1 Kings 16 Chapter Introduction

Structure and Formatting

This chapter continues to tell alternately the stories of the kings of the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. 1. Baasha, king of Israel, continued (16:1–7) 2. Elah, king of Israel (16:8–14) 3. Zimri, king of Israel (16:15–20) 4. Omri, king of Israel (16:21–28) 5. Ahab, king of Israel (16:29–34)

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

Why was Yahweh angry with Baasha for killing Nadab (and the rest of Jeroboam’s family) if this fulfilled prophesy?

In 14:7–11, the prophet Ahijah told Jeroboam’s wife that Yahweh would ensure that his whole family would be killed. In 15:27–30, the author describes how Baasha killed all of Jeroboam’s family, and the author says that this happened “according to the word of Yahweh that he had spoken by the hand of his servant Ahijah the Shilonite.” But in 16:1–4, the author describes how Yahweh told the prophet Jehu to tell Baasha that he and his family would be destroyed in the same way because he worshiped idols as Jeroboam had, and the author adds in 16:7 that Yahweh also punished Baasha in this way because he had “struck” or killed Jeroboam and his family. If what Baasha did fulfilled a prophesy from Yahweh, why was Yahweh angry with him for doing it? The explanation seems to be that while Yahweh had said that someone would do this, he had not commissioned Baasha to do it, unlike the way Elisha later sent a prophet to tell Jehu to destroy Ahab and his family for killing the prophets of Yahweh in [2 Kings 9:1–10](../2ki/09/01.md). Instead, Baasha killed Jeroboam and his family out of his own ambition and desire for power. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could explain this in a footnote.