24<\/strong>. the hill Samaria<\/em> ] This is the first historic mention of the place which subsequently became famous, as the chief city in Israel, and gave name to a people and a district. Where the word occurs in 1Ki 13:32<\/span>, it is a later writer who is using, before its proper date, a name which to him and his readers was perfectly familiar. (See note there.) Samaria is the Greek form of the name, but the derivation from ‘Shemer,’ the former owner, becomes apparent if the word be written in its Hebrew form ‘Shomeron.’<\/p>\n The LXX. inserts ‘the owner of the hill’ after the first mention of Shemer in this verse, as well as after the second; also it reads ‘and he called the name of the mountain where<\/em> he built’ instead of the exact rendering of the Hebrew as in A. V.<\/p>\n Samaria represents the Greek form of the name <\/SPAN><\/span> Samareia<\/I>; the original is <\/span> shomeron<\/I> (margin). The site is marked by the modern Sebustiyeh, an Arabic corruption of Sebaste, the name given by Herod to Samaria when he rebuilt it. Sebustiyeh is situated on a very remarkable hill. In the heart of the mountains of Israel occurs a deep basin-shaped depression, in the midst of which rises an oblong hill, with steep but not inaccessible sides, and a long flat top. This was the site which Omri chose for his new capital. Politically it was rather more central than Shechem, and probably than Tirzah. In a military point of view it was admirably calculated for defense. The country round it was especially productive. The hill itself possessed abundant springs of water. The result is that we find no further change. Shechem and Tirzah were each tried and abandoned; but through all the later alterations of dynasty Samaria continued uninterruptedly, to the very close of the independence, to be the capital of the northern kingdom.<\/P> Omri purchased the right of property in the hill, just as David purchased the threshing-floor (2Sa 24:24<\/span>; compare 1Ki 21:2<\/span>). Two talents, or 6,000 shekels (Exo 38:24<\/span> note) – about 500 British pounds (or perhaps 800 pounds) of our money – may well have been the full value of the ground. And while naming his city after Shemer, Omri may also have had in view the appropriateness of such a name to the situation of the place. Shomeron, to a Hebrew ear, would have necessarily conveyed the idea of a watch-tower. This name, however, appears not to have been at first accepted by the surrounding nations. The earlier Assyrian kings knew the Israelite capital, not as Samaria, but as Beth-Khumri, i. e., the city (house) of Omri. It is not until the time of Tiglath-pileser that they exchange this designation for that of Sammirin.<\/P><\/p>\n Verse 24. He bought the hill Samaria of Shemer<\/B><\/I>] This should be read, “He bought the hill of Shomeron from Shomer, and called it Shomeron, (i.e., Little Shomer,) after the name of Shomer, owner of the hill.” At first the kings of Israel dwelt at Shechem, and then at Tirzah; but this place having suffered much in the civil broils, and the place having been burnt down by Zimri, Omri purposed to found a new city, to which he might transfer the seat of government. He fixed on a hill that belonged to a person of the name of Shomer<\/I>; and bought it from him for two talents of silver<\/I>, about <\/I>707 3s<\/I>. 9d<\/I>. Though this was a large sum in those days, yet we cannot suppose that the hill was very large which was purchased for so little; and probably no other building upon it than Shomer’s house, if indeed he had one there. Shomeron<\/I>, or, as it is corruptly written, Samaria<\/I>, is situated in the midst of the tribe of Ephraim, not very far from the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and about midway between Dan and Beer-sheba: thus Samaria became the capital of the ten tribes, the metropolis of the kingdom of Israel, and the residence of its kings. The kings of Israel adorned and fortified it; Ahab built a house of ivory<\/I> in it, 1Kg 22:39<\/span>; the kings of Syria had magazines<\/I> or storehouses<\/I> in it, for the purpose of commerce; see 1Kg 20:34<\/span>. And it appears to have been a place of considerable importance and great strength.<\/P> <\/P> Samaria endured several sieges; Ben-hadad king of Syria, besieged it twice, 1Kg 20:1<\/span>, c. and it cost Shalmaneser a siege of three years to reduce it, 2Kg 17:6<\/span>, c. After the death of Alexander the Great, it became the property of the kings of Egypt but Antiochus the Great took it from the Egyptians; and it continued in the possession of the kings of Syria till the Asmoneans took and razed it to the very foundation. Gabinius<\/I>, pro-consul of Syria, partially rebuilt it, and called it Gabiniana<\/I>. Herod the Great restored it to its ancient splendour, and placed in it a colony of six thousand<\/I> men, and gave it the name of Sebaste<\/I>, in honour of Augustus<\/I>. It is now a place of little consequence.<\/P> <\/p>\n Built on the hill, <\/B>to wit, the city; and especially, a royal palace, because that at Tirzah was burnt, 1Ki 16:18<\/span>. <\/P> <\/p>\n 24. he bought the hill Samaria ofShemer<\/B>The palace of Tirzah being in ruins, Omri, in selectingthe site of his royal residence, was naturally influenced byconsiderations both of pleasure and advantage. In the center of awide amphitheatre of mountains, about six miles from Shechem, risesan oblong hill with steep, yet accessible sides, and a long flat topextending east and west, and rising five hundred or six hundred feetabove the valley. What Omri in all probability built as a merepalatial residence, became the capital of the kingdom instead ofShechem. It was as though Versailles had taken the place of Paris, orWindsor of London. The choice of Omri was admirable, in selecting aposition which combined in a union not elsewhere found in Palestine:strength, beauty, and fertility [STANLEY].<\/P> two talents of silver<\/B>684.Shemer had probably made it a condition of the sale, that the nameshould be retained. But as city and palace were built there by Omri,it was in accordance with Eastern custom to call it after thefounder. The Assyrians did so, and on a tablet dug out of the ruinsof Nineveh, an inscription was found relating to Samaria, which iscalled Beth-khumrithe house of Omri [LAYARD].(See 2Ki 17:5<\/span>).<\/P><\/p>\n And he bought the hill of Samaria of Shemer, for two talents of silver<\/strong>,…. A talent of silver, according to Brerewood f, was of our money three hundred and seventy five pounds, so that this hill was purchased at seven hundred and fifty pounds:<\/p>\n and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria<\/strong>; its name from him was Shomeron, which is the Hebrew name for Samaria; which, according to Bunting g was six miles from Tirzah, and ever after the royal seat of the kings of Israel.<\/p>\n f De Ponder. & Pret. c. 4. g Ut supra, (Travels, &c.) p. 163.<\/p>\n (24) Built on the hill.<\/strong>Omri only followed the usual practice of a new dynasty in the East, of which Jeroboam had set an example at Shechem, and probably Baasha at Tirzah. Possibly the seeds of disaffection may have still lurked in Tirzah, the place of Zimris conspiracy, and (as has been conjectured) of Tibnis rival power. But the site of Samaria must have been chosen by a soldiers eye. Its Hebrew name (Shomern<\/em>) means a watch-tower, and may well have had a double derivation, from its natural position, as well as from its owners name. Its position was one of great beauty, and, in the warfare of those days, of singular strength, as is shown by the long sieges which it withstood (1Ki. 20:1<\/span>; 2Ki. 6:24<\/span>; 2Ki. 17:5<\/span>; 2Ki. 18:9-10<\/span>). It lay north-west of Shechem, on an isolated hill with precipitous sides, rising in the middle of a basin of the hills of Ephraim, not far from the edge of the maritime plain, and commanding a view of the sea. Its history vindicated the sagacity of its founder. Even after its destruction and depopulation by the Assyrians, it seems to have revived, for Alexander took it on his invasion of Palestine, and placed a Greek colony there. Again destroyed by John Hyrcanus, it was rebuilt by Herod, and called Sebaste<\/em>, in honour of Augustus. In the Assyrian inscriptions it is known as Beth-Khumri (the house of Omri).<\/p>\n 24<\/strong>. <\/strong> Samaria <\/strong> “As Constantine’s sagacity is fixed by his choice of Constantinople, so is that of Omri by his choice of Samaria. It was the only great city of Palestine created by the sovereigns. All the others had been already consecrated by patriarchal tradition or previous possession. But Samaria was the choice of Omri alone, and in Assyrian inscriptions it bears the name of Beth-Khumri <\/em> the house, or palace, of Omri. Six miles from Shechem, in the same well-watered valley, here opening into a wide basin, rises an oblong hill, with steep yet accessible sides, and a long level top. This was the mountain of Samaria, or, as it is called in the original, Shomeron, so named after its owner Shemer, who there lived in state, and who sold it to the king for the great sum of two talents of silver. [About $3,320.] It combined in a union not elsewhere found in Palestine, strength, beauty, and fertility. It commanded a full view of the sea and the plain of Sharon on the one hand, and of the vale of Shechem on the other. The town sloped down from the summit of the bill; a broad wall with a terraced top ran round it. 2Ki 6:26 ; 2Ki 6:30<\/span>. Outside the gate lived a colony of unhappy lepers, (2Ki 7:3<\/span>,) such as are still to be seen under the walls of Jerusalem. In front of the gates was a wide, open space, or threshingfloor, where the kings of Samaria sat on great occasions. 1Ki 22:10<\/span>. The inferior houses were built of white brick, with rafters of sycamore; the grander, of hewn stone and cedar. Isa 9:9-10<\/span>. It stood amidst a circle of hills, commanding a view of its streets and slopes, itself the crown and glory of the whole scene. Isa 28:1<\/span>. Its soft, rounded, oblong platform was, as it were, a vast luxurious couch, in which its nobles rested securely, propped and cushioned up on both sides, as in the cherished corner of a rich divan.” Stanley. <\/em> It continued to be the capital city of the northern kingdom, and sustained many sieges, until Shalmaneser carried away Israel into Assyrian captivity. 2Ki 17:6<\/span>.<\/p>\n 1Ki 16:24<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. <\/strong>He bought the hill Samaria of Shemer<\/em><\/strong><\/strong> It is surprising, that when Omri bought this place of Shemer, whereon he intended to build a city, he did not call it by his own name; unless we may suppose, that when Shemer sold it, he let him have the greater bargain of it upon condition that it should be continued in its first owner’s name. However this be, it is certain, that as Samaria was situated in the midst of the tribe of Ephraim, on a fruitful and pleasant hill, it soon became the regal and capital city of the kingdom of Israel; nor did its kings omit any thing to make it as strong, as fine, and as rich as possible. What fate it underwent by Ben-hadad king of Syria, by Salmanasar, &c. we shall see in a great measure in the course of this history. It is conjectured by Bochart, who traced the ruins of it, to have been once larger than Jerusalem; but now it comprises nothing but a few cottages and convents inhabited by some Greek monks. See Wells’s Geogr. vol. 3: <\/p>\n REFLECTIONS.<\/strong>We have here, <\/p>\n 1. The fall of Zimri. Though seven days terminated his reign, yet in them he shewed his disposition to Jeroboam’s sins. Unable to defend himself against the forces under Omri, he rather chose to perish in the flames of his palace, than fall with it into the hands of his envied rival. Note; <\/em>(1.) The frequent end of ambitious projectors is, to perish in the flames that they have kindled. (2.) Envy and revenge, even in death, forsake not the wicked. <\/p>\n 2. The civil war which ensued between Omri and Tibni. The people were divided between these competitors for the crown, and the struggle lasted four years, when Tibni seems to have fallen in battle, and Omri reigned without a rival. Note; <\/em>Of all inflictions on a nation, none are more terrible than civil wars. <\/p>\n 3. Omri, far from taking warning by his predecessor’s sufferings, did worse than all who went before him; and, not satisfied with encouraging idolatry, compelled the people to it by penal statutes, Mic 6:16<\/span>. At last, after a reign of twelve years, he died, and was buried; and left his crown to a son more abandoned to wickedness than his father. Thus, when a people forsake God, they go from worse to worse, till destruction comes upon them to the uttermost. <\/p>\n 1Ki 16:24 And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria.<\/p>\n Ver. 24. And built on the hill.<\/strong> ] A city, with a palace royal: for Tirzah was burnt by Zimri. 1Ki 16:18 <\/p>\n owner = lord. <\/p>\n Samaria. This is the origin of the city. <\/p>\n the name of the city: 1Ki 13:32, 1Ki 18:2, 1Ki 20:1, 1Ki 22:37, 2Ki 17:1, 2Ki 17:6, 2Ki 17:24, Joh 4:4, Joh 4:5, Act 8:5-8 <\/p>\n Samaria: Heb. Shomeron, Samaria was situated on a agreeable and fertile hill in the tribe of Ephraim, twelve miles from Dothaim and four from Atharoth, according to Eusebius, and one day’s journey from Jerusalem, according to Josephus. <\/p>\n Reciprocal: 1Ki 12:25 – built 1Ki 16:29 – Samaria 2Ch 25:13 – Samaria Isa 7:9 – the head Jer 41:5 – Samaria Amo 4:1 – the mountain Amo 6:1 – and trust Amo 8:14 – sin<\/p>\n 1Ki 16:24. He bought the hill Samaria of Shemer Where he built the noted city of that name, which ever after was the royal city of the kings of Israel, the palace of Tirzah being burned. This city, in process of time, became so considerable, that it gave name to the middle part of Canaan, which lay between Galilee on the north, and Judea on the south, and to the inhabitants of that country, who were called Samaritans. For two talents of silver Something more than seven hundred pounds sterling. Perhaps, says Henry, Shemer let him have the ground cheaper, on condition that it should be called after his name: for it was called Samaria, or Shemeren, as it is in the Hebrew, from Shemer, the former owner of the land. Thus the kings of Israel often changed the seat of their government, which was Shechem first then Tirzah, now Samaria. But the kings of Judah were constant to Jerusalem, the city of God.<\/p>\n And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria. 24. the hill Samaria ] This is the first historic mention of the place which subsequently became … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Kings 16:24”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9319"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9319\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"