I Kings 16:27-28 · Bible study
1 Kings 16:27-28 Commentary: Omri's Might and Evil
Hebrew · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Study 1 Kings 16:27-28: Omri's political might recorded in chronicles but Scripture focuses on his spiritual failure.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The biblical account acknowledges Omri's political might but deliberately focuses on his spiritual failure, using a formulaic obituary that points to a lost source for his accomplishments.
- Key words: Might (H1369 g'vurah: strength, valor, mighty deeds); written (H3789 katav: to inscribe, record); slept (H7901 shakav: to lie down in death); buried (H6912 kavar: to inter).
- Main debate: Whether Omri's might included specific wars (possibly against Syria, per Barnes) or primarily his building of Samaria; the nature of the chronicles source (official annals vs. a lost temple record).
- Theological theme: God's evaluation of a life transcends earthly achievements; human success without righteousness is ultimately judged as evil.
- Best use: Pastoral teaching on legacy, the brevity of life, and the priority of obedience over accomplishment; also for modeling how Scripture uses and subordinates political history to theological instruction.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
27As for the rest of the acts of Omri, along with his accomplishments and the might he exercised, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
28And Omri rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria, and his son Ahab reigned in his place.
WEB World English Bible 2000
27Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might that he showed, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
28So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria; and Ahab his son reigned in his place.
KJV King James Version 1769
27Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might that he shewed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
28So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
27Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might that he showed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
28So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria; and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
27And the rest of the matters of Omri that he did, and his might that he got, are they not written on the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel?
28And Omri lieth with his fathers, and is buried in Samaria, and Ahab his son reigneth in his stead.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
27And the rest of the acts of Omri, what he did, and his might which he shewed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
28And Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria; and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
27Now the rest of the acts of Amri, and the battles he fought, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?
28And Amri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria, and Achab, his son, reigned in his stead.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Kings 16:27
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that the closing formula for Omri follows the pattern used for every king of Israel and Judah in 1 Kings. The chronicles referenced were official annals that detailed royal accomplishments, military campaigns and building projects. Barnes suggests Omri's 'might' may refer to his war with Syria; Gill notes the chronicles are the same source cited for earlier kings. Keil points to Omri's founding of Samaria as a significant achievement. Yet the biblical author deliberately omits those details. The consensus is clear: the formula acknowledges that Omri had real political power and successes, but the narrator assigns them no theological weight. What matters for this sacred history is the spiritual diagnosis given in verses 25, 26: Omri did evil in Yahweh's sight, worse than all before him, walking in the sins of Jeroboam. The chronicles preserve his name for human memory; Scripture preserves his judgment for divine instruction.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The biblical author deliberately subordinates Omri's political achievements to his spiritual condemnation, establishing that God's evaluation of a life hinges on covenant faithfulness, not human success.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The chronicles source | All interpreters agree that 'the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel' was a real historical document, now lost, that recorded the political and military acts of Israel's kings. | Some (Keil) treat it as official state annals; others suggest it may have been a temple archive or a later compilation. The precise contents and date remain unknown. |
| Meaning of 'might' | Omri exercised real power, likely including military strength and building projects that established Samaria as a capital. | Barnes links his might specifically to a war with Syria (see 1 Kings 20:34), but no details survive in the biblical text. Some see the emphasis on building as the primary demonstration. |
| Evaluation of Omri's evil | All agree the text judges Omri as evil for walking in the sins of Jeroboam and making Israel sin. | The comparison 'worse than all who were before him' could be hyperbole or a precise ranking. Later kings (Ahab) exceed him, raising questions about the scale of evil. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Omri seized the throne after a military coup against Zimri and had to fight a four-year civil war with Tibni before securing sole rule (1 Kings 16:15-22). He reigned twelve years total, the first six in Tirzah, the capital of the northern kingdom. Then he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver, built a city on it, and made it his new capital (vv. 23-24). Samaria's strategic location on a hill made it easily defensible, and it remained Israel's capital until the Assyrian conquest. Omri's might included this building project and likely military campaigns, possibly against the rising power of Damascus (Barnes connects his might to a war with Syria that ended badly for Omri, see 1 Kings 20:34). The 'book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel' was the royal annals that recorded such political and military events. The biblical author assumes his readers know these records exist but chooses not to repeat them. Instead he gives a theological epitaph: Omri 'did worse than all who were before him' (v. 25). The closing formula (vv. 27-28) functions as a formal obituary, it reports his death, his burial in Samaria, and his successor Ahab. The language 'slept with his fathers' is a standard idiom for a natural death, not implying salvation or fellowship; it simply means he died and was buried with his ancestors (though Samaria, not a family tomb, is specified).
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note one significant variant in the Greek tradition. The Septuagint (LXX) inserts after verse 27 a passage nearly identical to 1 Kings 22:41-50 about Jehoshaphat's accession and acts, with the date differing (eleventh year of Omri instead of fourth year of Ahab). This duplication suggests a scribal harmonization or confusion in the LXX transmission. The Hebrew Masoretic Text shows no substantial variants for these verses.
Reception History
This passage has primarily been read as part of the Deuteronomic judgment on the northern kingdom. Early Jewish tradition focused on Omri as a founder of a dynasty that led Israel into deeper idolatry, and the prophet Micah (6:16) refers to 'the statutes of Omri' as a byword for wickedness. Christian interpreters have often used the formula as a warning: outward success does not outweigh spiritual failure. Matthew Henry wrote of Omri that 'he did worse than all that were before him,' seeing in this a pattern of human depravity when leaders abandon God. Modern scholarship has used the passage to discuss the Deuteronomist's method of selecting and suppressing historical content for theological purposes. Omri is actually mentioned in Assyrian records as a powerful king, which contrasts sharply with the biblical silence about his might.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The chronicles of success. Omri's reign saw real accomplishments: he ended civil war, founded a capital, and exercised military strength. Human history would remember him as a capable ruler.
- The silence of God's evaluation. Scripture passes over those achievements to record only his spiritual failure. What the world celebrates, God may consider worthless if done in rebellion.
- The succession of influence. Omri's throne passed to his son Ahab, who became the most notorious king of Israel. A father's sin patterns a path the next generation may follow.
Five-point outline
- The literary formula: The closing notice (vv. 27-28) is a standardized template used for all Israel's kings, showing the historian's method.
- The record of might: Omri's g'vurah (might) was significant enough to be noted, but not detailed. The chronicles held that data; Scripture holds a different account.
- The burial in Samaria: Omri was buried in the city he built, a symbol of his earthly legacy. But the city would later become synonymous with idolatry and judgment.
- The legacy of evil: Verse 25 declares Omri did worse than all before him. Yet his son Ahab 'did more to provoke Yahweh than all the kings of Israel that were before him' (v. 33). Evil escalates without repentance.
- The rise of Ahab: The succession to Ahab sets the stage for the Elijah narratives. The quiet formula here masks the storm about to break on Israel.
Illustration hooks
- A CEO's retirement plaque lists profits and expansions, but his family knows he sacrificed integrity at home. Which record matters?
- A historical figure like a political founder admired for building a city, but whose policies led to long-term suffering. How do we weigh their legacy?
- An athlete's career statistics are impressive, but a scandal overshadows everything. The world debates the balance; Scripture offers a different scale.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If I succeed professionally but fail spiritually, what does God ultimately remember?
- Why does the Bible seem to skip over positive achievements in some lives and emphasize sin?
- How can I build something that outlasts me, and will it survive God's evaluation?
Leading a Discussion
This passage is a closing obituary for King Omri. It recognizes his political might but deliberately omits the details, focusing instead on the spiritual verdict given before: he did evil in God's sight. The formula challenges us to think about what God values in a life, and what we want our own record to show.
Discussion questions
- What do we learn about Omri's reign from the surrounding verses (vv. 23-26)? What achievements are mentioned, and what is the overall verdict?
- The phrase 'his might that he showed' suggests real strength. Why do you think the biblical author does not describe those acts? What does this choice tell us about the purpose of 1 Kings?
- Compare this closing formula with those for other kings in 1 Kings 14-16 (e.g., Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri). What is similar? What is different, especially in Omri's case?
- The phrase 'slept with his fathers' is a common idiom for death. What does it imply about Omri's fate? Does it suggest anything about his spiritual state? Why or why not?
- Omri was buried in Samaria, the city he built. How does that location reflect his legacy? How does it contrast with the hope of being gathered to one's fathers?
- If your life were summarized in two verses like this, what would you want them to say? What might God's summary look like versus the world's?
- How does this passage help us evaluate our own priorities, between career success, family influence, and faithfulness to God?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Kings 15:31 | Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? |
| I Kings 16:5 | Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and his might, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? |
| I Kings 16:14 | Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? |
| I Kings 16:20 | Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and his treason that he committed, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes identifies Omri's "might" with his war against Syria, a conflict that ended badly for him despite any initial strength. He points to the outcome as proof that the king's power brought him no lasting advantage.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator points out a textual discrepancy in the Septuagint at this point. The Greek version inserts a passage about Jehoshaphat's reign, but dates his accession to Omri's eleventh year, while the same event is recorded elsewhere as occurring in Ahab's fourth year, creating an internal inconsistency.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
I Kings 16:27 And the rest of the actes of Omri, that hee did, and his strength that he shewed, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? I Kings 16:28 And Omri slept with his fathers, and was buryed in Samaria: and Ahab his sonne reigned in his stead.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that Omri’s reign is recorded in the same royal chronicles as the kings before him, confirming the historical pattern. He observes that Omri died a natural death and was buried in Samaria, the city he built and turned into Israel’s capital, and that his son Ahab succeeded him.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stresses that Omri's founding of Samaria as his capital was a strategic move after four years of civil war. By purchasing the hill from Shemer and building a new city, he created a lasting political center that remained the capital of the northern kingdom until its fall. The commentary also traces Samaria's later history through conquest and rebuilding.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange traces a clear downward spiral in Israel's kings: each one outdid the previous in wickedness, from Jeroboam's calf worship to Ahab's formal Baal cult. He reads the rebuilding of Jericho as Ahab's deliberate denial of God's covenant victory, and the fulfilled curse as a warning that divine threats remain in force.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry highlights how Zimri's seven-day reign shows God's swift justice on a usurper who won the throne by murder. He also notes that Omri, though he became a more established king and built Samaria, did worse evil than all before him, walking in Jeroboam's sin.