_ZIMRI CONSPIRES AGAINST BAASHA, AND KILLS HIM: THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL MAKE OMRI KING, AND BESIEGE ZIMRI IN TIRZAH: ZIMRI BURNS HIMSELF IN THE KING'S PALACE. OMRI OVERCOMES TIBNI, AND IS SUCCEEDED BY HIS SON AHAB, WHO REIGNS TWENTY-TWO YEARS. JOSHUA'S CURSE UPON THE BUILDER OF JERICHO FULFILLED._ _B... [ Continue Reading ]
FORASMUCH AS I EXALTED THEE— It may be asked, how Baasha's exaltation to the kingdom of Israel can be ascribed to God, when it is manifest that he gained it by his own treachery and cruelty? To which it may be replied, that though the manner of invading the kingdom was from himself and his own wicke... [ Continue Reading ]
MAKE THY HOUSE LIKE THE HOUSE OF JEROBOAM, THE SON OF NEBAT— This threat was exactly verified; for as Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, reigned but two years, so Elah, the son of Baasha, reigned no more; and as Nadab was killed by the sword, so was Elah. Thus remarkable was the similitude between Jeroboam... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BURNED THE KING'S HOUSE OVER HIM WITH FIRE— Some interpreters would rather have it, that Omri set the royal palace on fire, in order to burn Zimri in it, who had retired thither. The Hebrew may, indeed, bear that construction, but the other seems the most likely interpretation; nor has prophane... [ Continue Reading ]
HE BOUGHT THE HILL SAMARIA OF SHEMER— It is surprising, that when Omri bought this place of Shemer, whereon he intended to build a city, he did not call it by his own name; unless we may suppose, that when Shemer sold it, he let him have the greater bargain of it upon condition that it should be con... [ Continue Reading ]
IN HIS DAYS DID HIEL, &C.— The sentence which we here see executed was pronounced above four hundred and forty years before, and is a most striking proof of the divine prescience, as well as of the authority of those sacred writings which contain so remarkable a prediction. _Hiel_ was probably a pro... [ Continue Reading ]