885BC – King Zimri the 5th King of Israel

1 Kings 16:9-20. Zimri ruled for seven days and then committed suicide by fire. He sinned against the Lord.

Zimri murdered the previous king who was his master. The name Zimri became a byword for a traitor who murdered his master.

King Zimri helped to bring to pass the word of the Lord as given by Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha.

Zimri in Hebrew means: praiseworthy.

Background Reading:

King Zimri – 5th king of Israel

16:1 Zimri reigned for seven days at Tirzah during the twenty-seventh year of the reign of King Asa of Judah. At that time, the army was encamped in a siege against Gibbethon of Philistia. 16 The army at the encampment heard this report: “Zimri has conspired against the king and killed him.” So the entire army of Israel made Omri, their commander, king over Israel. 17 Then Omri and the entire army of Israel left from Gibbethon and attacked Tirzah. 18 When Zimri observed that the city had been captured, he retreated into the king’s palace, set fire to the citadel, and died when the palace burned down around him 19 because of the sins that he committed by doing what the LORD considered to be evil, living like Jeroboam did, and sinning so as to lead Israel into sin. 20 The rest of Zimri’s accomplishments, including his conspiracy that he carried out, are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, are they not?
2 Kings 16:15-20


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