Ver. 1. Came to Jehu the son of Hanani.] Who was also a prophet, and had, by good education, fitted him for the office.
Ver. 2. Forasmuch as I exalted thee.] See 1 Kings 14:7. Ingentia beneficia, flagitia, supplicia, say the Centurists.
Ver. 3. Behold, I will take away.] It is a just presage and desert of ruin, not to be warned by others’ woes.
Ver. 4. Him that dieth of Baasha.] See 1 Kings 14:10,11.
Ver. 5. Now the rest.] See on 1 Kings 14:19.
Ver. 6. Slept with his fathers.] His posterity only were eaten by dogs and fowls.
Ver. 7. And because he killed him.] Him, that is, his lord Nadab, the son of Jeroboam; not Jehu the prophet, as the Latin translator doateth, and with him A. Lapide and others.
Ver. 8. Two years.] Current, but not fully complete. (1 Kings 16:15) So God paid Baasha in kind for his cruelty to Nadab. He loveth to retaliate.
Ver. 9. And his servant Zimri.] Perhaps he of Saul’s posterity. (1 Chronicles 8:36) Drinking himself drunk.] Haply to put away the fear of death, like as Tacitus saith, Vitelius trepidus, dein temulentus.
Ver. 10. And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him.] Even while he was drunk, and dreamt not of death. So Amnon, so Belshazzar, so not a few in all ages. And yet men will not be warned of this noonday devil, Drunkenness.
Ver. 11. As soon as he sat on his throne.] He laid about him lustily: for the seven days’ space only of his reign. Neither of his kinsfolks nor of friends.] As resolving to leave never a rub to lie in the way that might binder the true running of his bowl.
Ver. 12. By (the hand of) Jehu,] i.e., By his ministry.
Ver. 13. And by which they made others to sin.] Height of place ever addeth two wings to sin, example and scandal, whereby it soareth higher and flieth much further.
Ver. 14. Now the rest.] See 1 Kings 14:19.
Ver. 15. Did Zimri reign seven days.] God quickly wore this rod of his wrath to the stumps, and then cast it into the fire.
Ver. 16. King over Israel that day.] For a matter of such consequence admitted not of any delays:— “ Semper nocuit differre paratis. ”
Ver. 17. And Omri went out from Gibethon.] Where now the second time the siege was raised. See 1 Kings 15:27.
Ver. 18. The city was taken.] And so himself like to be unkinged. Of the Ruteni it is storied, that many times they have each day a new king, or more, as any of them are of power to make themselves so. This must needs be regnum Cuclopicum. And burnt the king’s house over him.] The like did Sardanapalus, the last king of Assyria, not willing to fall into the hands of Arbacus his own general, by whom he was besieged at Nineveh. Diodor. Justin. Strabo.
Ver. 19. In doing evil.] So active was this man in a quick despatch of the deeds of darkness.
Ver. 20. Are they not written?] See 1 Kings 14:19.
Ver. 21. Half of the people followed Tibni, &c.] Both Tibni and Omri should have refused these offered honours: considering what had befallen the kings that had gone before them. Macro, captain of the guard, and Laco, knight of the watch, men that had been active in ruinating Sejanus, had great honours appointed them by the Senate. They refused them: and Dion attributeth the reason of their refusal to the terror of an example so fresh in their memories. Dion, in Tiberio.
Ver. 22. So Tibni died, and Omri reigned.] An untimely death it was likely that Tibni came to: as did most of the emperors of Rome till Constantine the Great. Of sixty-three of them, six only died in their beds. Ad generum Cereris, &c. This made Erasmus cry out, O miseros principes, si intelligant sua mala: miseriores, si non intelligant! Oh, the misery of princes, if they know their own misery!
Ver. 23. Began Omri to reign.] Without a competitor. Twelve years,] viz., In all: reckoning the four full years before Tibni’s death.
Ver. 24. And built on the hill.] A city, with a palace royal: for Tirzah was burnt by Zimri. (1 Kings 16:18)
Ver. 25. And did worse than all.] Noluit solita peccare, as Seneca saith of some in his time: et puduit non esse impudentem, as Augustine of others in his: he sought to outsin his predecessors.
Ver. 26. For he walked in all the way.] In tota via Ieroboami et in singulis peccatis eius: yea, and herein he outdid Jeroboam, in that he “framed mischief by a law,” (Psalms 94:20) for we read of “the statutes of Omri” (Micah 6:16) binding people to idolatry.
Ver. 27. Are they not written?] See on 1 Kings 14:19.
Ver. 28. And was buried in Samaria.] Herein he sped better than his betters. It is well observed by Augustine, that God punisheth some wicked ones here, lest his providence—and not all, lest his patience and promise of judgment—should be called into question. In Ps. xxx.
Ver. 29. And Ahab reigned in Samaria.] Now the metropolis, and seat of the royal residency.
Ver. 30. Above all that were.] He proved an arrant non-such. Bipedum nequissimus.
Ver. 31. He took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal.] Whom Diodorus Siculus calleth Jeobalus. The very name of this king and his daughter ending in Bel and Baal, show how greatly they were addicted to that idolatry.
Ver. 32. And he reared up an altar.] For the sake, and by the instigation of his wicked wife, a qua totus possidebatur et regebatur, et ut ita dicam, regina erat Rex, Rex vero regina. Bucholc.
Ver. 33. To provoke the Lord.] To defy him, and dare him do his worst.
Ver. 34. In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho.] Al despite di Die, as that blasphemous Pope once said. But this bold wretch paid dearly for his presumption. See on Joshua 6:26. He sought for a name, but hath left it for a curse, as Isaiah 65:15. He might do it also to curry favour with Ahab, as his fellow condemner of God and his prophets.