1 Kings 16:1-8

1 The word of God came to Jehu son of Hanani with this message for Baasha:

2 "I took you from nothing - a complete nobody - and set you up as the leader of my people Israel, but you plodded along in the rut of Jeroboam, making my people Israel sin and making me seethe over their sin.

3 And now the consequences - I will burn Baasha and his regime to cinders, the identical fate of Jeroboam son of Nebat.

4 Baasha's people who die in the city will be eaten by scavenger dogs; carrion crows will eat the ones who die in the country."

5 The rest of Baasha's life, the record of his regime, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

6 Baasha died and was buried with his ancestors in Tirzah. His son Elah was king after him.

7 That's the way it was with Baasha: Through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani, God's word came to him and his regime because of his life of open evil before God and his making God so angry - a chip off the block of Jeroboam, even though God had destroyed him.

8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha began his rule. He was king in Tirzah only two years.

1 Kings 16:1-8 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 16

This chapter contains a prophecy of the ruin of the family of Baasha, and an account of his death, 1Ki 16:1-7, and of his son's reigning in his stead two years, who was slain by Zimri one of his captains, 1Ki 16:8-14, and who reigned but seven days, 1Ki 16:15-20, and the people being divided between Tibni and Omri, the party for the latter prevailed, and he was made king, and reigned twelve years, 1Ki 16:21-28, and was succeeded by his son Ahab, a very wicked prince, 1Ki 16:29-33, and the chapter is concluded with the rebuilding of Jericho, 1Ki 16:34.