Add parallel Print Page Options

16 The Lord’s message against Baasha came to[a] Jehu son of Hanani: “I raised you up[b] from the dust and made you ruler over my people Israel. Yet you followed in Jeroboam’s footsteps[c] and encouraged my people Israel to sin; their sins have made me angry.[d] So I am ready to burn up[e] Baasha and his family, and make your family[f] like the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat. Dogs will eat the members of Baasha’s family[g] who die in the city, and the birds of the sky will eat the ones who die in the country.”

The rest of the events of Baasha’s reign, including his accomplishments and successes, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.[h] Baasha passed away[i] and was buried in Tirzah. His son Elah replaced him as king. And so it was the Lord’s message came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha and his family.[j] This was because of all the evil he had done in the Lord’s view, by angering him with his deeds and becoming like Jeroboam’s dynasty,[k] and because of how he had destroyed Jeroboam’s dynasty.[l]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 16:1 tc LXX “by the hand of,” meaning “through.”
  2. 1 Kings 16:2 tn The Hebrew text has “because” at the beginning of the sentence. In the Hebrew text vv. 2-3 are one sentence comprised of a causal clause giving the reason for divine punishment (v. 2) and the main clause announcing the punishment (v. 3). The translation divides this sentence for stylistic reasons.
  3. 1 Kings 16:2 tn Heb “walked in the way of Jeroboam.”
  4. 1 Kings 16:2 tn Heb “angering me by their sins.”
  5. 1 Kings 16:3 tn The traditional view understands the verb בָּעַר (baʿar) to mean “burn.” However, an alternate view takes בָּעַר (baʿar) as a homonym meaning “sweep away” (HALOT 146 s.v. II בער). In this case one might translate, “I am ready to sweep away Baasha and his family.” Either metaphor emphasizes the thorough and destructive nature of the coming judgment.
  6. 1 Kings 16:3 tc The Old Greek, Syriac Peshitta, and some mss of the Targum have here “his house.”
  7. 1 Kings 16:4 tn Heb “the ones belonging to Baasha.”
  8. 1 Kings 16:5 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Baasha, and that which he did and his strength, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”
  9. 1 Kings 16:6 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
  10. 1 Kings 16:7 tn Heb “house,” by extension meaning the members of one’s household or a dynasty.
  11. 1 Kings 16:7 tn Heb “house.”
  12. 1 Kings 16:7 tn Heb “he struck him down” or “…it down.”

16 Now the word of the Lord came to Jehu(A) son of Hanani(B) against Baasha: “Because I raised you up from the dust(C) and made you ruler over my people Israel,(D) but you have walked in the ways of Jeroboam and have caused my people Israel to sin,(E) angering me with their sins, take note: I will eradicate Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat:(F)

Anyone who belongs to Baasha and dies in the city,
the dogs will eat,
and anyone who is his and dies in the field,
the birds[a] will eat.”(G)

The rest of the events of Baasha’s reign, along with all his accomplishments and might, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.(H) Baasha rested with his ancestors and was buried in Tirzah. His son Elah became king in his place. But through the prophet Jehu(I) son of Hanani the word of the Lord also had come against Baasha and against his house because of all the evil he had done in the Lord’s sight. His actions angered the Lord, and Baasha’s house became like the house of Jeroboam, because he had struck it down.(J)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 16:4 Lit birds of the sky