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Ahab Promotes Idolatry

29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Omri’s son Ahab became king over Israel. Ahab son of Omri ruled over Israel for twenty-two years in Samaria. 30 Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the sight of[a] the Lord than all who were before him. 31 As if following in the sinful footsteps of Jeroboam son of Nebat were not bad enough, he married Jezebel the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians. Then he worshiped and bowed to Baal.[b] 32 He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal he had built in Samaria. 33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole; he[c] did more to anger the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 16:30 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
  2. 1 Kings 16:31 tn Heb “and he went and served Baal and bowed down to him.”sn The Canaanites worshiped Baal as a storm and fertility god.
  3. 1 Kings 16:33 tn Heb “Ahab”; the proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

29 Now Ahab 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. 30 Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord (A)more than all who were before him.

31 And as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, (B)he married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the (C)Sidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshiped him. 32 So he erected an altar for Baal at (D)the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. 33 Ahab also made (E)the [a]Asherah. So (F)Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 16:33 I.e., wooden symbol of a female deity