King living at the time of Divided Monarchy
Omri was the sixth king of Israel who established Samaria as the capital and founded a powerful dynasty.
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Omri was the sixth king of Israel, who reigned for 12 years (1Ki.16.23). He came to power after a period of political instability and established Samaria as the new capital of Israel (1Ki.16.24). Omri was a powerful ruler who expanded Israel's territory and made alliances with neighboring kingdoms, including Phoenicia through the marriage of his son Ahab to Jezebel (1Ki.16.31). However, Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord and followed the sins of Jeroboam (1Ki.16.25-26). The dynasty he founded, known as the "house of Omri," became notorious for its wickedness, particularly during the reign of his son Ahab (1Ki.16.30; Mic.6.16). Omri's reign was significant in the history of Israel, as he strengthened the kingdom politically and economically, but also led the nation further into idolatry and disobedience to God.
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Servant of Jehovah. When Elah was murdered by Zimri at Tirzah (1 Kings 16:15-27), Omri, his captain, was made king (B.C. 931). For four years there was continued opposition to his reign, Tibni, another claimant to the throne, leading the opposing party; but at the close of that period all his rivals were defeated, and he became king of Israel, “Tibni died and Omri reigned” (B.C. 927). By his vigour and power he gained great eminence and consolidated the kingdom. He fixed his dynasty on the throne so firmly that it continued during four succeeding reigns. Tirza was for six years the seat of his government. He then removed the capital to Samaria (q.v.), where he died, and was succeeded by his son Ahab. “He wrought evil in the eyes of the Lord, and did worse than all that were before him.” Beth-omri, “the house” or “city of Omri,” is the name usually found on Assyrian inscriptions for Samaria. In the stele of Mesha (the “Moabite stone”), which was erected in Moab about twenty or thirty years after Omri’s death, it is recorded that Omri oppressed Moab till Mesha delivered the land: “Omri, king of Israel, oppressed Moab many days, for Chemosh was angry with his land. His son succeeded him, and he also said, I will oppress Moab” (comp. 2 Kings 1:1; 3:4, 5). The “Moabite stone” also records that “Omri took the land of Medeba, and occupied it in his day and in the days of his son forty years.”
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
13 verses in 4 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H6018
and the people in the camp heard that Zimri had conspired against the king and struck hime down. So there in the camp that very day, all Israel proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel.
Then Omri and all the Israelites marched up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah.
At that time the people of Israel were divided: Half of the people supported Tibni son of Ginath as king, and half supported Omri.
But the followers of Omri proved stronger than those of Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri became king.
In the thirty-first year of Asaʼs reign over Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah.
But Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD and acted more wickedly than all who were before him.
As 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?
And Omri rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria, and his son Ahab reigned in his place.
In the thirty-eighth year of Asaʼs reign over Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria twenty-two years.
However, Ahab son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him.
Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His motherʼs name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri king of Israel.
Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His motherʼs name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri.
You have kept the statutes of Omri and all the practices of Ahabʼs house; you have followed their counsel. Therefore I will make you a desolation, and your inhabitants an object of contempt; you will bear the scorn of the nations.”
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.