In the thirty and first year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel, twelve years: six years reigned he in Tirzah.

1 KINGS 16:23KJV
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1 Kings 16:23 (KJV)

What does 1 Kings 16:23 mean?

1 Kings 16:23 states that Omri began to rule as king over Israel in the thirty-first year of Asa’s reign over Judah, and that Omri ruled for twelve years, with six of those years spent reigning in the city of Tirzah. This verse gives a precise timeline for Omri’s rise to power and the length and location of his reign.

The book of 1 Kings is narrating the history of the kings of Israel and Judah. Here, the writer is providing a chronological marker by linking Omri’s reign in Israel to the reign of Asa, who was king in Judah. The mention of Tirzah as Omri’s capital for six years highlights a period before he moved the capital elsewhere (which later verses explain).

The Hebrew behind 1 Kings 16:23

  • אָסָא (Asa, H609): This is the name of the king of Judah, used to anchor the timeline. The verse uses Asa’s reign as a reference point for when Omri began to rule in Israel.
  • עָשָׂר (ʿāśār, H6240) and שֵׁשׁ (šēš, H8337): These are the Hebrew words for “twelve” and “six,” showing the exact years Omri ruled and how long he stayed in Tirzah. This detail helps track the sequence of Israel’s kings and their movements.
  • תִּרְצָה (Tirzah, H8656): Tirzah was the capital city of Israel at the time. Mentioning Tirzah specifies where Omri’s early reign took place, which is important for understanding later changes in Israel’s political centers.

Why 1 Kings 16:23 matters

  • This verse clarifies the timeline of Israel’s kings by tying Omri’s reign to Asa’s, making it easier to follow the overlapping histories of the two kingdoms.
  • The detail about Omri ruling in Tirzah for only six years hints at a significant shift, as Omri later moves the capital to Samaria, marking a new era in Israel’s history.
  • By giving specific numbers and locations, the verse grounds the narrative in real historical events, helping readers see the Bible’s account as connected to actual places and rulers.

Where else these words appear

“Omri” Hebrew H6018 · used in 16 verses

  • 1 Kings 16:16 And the people that were encamped heard say, Zimri hath conspired, and hath also slain the king: wherefore all Israel made Omri, the captain of the host, king over Israel that day in the camp.
  • 1 Kings 16:27 Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and his might that he shewed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
  • 1 Chronicles 7:8 And the sons of Becher; Zemira, and Joash, and Eliezer, and Elioenai, and Omri, and Jerimoth, and Abiah, and Anathoth, and Alameth. All these are the sons of Becher.

“Tirzah” Hebrew H8656 · used in 17 verses

  • Numbers 26:33 And Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
  • 1 Kings 14:17 And Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah: and when she came to the threshold of the door, the child died;
  • 1 Kings 16:9 And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza steward of his house in Tirzah.

“Asa” Hebrew H609 · used in 52 verses

  • 1 Kings 15:8 And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.
  • 1 Kings 16:10 And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead.
  • 2 Chronicles 15:10 So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.