The first part of 1 Kings 16:15 nearly follows the standard formula that appears previously, that is, “In the [some numbered] year of [some names] king of Judah, [some other name] became king in Israel and he reigned for [some numbered years]. Here, nevertheless there are some differences that are possibly significant. First, the writer omits telling us in so many words that Zimri became king, though he does say that he reigned. Second, Tirzah is mentioned rather than Israel as the place of his reign. These circumstances may indicate that nobody considered Zimri king outside of the capital city. If so, it would be an indication that Zimri’s uprising was not a popular one.
While Zimri executed his coup against Elah and his house, the major part of Israel’s army was besieging the city of Gibbethon. The writer says in the second part of 1 Kings 16:15 that it belonged
to the Philistines, but that does not mean that they had a divine right to it, since we see in the book of Joshua that it was listed as a city that was to be part of Israel as the Lord distributed the land among the twelve tribes. In Joshua 21:22 Gibbethon is apportioned to the tribe of Dan.
Zimri may have believed that the preoccupation of the army with its siege would keep it from interfering. If that was Zimri’s thought, he was sadly mistaken. The army did not continue the siege, and they did not rally to Zimri’s cause, as he might also have hoped. Instead, when they heard the news of Zimri’s murderous conspiracy, they proclaimed Omri, the commander of Israel’s army, king, and they marched to Tirzah to destroy Zimri and put their choice for king on the throne.
Since we are told that Zimri reigned for a mere week, the siege must not have been very long, which is unusual. Sieges usually lasted for weeks, months, and even years. Nevertheless, the writer says that the city was taken by the attacking army.
Zimri understood that this was a clear demonstration that his bid for Israel’s throne had failed. Therefore, rather than to subject himself to the retribution of Omri, he retreated to a part of the king’s house that was especially fortified. He had no thought of continuing the fight; rather, he burned the house over his own head.
The idea of being burned alive horrifies most people who contemplate it. Zimri may have concluded that he would die of smoke inhalation long before the fire consumed him. Regardless of this possibility, throughout history some people have acted with the idea that it is better to die by one's own hand than the hand of another. The phrase cheat the executioner
has come to refer to a prisoner who manages to commit suicide rather than being executed.
There is not the least hint that the Bible approves of Zimri’s suicide any more than it approves of the murders of others (especially those of the friends of Elah) that he committed. Yes, they served God’s providential plan in bringing judgment upon the family of Baasha, but what the Lord planned for good, Zimri planned for evil.
The death of Zimri served to execute the judgment of God for his sins, says the writer in verse nineteen. We may be perplexed, nevertheless, that Zimri is judged for following in the way of Jeroboam. We may object, “He only reigned a week; how could he be charged with this evil? First, we must understand that Jeroboam was guilty of more sins than the ones that are specifically mentioned. He was an unbeliever and so was Zimri. Second, the Lord knew what Zimri’s future might have been if he had been allowed to reign for a longer period of time.
In 1 Kings 16:19 we hear the damning judgment again: Zimri doing evil in the sight of the Lord, walking in the way of Jeroboam
(who was king about thirty years earlier). He too, in the seven days that he was king, set a bad example to the people—a mortal sin for a king.
Once again, now in 1 Kings 16:20, the writer points us to the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. In that source, if it were available to us, we might find out who else was involved in Zimri’s conspiracy. It has, however, pleased the Lord to keep that information from the modern readers of 1 Kings.
15 In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines,