Baal, shewing how greatly they were P. Martyr.addicted to idolatry. And herein he was to be condemned more then Ieroboam, for that he as it seemed to him, was by necessity compelled to set up his golden calves, to keep the people from revolting from him by going to Ierusalem, and had some pretence of representing the true God hereby: but Ahab quietly enjoying his kingdome, and being by no necessity urged, was the first that brought in other strange gods of the heathen also, and built a temple; and planted a grove unto them in Samaria, intending happily to make Samaria, as Ierusalem, the place to which all the kingdome should resort to worship those strange gods with him. And lastly, hee proceedeth most unjustly against Naboth, and murdered him to get his vineyard. For the time, the 22 yeares, see more upon ch. 22. 40.
In his dayes Hiel the Bethelite built Iericho, hee laid the foundation thereof in his V. 34. Ioshuah 6. 29. P. Martyr.first borne Abiram, and set up the gates thereof in his young sonne Segub, according to the word of the Lord which he had spoken by Ioshua.] This is thought by Martyr and some others, to be inserted here to aggravate the more the sinnes of Ahab, in that he suffered this to be done; the doing whereof had been so solemnly interdicted under a curse. But forasmuch as Iericho belonged to Benjamin, and so was not within Ahabs kingdome, but Iehosaphats who now reigned over Iudah; it may be doubted, how it could be mentioned as a fault in Ahab to suffer it, and not rather in Iehosaphat? Martyr answereth, that Hiel being of Bethel, which was within Ahabs kingdome, Iericho was most probably at that time a part of his kingdome also, seeing it was in the possession of a subject of his. And touching Iehosaphat the king of Iudah, it is not likely, that he being so holy a man would have suffered the building hereof, if it had been under him, Yet some think, that this is not commemorated as a fault in Ahab, but only that this was done against the will of God in the time of his reigne; and that he who presumed to doe it, was punished in his posterity, by seeing their destruction from the eldest to the youngest, as Ioshuah Ioshuah 6. 26.had prophesied; so that Ahab, in whose time it was done, might see in this example the truth of the threatnings of Gods Prophets; and consequently of the Prophet Elijah, against him and his posterity as it followeth; ch. 21. 21. And they who make this exposition, wil not have Hiel called a Bethelite because of Bethel, but from Beth, an house or family, and Alah cursing, as if it had been said, Hiel of the house of cursing. For the meaning of these words all Expositours agree, that it is meant, that when he laid the foundation of Iericho, his eldest sonne should dye; and as he proceeded in building, all the rest unto the youngest, who should dye immediately after a full end made thereof, in setting up the gates. And it is to be thought that his posterity was so to bee cut off as that hee should never have any child more to continue his memoriall, who in building this city sought to bring it to have a name againe after so solemn a binding of all men from attempting it, whereas the children are punished for the fathers sinne, and the father is suffered to escape; wee must not call in question the justice of God herein, who is Lord over all, and against whom all are sinners; as hath been shewed in the like cases before of Ieroboams, and Baashah his posterity. And it is not improbable, but that they had an hand in this sin also; in that they were well pleased in this work, and furthered it. If it be demanded why the Lord layd by Ioshuah such a penalty upon the builder of Iericho? Martyr answereth, that it was the first city which was destroyed, and that by the immediate hand of God in all the land of Canaan, and therefore it was to lye upon ruinous heapes for ever, to terrifie all wicked and idolatrous persons that should see it, as Sodom. VntoUnto which we may adde, it was intollerable presumption in a creature to goe about the setting up of that again, which God had so miraculously overthrowne for the glory of his justice and power, as being a seeking to bury in oblivion his dreadfull and mighty works. If it be demanded what moved Hiel to build it? It is answered, his pride and ambition to get him a name, by rearing up that city again, which had lyen waste now 536 yeares; but by this presumption his name was put out by the cutting off of his children. Pellican draweth this to an allegory Pellican.in the destruction of Hiels house, the curse of God being set forth, that shall come upon all such as enrich themselves out of the house of God, and divine businesses; and then entangle themselves in secular affaires, their function being neglected. He restoreth the walls of Iericho also, who resumeth the sinnes which he renounced in baptism, that reneweth the pompe of the world by riotous living, or inserteth erronious opinions, or heathenish fables, into Ecclesiasticall verity. See more of this before, Ioshuah 6. 26. St. Ierom touching this Iericho saith, that Osa of Bethel in Hieron. de locis hehr.the tribe of Ephraim built it, putting Osa for Hiel; as also some Greeks doe, and many call him Achiel. But he saith, that it was at the time of the destruction of Ierusalem destroyed by the Romans; and after that being built again, it remained to his time: the ruines of the former two buildings still remaining.