1 Kings 16:31

Contextual Overview

²⁹ Nowe Ahab the sonne of Omri began to reigne ouer Israel, in the eyght & thirtie yeere of Asa king of Iudah: and Ahab the sonne of Omri reigned ouer Israel in Samaria two & twety yere. ²⁹ In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Yehudah began Ach'av the son of `Omri to reign over Yisra'el: and Ach'av the son of `Omri reigned over Yisra'el in Shomron twenty-two years. ²⁹ Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel during the 38th year that Asa was king of Judah. Ahab ruled Israel from the town of Samaria for 22 years. ²⁹ In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. ²⁹Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria for twenty-two years. ²⁹ And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years. ²⁹ In the thirty-eighth year that Asa was king of Judah, Ahab, the son of Omri, became king over Israel; and Ahab was king in Samaria for twenty-two years. ²⁹ Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa's rule in Judah, and he ruled twenty-two years from Samaria. ²⁹ It was in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Y'hudah that Ach'av the son of ‘Omri began his rule over Isra'el; Ach'av the son of ‘Omri ruled twenty-two years over Isra'el in Shomron. ²⁹ And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel; and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

as if it had been a light thing: Heb. was it a light thing, Genesis 30:15, Numbers 16:9, Isaiah 7:13, Ezekiel 8:17, Ezekiel 16:20, Ezekiel 16:47, Ezekiel 34:18

took to wife: Genesis 6:2, Deuteronomy 7:3, Deuteronomy 7:4, Joshua 23:12, Joshua 23:13, Nehemiah 13:23-29

Jezebel: 1 Kings 18:4, 1 Kings 18:19, 1 Kings 19:1, 1 Kings 19:2, 1 Kings 21:5-14, 1 Kings 21:25, 2 Kings 9:30-37, Revelation 2:20

the Zidonians: 1 Kings 11:1, Judges 10:12, Judges 18:7

and went: 1 Kings 11:4-8

served Baal: 1 Kings 21:25, 1 Kings 21:26, Judges 2:11, Judges 3:7, Judges 10:6, 2 Kings 10:18, 2 Kings 17:16

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 11:2 - surely 1 Kings 14:9 - hast done 1 Kings 16:25 - did worse 1 Kings 16:30 - above 1 Kings 22:53 - he served Baal 2 Kings 3:2 - Baal 2 Kings 3:3 - which made 2 Kings 3:18 - a light 2 Kings 9:34 - she is a king's 2 Kings 16:3 - he walked 2 Kings 17:8 - walked 2 Kings 21:3 - he reared 2 Kings 23:4 - Baal 2 Chronicles 17:4 - not after 2 Chronicles 18:1 - joined affinity 2 Chronicles 28:2 - For he walked Psalms 1:1 - walketh Proverbs 14:1 - the foolish Ezekiel 23:5 - Aholah Hosea 2:13 - the days Hosea 8:4 - of Hosea 8:14 - and buildeth Hosea 9:10 - separated Hosea 11:2 - they sacrificed Micah 1:13 - she Romans 11:4 - Baal

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sin of Jeroboam the son of Nebat,.... To worship the golden calves he set up:

that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians; who is called Ithobalus and Itobalus king of the Tyrians, by Heathen historians h; and, by Theophilus of Antioch i, Juthobalus, priest of Astarte; for Tyre and Zidon were under one king. This woman was not only of another nation, and an idolater, but a very filthy woman, and is made the emblem of the whore of Rome, Revelation 2:20

and went and served Baal, and worshipped him that is, went to Zidon and Tyre, and worshipped his wife's gods, which were either Jupiter Thalassius, the god of the Zidoaians, or Hercules, whom the Tyrians worshipped.

h Menander apud Joseph. Antiqu. l. 8. c. 13. sect. 1, 2. & contr. Apion. l. 1. c. 21. Diodor. Sicul. apud Junium in loc. i Ad Autolye. l. 3. p. 132.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

As if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam - Idolatries are not exclusive. Ahab, while he detested the pure worship of Yahweh, and allowed Jezebel to put to death every “prophet of the Lord” whom she could find 1 Kings 18:4, readily tolerated the continued worship of the “calves,” which had no doubt tended more and more to lose its symbolic character, and to become a thoroughly idolatrous image-worship.

Eth-baal - Identified with the Ithobalus of Menander, who reigned in Tyre, probably over all Phoenicia, within 50 years of the death of Hiram. This Ithobalus, whose name means “With him is Baal,” was originally priest of the great temple of Astarte, in Tyre. At the age of 36 he conspired against the Tyrian king, Pheles (a usurping fratricide), killed him, and seized the throne. His reign lasted 32 years, and he established a dynasty which continued on the throne at least 62 years longer. The family-tree of the house may be thus exhibited:

Lineage of Eth-Baal
Eth-baal
Badezor	Jezebel
Matgen (Belus of Virgil)
Pygmalion	Dido (founder of Carthage)

Hence, Jezebel was great-aunt to Pygmalion and his sister Dido.

Served Baal - The worship of Baal by the Phoenicians is illustrated by such names as IthoBAL, HanniBAL, etc. Abundant traces of it are found in the Phoenician monuments.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 16:31. He took to wife Jezebel — This was the head and chief of his offending; he took to wife, not only a heathen, but one whose hostility to the true religion was well known, and carried to the utmost extent.

1. She was the idolatrous daughter of an idolatrous king;

2. She practised it openly;

3. She not only countenanced it in others, but protected it, and gave its partisans honours and rewards; 4.

She used every means to persecute the true religion;

5. She was hideously cruel, and put to death the prophets and priests of God; 6.

And all this she did with the most zealous perseverance and relentless cruelty.

Notwithstanding Ahab had built a temple, and made an altar for Baal, and set up the worship of Asherah, the Sidonian Venus, which we, 1 Kings 16:33, have transformed into a grove; yet so well known was the hostility of Jezebel to all good, that his marrying her was esteemed the highest pitch of vice, and an act the most provoking to God, and destructive to the prosperity of the kingdom.