Ahab the son of Omri did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight above all that were before him.
Parallel Translations
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Ahab the son of Omri did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight above all that were before him.
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And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him.
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And Ahab the son of Omri did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him.
Cross-references (6)
Passages linked to 1 Kings 16:30 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- 1 Kings 16:25 Omri did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and dealt wickedly above all who were before him.
- 1 Kings 14:9 but have done evil above all who were before you, and have gone and made for yourself other gods, molten images, to provoke me to anger, and have cast me behind your back;
- 1 Kings 21:25 But there was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
- 2 Kings 3:2 He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, but not like his father, and like his mother, for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made.
- 1 Kings 16:31 As if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshiped him.
- 1 Kings 16:33 Ahab made the Asherah; and Ahab did more yet to provoke Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 1Ki 16:30 And Ahab the son of Omri did…
1Ki 16:30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that [were] before him.
Ver. 30. Above all that were.] He proved an arrant non-such. {a}
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{a} Bipedum nequissimus.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain See 1Ki 16:33. The great sin of Ahab -…
See 1Ki 16:33. The great sin of Ahab - that by which he differed from all his predecessors, and exceeded them in wickedness - was his introduction of the worship of Baal, consequent upon his marriage with Jezebel, and his formal establishment of this gross and palpable idolatry as the religion of the state.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 30. Above all that were before him — He…
30. Above all that were before him — He even went beyond the hitherto unparalleled wickedness of Omri, his father.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain And Ahab the son of Omri The repetition is…
And Ahab the son of Omri The repetition is noticeable. It is possible that the preceding verse has been revised by a chronologer. The LXX text is much more condensed did evil in the sight of the Lord aboveall that were before him. The same words are used of his father in ver. 25. It is not difficult to see in what way Ahab"s rule was worse even than Omri"s. The latter had gone beyond his predecessors in the matter of the calf worship. See note on ver. 25. But the calf worship, however it may have deteriorated in process of time and it is the tendency of such systems to wax worse and worse was nevertheless a cult, though a corrupt, and unauthorized, and illicit cultus, of the one true God. Under Ahab, however, positive idolatry was established and fostered the worship of foreign and shameful deities.
HOMILIES BY A. ROWLAND Vers. 30-33.
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Moral Ruin through Moral Weakness.
This was the turning-point in the history of the kingdom of Israel. Till now the people had professedly worshipped Jehovah under the symbol of the calf. Now idolatry of a grosser kind was avowedly set up as the national religion, on a scale of great magnificence. The text, therefore, is worthy of our study as the record of an event of deep historic significance, but we propose to consider it as a suggestive example of the way in which a man of moral weakness may be betrayed into the worst depravity, to the undoing of himself and others. We learn the following lessons from Ahab s life, of which a summary is given here:
I THAT A FOOLISH CHOICE MAY RESULT IN LASTING DISHONOUR. Ahab"s marriage was the cause of his ruin. Jezebel, his wife, was the daughter of Ethbaal, who had Been the high priest of Astarte, but was led by his ambition and unscrupulousness to usurp his brother"s throne. Her parentage and her surroundings would have been a sufficient warning to a prudent king. But besides these Ahab had the Divine law before him, (Exo_34:16) which distinctly forbade union with the Canaanites. Such a marriage was unprecedented in the kingdom of Israel, and was the more fatal because of the character of the queen, the Lady Macbeth of Scripture. She was reckless and licentious, fanatical and cruel, with a temper as vindictive as her will was resolute. Her husband became a mere tool in her hands. He could not foresee all the issues of his choice, but he knew the choice was sinful. Show from this illustrating by example
1. How one wrong step leads to another. This marriage to the establishment of idolatry. Indicate the nature of the false religion set up.
2. How companionship influences character. The stronger moulding the weaker. "A companion of fools shall be destroyed.
3. How personal fascination may cause men to swerve from rectitude. Jezebel"s fascinating power was regarded as witchery and became proverbial. (Rev_2:20)
4. How young people should be warned against unholy alliances. Marriage makes or mars character, hope, and blessedness. (2Co_6:14) "Be ye net unequally yoked together with unbelievers.
II THAT EASY GOOD NATURE MAY PROVE THE SOURCE OF DEEP DEGRADATION. Ahab was not destitute of good feelings and right impulses. Had he been firm instead o! pliable, and resolutely refused to gratify the queen by the establishment of idolatry, he might, with God"s help, have neutralized the effect of the false step he had taken. But he was of a yielding nature, while she was resolute; and so, like Samson, he lost his kingliness. Point out the special dangers of those who are kindly and genial. Their unwillingness to disoblige, their wish to be popular, their dread of derision, their love of ease and pleasure, etc., may have fatal issues.
III THAT BRILLIANT TALENTS WILL NOT COMPENSATE FOR MORAL WEAKNESS. This king was gifted with military skill, with artistic taste, etc., but these could net help him in the hour of spiritual conflict. Give examples from history of the careers of clever but unprincipled men, their meteoric success, their future punishment, here or hereafter; e.g., Napoleon I Many men of genius have been ruined by drunkenness, and often high education has served only to alter the form and increase the influence of the sin. The clever forger is worse than the common thief; the viciousness of a leader of society does more injury than the licentiousness of an ignorant peasant.
IV THAT ARCHITECTURAL SPLENDOURS AND MILITARY VICTORIES ARE NOT PROOFS OF NATIONAL PROSPERITY. Describe Ahab"s magnificent buildings, his ivory house, his daring restoration and fortification of Jericho, his palace and park in Jezreel, which became to Samaria what Versailles once was to Paris. Show how often in history such costly expenditure has been a sign of decay.
Extravagance and luxuriousness are omens of ruin to a people. "The Decline and Fall" of the Roman Empire is an abiding illustration of this. Nor will successful wars give stability to a kingdom. Ahab"s victories were great military achievements, but of what avail to him and to his house? "The throne must be established in righteousness.
V THAT AMPLE POSSESSIONS DO NOT CONTENT AN UNQUIET HEART. In Jezreel, the perfection of taste, Ahab was wretched, because he wanted Naboth"s vineyard. (Read that story.) It is not in the power of earthly things to satisfy a hungering soul. The richest man is not content if he has only his riches, nor will any addition to them give him satisfaction. "Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man"s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth". (Luk_12:15) "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." God "satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
VI THAT PARTIAL REPENTANCE DOES NOT AVERT GOD"S PUNISHMENT OF SIN. Ahab "put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly," when he heard Elijah"s final threat; but, though this first sign of penitence was graciously encouraged by a promise, the change went no further He dreaded punishment, but his heart did not turn from sin, and therefore, though he disguised himself in the battle, the arrow "shot at a venture" was winged by Divine retribution to his heart. God is our Judge, as well as our King. For the impenitent there will be no escape. In vain will they "call on mountains and rocks to fall on them, and hide them from the wrath of God." Now in this day of mercy, God calls on all to repent, and find pardon and hope in Him, who has come "to seek and to save that which was lost. A.R.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.