15 Zimri was king in Tirzah for all of seven days during the twenty-seventh year of the reign of Asa king of Judah. The Israelite army was on maneuvers near the Philistine town of Gibbethon at the time. 16 When they got the report, "Zimri has conspired against the king and killed him," right there in the camp they made Omri, commander of the army, king. 17 Omri and the army immediately left Gibbethon and attacked Tirzah. 18 When Zimri saw that he was surrounded and as good as dead, he entered the palace citadel, set the place on fire, and died. 19 It was a fit end for his sins, for living a flagrantly evil life before God, walking in the footsteps of Jeroboam, sinning and then dragging Israel into his sins. 20 As for the rest of Zimri's life, along with his infamous conspiracy, it's all written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
21 After that the people of Israel were split right down the middle: Half favored Tibni son of Ginath as king, and half wanted Omri. 22 Eventually the Omri side proved stronger than the Tibni side. Tibni ended up dead and Omri king. 23 Omri took over as king of Israel in the thirty-first year of the reign of Asa king of Judah. He ruled for twelve years, the first six in Tirzah. 24 He then bought the hill Samaria from Shemer for 150 pounds of silver. He developed the hill and named the city that he built Samaria, after its original owner Shemer. 25 But as far as God was concerned, Omri lived an evil life - set new records in evil. 26 He walked in the footsteps of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who not only sinned but dragged Israel into his sins, making God angry - such an empty-headed, empty-hearted life! 27 The rest of Omri's life, the mark he made on his times, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 16:15-27
Commentary on 1 Kings 16:15-28
(Read 1 Kings 16:15-28)
When men forsake God, they will be left to plague one another. Proud aspiring men ruin one another. Omri struggled with Tibni some years. Though we do not always understand the rules by which God governs nations and individuals in his providence, we may learn useful lessons from the history before us. When tyrants succeed each other, and massacres, conspiracies, and civil wars, we may be sure the Lord has a controversy with the people for their sins; they are loudly called to repent and reform. Omri made himself infamous by his wickedness. Many wicked men have been men of might and renown; have built cities, and their names are found in history; but they have no name in the book of life.