The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 354

it in person, while the conspiracy which sensuality. And 2 Kings xv. 25 (cf. Psa.. marked the former siege may at the same cxxii. 7) seems to point to a stronghold time have suggested to Zimri and others the rather than a seraglioJ of the king's house, thought of conspiring against Elah.] and burnt the king's house [probably the Ver. 16.-Alld the people that were en- palace which Jeroboam ha.d built. Ewald camped. hea.rd ea.y, Z1mrt hath conspired, thinks it we.a this structure gave Tirzah its and ha.th also ela.in the king : wherefore all reputation for beauty; Cant. vi. 4] over Israel [obviously, all the army. Cf. eh. him with fire [According to the Syriac, the xii 1, 16, 18] ma.de Omrl, the captain of besiegers eet fire to the pe.le.ce. Similarly the host, king over Iera.el tha.t day In the Jarchi. But the text is decisive. The camp. [It was hardly likely they would parallel deed of Sa.rdanapalus will occur to submit to the usurpation of Zimri. Not all readers. Rawlinson also refers to Herod. only had he occupied II subordinate position, i. 176, e.nd vii. 107], a.nd died. [This word but his murder of e.11 Ele.h's friends must is intimately connected with the verse fol- have made him e. host of enemies in the lowing. But there is no need to rearrange ce.mp. It was the nature.I thing for them, the verses. The text, a.a it stands, conveys therefore, to turn to Omri. He had the clearly enough that Zimri's tre.gical death advantage of being in possession. The cap- was a retribution for his sins. Bahr re- tain of the host stood next to the king marks that of Elah and Zimri we lear11 (2 Kings iv. 13; 2 So.m. v. 8; xi.x. 13; xx. nothing, apart from the fa.et that they held 23), u.nd twice stepped into his place (2 to the sin of Jeroboam, except how they Kings ix. 6). This history ha.a mo.ny pare.1- <lied.] lels in that of the Roman empire.] Ver. 19.-For his Bins which he sinned Ver. 17.-And Omrt went up from Gib- In doing evil In the sight or the Lord, in bethon [" The expression, 'went up,' walking In the wa.y of Jeroboam, a.nd In accurately marks the ascent of the army his sin which he did, to make Israel to sin. from the Shephelah, where Gibbethon we.a [It is quite clear that in his reign of one situated, to the hill country of Israel, on the week Zimri cannot have done much to mow edge of which Tirze.h stood " (Rawlinson)], his complicity in the schism of Jeroboo.m, and a.ll Israel [see on ver. 16] with him, nud it is probable that the sacred writ~r and they besieged Tirzah. [It is probable means that his character and antecedents that they arrived before the city on the 'l'"ere such e.s to prove the.t a.II his sympa- sixth or seventh day after the e.ssassine.tion thies were with the irreligious po.rty. Bahr of Ele.h. This period would just allow thinksthe.t he he.d "formerly displayed much aufficient time for the news of the con- partiality for the calf-worship." But it is apire.cy to travel to Gibbethon and for the quite as likely the.t the idea. in the historian's march of the army.] mind was that e.11 these events were the Ver. 18.-And it came to pass, when bitter fruits of Jeroboam'e misguided and Zl.mrl. sa.w tha.t the city wa.s t:i.ken [the impious policy, into the spirit of which, meaning is probably that which Josephus Zimri, like his predecessors, ho.d been bap- gives: 11 When he saw that the city he.d tized. It ie interesting to remember here none to defend it," or possibly, "when he the aspect these repeated revolutions and saw that 1:1 breach we.a made"], that he went assassinations would wear to the kingdom of Judoh, then enjoying quietness and into the pa.lace [!ir.>~ cite.de!, fortress, from prosperity under Asa. We cannot doubt Cl'Jt$ altus fuit. so· Gesen., Keil, Bahr, al. for e. moment the.t they were regarded as so The palace, no doubt, consisted of a string of many manifeste.tions of the righteous judg- buildings (eh. vii. 2-9) of which this was ment of God, and as the outcomes of that the highest n.nd strongest pa.rt. Ewald spirit of insubordination and impiety which, thinks tho.t the harem-a word which has in their eyes, had brought about both the almost the same radicals-or women's division of the kingdom and the schism in apartment, is meant-the most secluded, the church.] portion of the great palace (Josephus Ver. 20.-Now the rest or the acts of understands_ it to mean " the inmost part"), Zl.mrl. [We see here the tendency of the and hence infers, as also from 2 Kings ix. historian to express himself in form ule.e. SI, that the women of the palaco he.d He checks himself, however, and does not willingly submitted to the effeminote e.dd "o.nd e.11 that he did," &c.], a.nd h1s murderer of their lord, and that even the treason that he wrought [Heh. his con- queen-mother had made advances towards spiracy which he conspired. Though this him (vol. iv. p. 36). But, as Biihr remarks, was all there wt,s to tell of him, yet no there is nothing of this in the text, and doubt it would be recorded at greo.ter length Zimri'e desperate aot rather shows daring by the historians of the day. We oan hardly and oontompt of deo.th than effeminacy or suppose that the " books of the words of the 860 THE FIRST BOOR OF Krnos. [oB, xv. 25-xvt. 2B.