1 Kings 16:21

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.

1 Kings 16:21 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 16:21

Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts
About the succession in the kingdom:

half the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king:
these were the friends of Zimri, or however such who did not like that the army should impose a king upon them; who this Tibni was is not said:

and half followed Omri;
the general of the army, perhaps the whole of that.

1 Kings 16:21 In-Context

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.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.