The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 355

~ays " wonld dismiss so striking an event to ver. 22, and read, "And Omri reigned in ma few sentences], a.re they not written the thirty-first," &c. But to this there a.re ln the book of the chronlclea of the kings two serious objections. First, tho.t ver. 29, of Israel? as it now stands, only follows the usual for- mula with which a new reign is announced The Interregnum. (of. vers. 8, 15, 29) ; and, second, it is ex- Ver. 21.-Then were the people of Israel tremely doubtful whether any prose sentence divided tnt~ two parts : halJ or the people in the Hebrew ever begins as ver. 23 would followed [ht., was after. Same expression then do, " ReigMd Omri over Israel twelve 2 Sam. ii. 10; cf. oh. i. 7J Tibn1 the son of Glns.th [Who he was, or why he was set up in opposition to Omri, it is impossible to quite alien to the = years." Suoh a sentence would certainly be loquendi of our author. We are therefore reduced to the say. It has been supposed that the army ~onclusion either (1) that the text here, as was divide~ in its_ preferences, and that part m some other instances (oh. vi. 1; 2 Kings of the soldiery wished to make Tibni king i. 17; cf. iii 1; xiii.1, 10, &c.), has snffered and this is perhaps the most probable con: at the hands of a reviser, or (2) that the jectnre. It is to be considered that the numbers have been corrupted in transcrip- entire army was not encamped before Gib- tion; or (3) that the historian expresses bethon. Nor are vers. 16, 17 fatal to this himself in a somewhat confused way. Of view, as Biihr mo.intains, because " all these suppositions perhe.ps (1) is the most Israel " there clearly means all the army likely. Anyhow, it is olee.r that the twelve under the co~~and of Omri. It is hardly years of Omri's reign a.re to be counted not hkelr that T1bm was set up by the people from the thirty-first, but from the twenty- of Trrzah, after the death of Zimri, to con- seventh year of Asa, i.e., from the date of tinue the struggle. The only thing that is Zimri's death (see vers. 10, 15, 29). The certain is that.the hereditary principle being confusion has arisen from the fact that it overthrown, the crown appeared to be the was not until Tibni was slain, after four years legitimate prize of the strongest; and Tibni, of conflict, that Omri became sole ruler]: six who may have occupied a position of im- years reigned he in Tlrzah. portance, or have had, somehow, a consider- Ver. 24.-And he bought [i.e., after the able follomng, resolved that Omri should six years just mentioned. During the four not wear it without a fierce contest], to years of e.narchy Omri would seem to have make him king [Omri had been already retained possession of the capital which he made king, i.e., anointed, ver. 16]; and half had taken (ver. 18) on Zimri's death. But followed Omri. the palace being burnt and the defences Ver. 22.-But the people that followed perhaps weakened by the siege, he deter- Omrt prevailed aga.in.st the people that fol- mined, rather than rebuild it, to found a lowed Tibni the son of Ginath [It appears, capital elsewherej the hill Samaria. [Heb. however, from the following verse that the Shomeron, called by Herod Sebaste, whence struggle lasted four years] : so Tibn1 died its modern name Sebustieh. In his selection [According to Jos., Ant. viii 12. § 5, he was of Samaria for the seat of government, slain by the conqueror. The LXX. has here Omri acted with singularjudgment. It haa a curious and probably genuine addition. been said that " Shechem is the natural "And Thabni died, and Joram his brother capital of Palestine," and no doubt it enjoys at that time], and Omrt reigned. [The a co=anding position and great ndvo.n- jingle of the Hebrew words is probably tages, but Samaria has even superior recom- designed.] mendations. It is a site with which no traveller can fail to be deeply impressed. The Reign of Omri. Even Van de Velde, who says, "I do not Ver. 23.-In the thirty and first year of agree with Dr. Robinson and other writers Asa king of Judah began Omrt to reign over who follow him that the mountain of Israel, twelve years [As Omri was pro- Samaria presents so admirable e. combina- claimed king in the twenty-seventh and tion of strength, fe1tility, and beauty, that died in the thirty-eighth year of Asa. (cf. the like is hardly to be found in P11lestine " vers. 15, 29), he cannot in any case have (vol. i. pp. 374, 375), nevertheless readily al- reigned twelve fuU years ; whereas if his lows its superiority to Tirzah, and remnrka reign is to be dated, e.s it is here, from the on the strength of its position. " Many thirty-first year of Asa, it is obvious that travellers have expressed n conviction tha, he would only have reigned seven, or, the spot was in most respects muoh pre- ~cording to the Jewish mode of reckoning, ferable to the site of Jerusalem" (Kitto), eight ;years. Rawlinson proposes to get over It is a large oval or oblong mound, with the difficulty by rearranging the text. He a level surface, e.de.i:,ted for buildings, would e.tt&ch the first clause of this verse with steep sides to make its position im- OB, XV, 26-XVI, 28.] THE FIRST BOOK OF KUfGS, 861