Ahab and Jezebel Introduce Baal Worship
1 Kings 16:29-34
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1 K.16.29 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואחאב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עמרי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- על: PREP
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בשנת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,cons
- שלשים: NUM,m,pl,abs
- ושמנה: NUM,card,sg
- שנה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לאסא: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- וימלך: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אחאב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עמרי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בשמרון: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עשרים: NUM,card,pl
- ושתים: NUM,f,pl,abs
- שנה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- 1 Kings 16:23 (structural): Omri's reign and the founding of Samaria; provides dynastic and geographical background for Ahab being called 'son of Omri' and ruling from Samaria.
- 1 Kings 16:28 (verbal): Immediate predecessor verse stating that Ahab son of Omri became king—directly connected to 16:29's summary of the length and location of his reign.
- 1 Kings 16:31 (thematic): Reports Ahab's marriage to Jezebel and the introduction of Baal worship—key elements that characterize and explain the nature of Ahab's reign mentioned in 16:29.
- 1 Kings 21:25 (thematic): Later evaluation of Ahab ('there was none like him who sold himself to do evil'); gives moral judgment on the reign whose chronology is given in 16:29.
Alternative generated candidates
- Ahab son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah; and Ahab son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years.
- And Ahab son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah; and Ahab son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years.
1 K.16.30 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויעש: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אחאב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עמרי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הרע: ADJ,m,sg,def
- בעיני: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- מכל: PREP
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לפניו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- 1 Kgs 21:25 (verbal): Directly echoes and intensifies 1 Kgs 16:30’s judgment — states Ahab ‘did more to provoke the LORD’ than all preceding kings, a clear verbal and evaluative parallel.
- 1 Kgs 16:31–33 (structural): Immediate narrative continuation that explains how Ahab ‘did evil’ (marriage to Jezebel, establishment of Baal worship), providing the causes and actions underlying 1 Kgs 16:30’s summary statement.
- 1 Kgs 15:26 (verbal): Similar formula used about another Israelite king (Baasha): ‘did evil in the eyes of the LORD,’ showing the recurring royal evaluation phraseology used by the Deuteronomistic historian.
- 1 Kgs 11:4–6 (thematic): Solomon’s turning to foreign wives and foreign gods is judged as doing evil before the LORD, thematically paralleling Ahab’s syncretism and covenant unfaithfulness as causes of divine disapproval.
Alternative generated candidates
- Ahab son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD more than all who were before him.
- And Ahab son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD more than all who were before him.
1 K.16.31 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- הנקל: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- לכתו: VERB,qal,inf,3,m,sg
- בחטאות: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ירבעם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נבט: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויקח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אשה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- איזבל: NOUN,prop,f,sg
- בת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- אתבעל: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- צידנים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- וילך: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- ויעבד: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- הבעל: NOUN,m,sg,def
- וישתחו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- 1 Kings 18:17-21 (allusion): Elijah directly confronts Ahab over Israel’s turning to Baal; this passage presupposes Ahab’s marriage to Jezebel and his service of Baal described in 1 Kgs 16:31.
- 1 Kings 21:25-26 (verbal): Explicit assessment that Ahab was provoked by Jezebel to do evil—echoes the present verse’s link between Jezebel’s arrival and Ahab’s worship of Baal.
- 2 Kings 9:22-26 (thematic): Jehu’s purge of Baal worship and the violent fate of Jezebel are the later consequences of the introduction of Jezebel and Baal-worship in Ahab’s reign.
- Exodus 20:3-5 (thematic): The prohibition against other gods and idolatry provides the covenantal background for judging Ahab’s service of Baal as a grave sin.
Alternative generated candidates
- It proved easy for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat. He took Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians as his wife, and went and served Baal and bowed down to him.
- For it was nothing to him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat; he took Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians as his wife, and went and served Baal and bowed down to him.
1 K.16.32 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויקם: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- מזבח: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לבעל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הבעל: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- בנה: NOUN,m,sg,abs+SUFF,3,f,sg
- בשמרון: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 1 Kings 18:30-39 (thematic): Elijah rebuilds the altar of the LORD on Mount Carmel and demonstrates Yahweh's supremacy over Baal; thematically contrasts Ahab's erection of an altar for Baal and the contest between Yahweh and Baal worship.
- Judges 6:25-32 (thematic): Gideon destroys an altar to Baal and cuts down an Asherah, then builds an altar to Yahweh—a parallel episode of confronting and reversing local Baal-cult installations.
- 2 Kings 10:26-27 (structural): Jehu razes and defiles the house of Baal in Samaria that had been established earlier; a direct narrative follow-up to the erection of a Baal temple/altar in Samaria.
- 2 Kings 17:16-18 (thematic): Summary of Israel's abandonment of Yahweh in favor of Baal and other idolatry leading to exile—provides the broader theological and historical context for actions like building altars to Baal in the northern kingdom.
Alternative generated candidates
- He erected an altar to Baal in the house of Baal that he built in Samaria.
- He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal that he had built in Samaria.
1 K.16.33 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויעש: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אחאב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- האשרה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ויוסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אחאב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לעשות: VERB,qal,inf
- להכעיס: VERB,hiphil,inf
- את: PRT,acc
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלהי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מכל: PREP
- מלכי: NOUN,pl,m,cons
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- היו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- לפניו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- 1 Kings 21:25-26 (verbal): Explicitly repeats the assessment that Ahab 'did more to provoke the LORD'—a near-verbatim parallel about Ahab’s aggravated provocation of God.
- 2 Kings 17:10-12 (thematic): Describes Israel’s widespread idolatry—setting up images and groves—and how such practices provoked the LORD, thematically matching Ahab’s establishment of an Asherah.
- Deuteronomy 12:3 (thematic): Commands Israelites to overthrow altars and burn groves (Asherah poles), providing legal/background contrast to Ahab’s commissioning of an Asherah.
- 1 Kings 15:13 (structural): Records King Asa’s removal and destruction of an Asherah image—structurally contrasts Asa’s reforms with Ahab’s setting up of an Asherah.
- Judges 2:11-13 (thematic): Reports Israel’s forsaking of Yahweh for Baal and Ashtaroth, provoking the LORD—an earlier example of the same pattern of idolatry and divine provocation.
Alternative generated candidates
- Ahab also set up an Asherah; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
- And Ahab made the Asherah; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
1 K.16.34 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בימיו: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- בנה: NOUN,m,sg,abs+SUFF,3,f,sg
- חיאל: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- האלי: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- יריחה: NOUN,prop,f,sg,abs
- באבירם: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- בכרו: NOUN,3,m,sg,abs
- יסדה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg+PRON,3,f,sg
- ובשגוב: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- צעירו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- הציב: VERB,hiph,perf,3,m,sg
- דלתיה: NOUN,f,pl,abs,poss3ms
- כדבר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ביד: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- יהושע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Josh.6:26 (quotation): Direct verbal parallel: Joshua’s curse that anyone who rebuilds Jericho will lose his firstborn and youngest is cited as fulfilled in 1 Kgs 16:34.
- Josh.6:20-21 (thematic): Context for the curse—Jericho’s destruction under Joshua (the city devoted to the LORD) explains why rebuilding would invoke Joshua’s curse; provides background for the fulfillment reported in 1 Kgs 16:34.
- Josh.6:27 (structural): The conclusion of the Jericho narrative (God’s presence with Joshua and the day being remembered) frames the original oracle whose fulfillment is claimed in 1 Kgs 16:34.
- Neh.2:17-18 (thematic): The motif of rebuilding walls/gates: Nehemiah’s authorized rebuilding of Jerusalem’s defenses contrasts with Hiel’s rebuilding of Jericho (which, per 1 Kgs 16:34, met the curse pronounced by Joshua).
Alternative generated candidates
- In his days Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundation with Abiram his firstborn, and with Segub his youngest he set up its gates, according to the word of the LORD that he had spoken by Joshua son of Nun.
- In his days Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho; at the cost of his firstborn he laid its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son he set up its gates, according to the word of the LORD which he had spoken by Joshua son of Nun.
Ahab son of Omri reigned over Israel in the thirty‑eighth year of Asa king of Judah. Ahab son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty‑two years.
Ahab son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD more than all who were before him.
He walked in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat; he took as wife Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he went and served Baal and bowed down to him.
He built an altar for Baal in the house of Baal that he had made in Samaria.
Ahab also set up an Asherah. Ahab added to his provocations against the LORD, the God of Israel, more than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
In his days Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho; he laid its foundation with Abiram his firstborn, and with Segub his youngest he set up its gates—just as the LORD had declared by the mouth of Joshua son of Nun.