Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comKeil and Delitzsch Commentary - 1 Kings 16:21 - 16:21
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
But Omri did not come into possession of an undisputed sovereignty immediately upon the death of Zimri. The nation divided itself into two halves; one half was behind Tibni, the son of Ginath (i.e., declared in favour of Tibni), to make him king, the other adhered to Omri. Nevertheless Omri's gained the upper hand over the party of Tibni, and the latter died, whereupon Omri became king after four years, as we may see from a comparison of 1Ki 16:15, 1Ki 16:16 with 1Ki 16:23. The “people of Israel” (1Ki 16:21) are probably the fighting people, so that the succession to the throne was decided by the military. אַהֲרֵי הָיָה as in 2Sa 2:10. הָזַק, with an accusative instead of with עַל, in the sense of to overpower, as in Jer 20:7. According to Josephus (Ant. viii. 12, 5), Tibni was slain by his opponent; but this is not contained in the words; on the contrary, all that is implied in the connection of וַיָּמֹת with וגו וַיֶּחֱזַק וגו/ is that he met with his death in the decisive engagement in which the opposing party triumphed.