15 In the twenty-seventh e year of Asa king of Judah , Zimri reigned seven days at Tirzah . Now the people were camped against Gibbethon , which belonged to the Philistines . 16 The people who were camped heard it said , "Zimri has conspired and has also struck down the king ." Therefore all Israel made Omri , the commander of the army , king over Israel that day in the camp . 17 Then Omri and all Israel with him went up from Gibbethon and besieged e Tirzah . 18 When Zimri saw that the city was taken , he went into the citadel of the king's house and burned the king's house over him with fire , and died , 19 because of his sins which he sinned , doing evil in the sight of the Lord , walking in the way of Jeroboam , and in his sin which he did , making Israel sin . 20 Now the rest of the acts of Zimri and his conspiracy which he carried out, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles e of the Kings of Israel ?
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 16:15-20
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.