1 Kings 16:9

9 And Zimri, his servant, duke of the half part of his knights, rebelled against him; soothly Elah was in Tirzah, and drank and was drunken in the house of Arza, prefect of Tirzah. (And Zimri, his officer, the leader of half of his horsemen, rebelled against him; and Elah was in Tirzah, and drank until he was drunk in the house of Arza, the prefect of Tirzah.)

1 Kings 16:9 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 16:9

And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots
His military chariots; there were two captains of them, and this was one of them; so the Targum,

``one of the two masters or captains of the chariots:''

conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah drinking himself drunk in
the house of Arza, steward of his house in Tirzah;
who had the charge of his wine and other liquors, to which he was addicted beyond measure; and this was a fit opportunity for Zimri to fall upon him, and slay him, when he was drunk, and off his guard, and his army at the same time was besieging Gibbethon, ( 1 Kings 16:15 ) so that there was a very great likeness in what befell the family of Baasha, to that of the family of Jeroboam; for as the son of the one, and of the other, reigned but two years, so they were both slain by their servants, and both at a time when Gibbethon was besieged; the Targum takes this Arza to be the temple of an idol so called, near the royal palace.

1 Kings 16:9 In-Context

7 Forsooth when the word of the Lord was made in the hand of Jehu, the son of Hanani, against Baasha, and against his house, and against all the evil which he did before the Lord, to stir him to ire in the works of his hands, that he should be as the house of Jeroboam, for this cause he killed him . (And the word of the Lord was made to Jehu, the son of Hanani, against Baasha, and against his house, and against all the evil which he did before the Lord, to stir him to anger with the works of his hands, because he sinned like the house of Jeroboam, and also because he killed them.)

8 In the six and twentieth year of Asa, king of Judah, Elah, the son of Baasha, reigned upon Israel, in Tirzah, two years. (In the twenty-sixth year of Asa, the king of Judah, Elah, the son of Baasha, began to reign upon Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned for two years.)

9 And Zimri, his servant, duke of the half part of his knights, rebelled against him; soothly Elah was in Tirzah, and drank and was drunken in the house of Arza, prefect of Tirzah. (And Zimri, his officer, the leader of half of his horsemen, rebelled against him; and Elah was in Tirzah, and drank until he was drunk in the house of Arza, the prefect of Tirzah.)

10 Therefore Zimri felled in, and smote Elah, and killed him, in the seven and twentieth year of Asa, king of Judah; and [he] reigned for him.

11 And when he had reigned, and sat upon his throne, he smote all the house of Baasha, and he left not thereof a pisser to the wall, and his kinsmen, and friends. (And once he began to reign, and sat on his throne, he struck down all the house of Baasha, and he left not of it a pisser on the wall, nor any of his kinsmen, nor any of his friends.)