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b'Rather than being taken prisoner, Zimri set the king\'s palace on fire and died in the flames.
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1 Kings 16:18King James Version (KJV)
18 And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the palace of the king\'s house, and burnt the king\'s house over him with fire, and died.
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Well, Zimri packs a lot of living into one week! He kills his king; kills off his king\'s family and friends; repels a siege from Omri; loses the siege and Tirzah; and then ultimately goes into the palace\'s citadel, sets fire to it, and dies. Suicides like his occur rarely in Israel; as I read canonically, Saul, Ahitophel, and Judas Iscariot are three other examples (1 Sam 31:4; 2 Sam 17:23; Matt 27:5)
The narrative\'s speed indicates the swift unfolding of the week\'s events. Significantly, the narrative of Zimri\'s coup omits any details about its planning.[17] Their absence probably indicates Zimri operated single-handedly on the spur of the moment.
The narrator points out one thing Zimri does well: he kills. The Hebrew verbs indicate decisiveness: Zimri comes in, strikes down Elah, and kills him (v. 10). As a proficient killer, he next slays Baasha\'s family (v. 11). The narrator\'s contempt for the family of Baasha and Elah comes across strongly in v. 11, which describes each dead male relative as "one who urinates against a wall."[18]
Expressing no regret at their deaths, the narrator seemingly offers a "Good riddance!" assessment of both Baasha and Elah\'s reigns. Why? Because they committed sins, caused Israel to sin, and provoked the Lord to anger because of their worthless idols (vv. 7, 14). Chapter 16 highlights the sins of the kings and the people (vv. 2, 13, & 19).[19]
Psalm 139
7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.'