1 Kings 16:24

Christian Standard Bible ®

then he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for 150 pounds of silver, and he built up the hill. He named the city he built Samaria based on the name Shemer, the owner of the hill.

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
And he bought the hill Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and named the city which he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
He bought the hill Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and named the city which he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
He bought the hill Schomron of one Schemar for two talents of siluer, and buylt in the hill, and called the name of the citie which he buylt, after the name of Schemar, which had ben owner of the hill Schomron.

New King James Version
And he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver; then he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, Samaria, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill.

Literal Translation
then he bought the hill Samaria from Shemer with two talents of silver, and built the hill, and called the name of the city that he built by the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill, that is Samaria.

Easy-to-Read Version
Then Omri bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for about 150 pounds of silver. Omri built a city on that hill. He named the city Samaria after the name of its owner, Shemer.

Revised Standard Version
He bought the hill of Sama'ria from Shemer for two talents of silver; and he fortified the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, Sama'ria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.

World English Bible
He bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill, Samaria.

King James Version (1611)
And hee bought the hill Samaria of Shemer, for two talents of siluer, and built on the hill, and called the name of the citie which hee built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria.

King James Version
And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He boughte the mount of Samaria of Semer for two hundreth weight of syluer, & buylded vpon the mount, and called the cite which he buylded, after ye name of Semer ye owner of ye mount of Samaria.

American Standard Version
And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill, Samaria.

Bible in Basic English
He got the hill Samaria from Shemer for the price of two talents of silver, and he made a town there, building it on the hill and naming it Samaria, after Shemer the owner of the hill.

Update Bible Version
And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill, Samaria.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria.

New English Translation
He purchased the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver. He launched a construction project there and named the city he built after Shemer, the former owner of the hill of Samaria.

Contemporary English Version
then he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for about one hundred fifty pounds of silver. He built a town there and named it Samaria, after Shemer who had owned the hill.

Complete Jewish Bible
He bought Mount Shomron from Shemer for 132 pounds of silver. On the mountain he built a city, which he named Shomron after Shemer, who had owned the mountain.

Darby Translation
And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver; and built on the hill, and called the name of the city that he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And he bought the mountaine Samaria of one Shemer for two talents of siluer, & buylt in the mountaine, & called the name of the citie, which he buylt, after the name of Shemer lord of the mountaine, Samaria.

George Lamsa Translation
And he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for one talent of silver, and he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill of Samaria.

Amplified Bible
Omri bought the hill Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver, and he built a city on the hill [and fortified it], and named the city which he built Samaria, after the owner of the hill, Shemer.

Hebrew Names Version
He bought the hill Shomron of Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill, Shomron.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill, Samaria.

New Living Translation
Then Omri bought the hill now known as Samaria from its owner, Shemer, for 150 pounds of silver. He built a city on it and called the city Samaria in honor of Shemer.

New Life Bible
And he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for silver weighing as much as two men. He built on the hill, and gave the city he built the name of Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.

New Revised Standard
He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver; he fortified the hill, and called the city that he built, Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Ambri bought the mount Semeron of Semer the lord of the mountain for two talents of silver; and he built upon the mountain, and they called the name of the mountain on which he built, after the name of Semer the lord of the mount, Semeron.

English Revised Version
And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill, Samaria.

Berean Standard Bible
He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city there, calling it Samaria after the name of Shemer, who had owned the hill.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he bought the hill Samaria, of Shemer, for two talents of silver, - and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer lord of the hill - Samaria.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he bought the hill of Samaria of Semer, for two talents of silver: and he built upon it, and he called the city which he built Samaria, after the name of Semer, the owner of the hill.

Lexham English Bible
then bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver, fortified the hill, and called the name of the city Samaria that he built after Shemer, the owner of the hill.

English Standard Version
He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver, and he fortified the hill and called the name of the city that he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.

New American Standard Bible
And he purchased the hill Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and named the city which he built Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.

New Century Version
He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for about one hundred fifty pounds of silver. Omri built a city on that hill and called it Samaria after the name of its earlier owner, Shemer.

Good News Translation
and then he bought the hill of Samaria for six thousand pieces of silver from a man named Shemer. Omri fortified the hill, built a town there, and named it Samaria, after Shemer, the former owner of the hill.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he bouyte of Soomeer, for twei talentis of siluer, the hil of Samarie, and `bildide that hil; and he clepide the name of the citee, which he hadde bildid, bi the name of Soomer, lord of the hil of Samarie.

Young's Literal Translation
and he buyeth the mount Samaria from Shemer, with two talents of silver, and buildeth [on] the mount, and calleth the name of the city that he hath built by the name of Shemer, lord of the hill -- Samaria.

Contextual Overview

¹⁵ In the twenty-seventh year of Judah's King Asa, Zimri became king for seven days in Tirzah. Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon of the Philistines. ¹⁶ When these troops heard that Zimri had not only conspired but had also struck down the king, then all Israel made Omri, the army commander, king over Israel that very day in the camp. ¹⁷ Omri along with all Israel marched up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah. ¹⁸ When Zimri saw that the city was captured, he entered the citadel of the royal palace and burned it down over himself. He died ¹⁹ because of the sin he committed by doing what was evil in the Lord 's sight and by following the example of Jeroboam and the sin he caused Israel to commit. ²⁰ The rest of the events of Zimri's reign, along with the conspiracy that he instigated, are written in the Historical Record of Israel's Kings. ²¹ At that time the people of Israel were divided: half the people followed Tibni son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri. ²² However, the people who followed Omri proved stronger than those who followed Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri became king. ²³ In the thirty-first year of Judah's King Asa, Omri became king over Israel and reigned 12 years. He reigned six years in Tirzah, ²⁴ then he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for 150 pounds of silver, and he built up the hill. He named the city he built Samaria based on the name Shemer, the owner of the hill.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the name of the city: 1 Kings 13:32, 1 Kings 18:2, 1 Kings 20:1, 1 Kings 22:37, 2 Kings 17:1, 2 Kings 17:6, 2 Kings 17:24, John 4:4, John 4:5, Acts 8:5-8

Samaria: Heb. Shomeron, Samaria was situated on a agreeable and fertile hill in the tribe of Ephraim, twelve miles from Dothaim and four from Atharoth, according to Eusebius, and one day's journey from Jerusalem, according to Josephus.

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 12:25 - built 1 Kings 16:29 - Samaria 2 Chronicles 25:13 - Samaria Isaiah 7:9 - the head Jeremiah 41:5 - Samaria Amos 4:1 - the mountain Amos 6:1 - and trust Amos 8:14 - sin

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he bought the hill of Samaria of Shemer, for two talents of silver,.... A talent of silver, according to Brerewood f, was of our money three hundred and seventy five pounds, so that this hill was purchased at seven hundred and fifty pounds:

and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria; its name from him was Shomeron, which is the Hebrew name for Samaria; which, according to Bunting g was six miles from Tirzah, and ever after the royal seat of the kings of Israel.

f De Ponder. & Pret. c. 4. g Ut supra, (Travels, &c.) p. 163.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

“Samaria” represents the Greek form of the name Σαμάρεια Samareia; the original is שׁמרון shômerôn (margin). The site is marked by the modern “Sebustiyeh,” an Arabic corruption of Sebaste, the name given by Herod to Samaria when he rebuilt it. Sebustiyeh is situated on a very remarkable “hill.” In the heart of the mountains of Israel occurs a deep basin-shaped depression, in the midst of which rises an oblong hill, with steep but not inaccessible sides, and a long flat top. This was the site which Omri chose for his new capital. Politically it was rather more central than Shechem, and probably than Tirzah. In a military point of view it was admirably calculated for defense. The country round it was especially productive. The hill itself possessed abundant springs of water. The result is that we find no further change. Shechem and Tirzah were each tried and abandoned; but through all the later alterations of dynasty Samaria continued uninterruptedly, to the very close of the independence, to be the capital of the northern kingdom.

Omri purchased the right of property in the hill, just as David purchased the threshing-floor (2 Samuel 24:24; compare 1 Kings 21:2). Two talents, or 6,000 shekels (Exodus 38:24 note) - about 500 British pounds (or perhaps 800 pounds) of our money - may well have been the full value of the ground. And while naming his city after Shemer, Omri may also have had in view the appropriateness of such a name to the situation of the place. Shomeron, to a Hebrew ear, would have necessarily conveyed the idea of a “watch-tower.” This name, however, appears not to have been at first accepted by the surrounding nations. The earlier Assyrian kings knew the Israelite capital, not as Samaria, but as Beth-Khumri, i. e., “the city (house) of Omri.” It is not until the time of Tiglath-pileser that they exchange this designation for that of “Sammirin.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 24. He bought the hill Samaria of Shemer — This should be read, "He bought the hill of Shomeron from Shomer, and called it Shomeron, (i.e., Little Shomer,) after the name of Shomer, owner of the hill." At first the kings of Israel dwelt at Shechem, and then at Tirzah; but this place having suffered much in the civil broils, and the place having been burnt down by Zimri, Omri purposed to found a new city, to which he might transfer the seat of government. He fixed on a hill that belonged to a person of the name of Shomer; and bought it from him for two talents of silver, about £707 3s. 9d. Though this was a large sum in those days, yet we cannot suppose that the hill was very large which was purchased for so little; and probably no other building upon it than Shomer's house, if indeed he had one there. Shomeron, or, as it is corruptly written, Samaria, is situated in the midst of the tribe of Ephraim, not very far from the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and about midway between Dan and Beer-sheba: thus Samaria became the capital of the ten tribes, the metropolis of the kingdom of Israel, and the residence of its kings. The kings of Israel adorned and fortified it; Ahab built a house of ivory in it, 1 Kings 22:39; the kings of Syria had magazines or storehouses in it, for the purpose of commerce; see 1 Kings 20:34. And it appears to have been a place of considerable importance and great strength.

Samaria endured several sieges; Ben-hadad king of Syria, besieged it twice, 1 Kings 20:1, c. and it cost Shalmaneser a siege of three years to reduce it, 2 Kings 17:6, c. After the death of Alexander the Great, it became the property of the kings of Egypt but Antiochus the Great took it from the Egyptians; and it continued in the possession of the kings of Syria till the Asmoneans took and razed it to the very foundation. Gabinius, pro-consul of Syria, partially rebuilt it, and called it Gabiniana. Herod the Great restored it to its ancient splendour, and placed in it a colony of six thousand men, and gave it the name of Sebaste, in honour of Augustus. It is now a place of little consequence.