1 Kings 16:18

18 And Zimri saw, that the city should be overcome, and he entered into the palace, and burnt himself with the king's house; and he was dead (And Zimri saw that the city would be overcome, and so he entered into the palace, and burned himself up, along with the palace; and so he died)

1 Kings 16:18 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 16:18

And it came to pass, that when Zimri saw that the city was
taken
That Omri, and the army with him, had got into it, being a place not much fortified, and Zimri not having force enough to defend it against such an army:

that he went into the palace of the king's house;
into the innermost and most splendid, as well as the strongest part of it:

and burnt the king's house over him with fire, and he died;
that he might not fall into the hands of his rival, who he might fear would use him ill, and that he might not enjoy the royal palace; though Kimchi thinks that Omri set fire to the palace, and burnt it over the head of Zimri, in which he perished; and this sense the text will bear.

1 Kings 16:18 In-Context

16 And when it had heard, that Zimri had rebelled, and had slain the king, all Israel made Omri king to them, that was prince of the chivalry, on Israel, in that day, in their tents. (And when they had heard that Zimri had rebelled, and had killed the king, all Israel made Omri, who was the leader of the cavalry, or of the army, king upon Israel, that very day, in the camp.)

17 Therefore Omri went up, and all Israel with him, from Gibbethon, and besieged Tirzah. (And then Omri, and all Israel with him, went up from Gibbethon, and besieged Tirzah.)

18 And Zimri saw, that the city should be overcome, and he entered into the palace, and burnt himself with the king's house; and he was dead (And Zimri saw that the city would be overcome, and so he entered into the palace, and burned himself up, along with the palace; and so he died)

19 in his sins which he sinned, doing evil before the Lord, and going in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sins, by which he made Israel to do sin.

20 Soothly the residue of the words of Zimri, and of his treasons, and tyranny, whether these be not written in the book of [the] words of [the] days of the kings of Israel?