1 Kings 16:23

23 In the one and thirtieth year of Asa, king of Judah, Omri reigned upon Israel, twelve years; in Tirzah, he reigned six years. (In the one and thirtieth year of Asa, the king of Judah, Omri began to reign upon Israel, and he reigned for twelve years; the first six years he reigned in Tirzah.)

1 Kings 16:23 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 16:23

In the thirty first year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to
reign over Israel twelve years
Which are to be reckoned not from the thirty first of Asa; for Ahab the son of Omri began to reign in his thirty eighth year, and so his reign would be but seven or eight years; but they are reckoned from the twenty seventh of Asa, the beginning of it, when Elah was slain by Zimri, and he died, which to the end of the thirty eight of Asa make twelve years; for the division, according to the Jewish chronology ^F4, lasted four years; Jarchi says five ^F5; and from the beginning of that his reign is reckoned, though he did not reign over all Israel, or completely, until the thirty first of Asa, when Tibni died:

six years reigned he in Tirzah;
the royal city of the kings of Israel, from Jeroboam to this time, and the other six he reigned in Samaria, built by him, as in the next verse.

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FOOTNOTES:

F4 Seder Olam Rabba, c. 17. p. 45.
F5 So Tzemach David, par. 1. fol. 11. 2.

1 Kings 16:23 In-Context

21 Then the people of Israel was parted into two parts; the half part of the people followed Tibni, the son of Ginath, to make him king, and the other half part followed Omri.

22 And the people that was with Omri, had the mastery over the people that followed Tibni, the son of Ginath; and Tibni was dead, and Omri reigned. (And the people who were with Omri, had the mastery over the people who followed Tibni, the son of Ginath; and so Tibni was killed, and Omri reigned.)

23 In the one and thirtieth year of Asa, king of Judah, Omri reigned upon Israel, twelve years; in Tirzah, he reigned six years. (In the one and thirtieth year of Asa, the king of Judah, Omri began to reign upon Israel, and he reigned for twelve years; the first six years he reigned in Tirzah.)

24 And he bought of Shemer, for two talents of silver, the hill of Samaria, and builded (on) that hill; and he called the name of the city, which he had builded, by the name of Shemer, [the] lord of the hill of Samaria. (And he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer, for two talents of silver, and built a city on that hill; and he called the name of the city, which he built, Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the former lord of that hill.)

25 Forsooth Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, and wrought waywardly, or wickedly, over all men that were before him. (But Omri did evil before the Lord, and acted more wickedly than all the kings who were before him.)