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.

1 KINGS 16:24KJV
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1 Kings 16:24 (KJV)

What does 1 Kings 16:24 mean?

1 Kings 16:24 describes how Omri, a king of Israel, purchased a hill from a man named Shemer for two talents of silver, built a city on it, and named the city Samaria after Shemer, the original owner of the hill. This verse explains the origin of Samaria, which became an important city in Israel's history.

The verse is part of a historical account about Omri, who became king during a time of political turmoil. The purchase and naming of Samaria marked a significant shift, as Omri established a new capital for the northern kingdom of Israel. The details about the transaction and naming show how cities often received their names from people or places connected to their founding.

The Hebrew behind 1 Kings 16:24

  • "bought" (קָנָה, qanah): This word means to acquire or purchase, emphasizing that Omri lawfully obtained the land rather than taking it by force.
  • "hill" (הַר, har): The use of "hill" highlights the strategic location chosen for the new city, which would have been easier to defend.
  • "Samaria" (שֹׁמְרוֹן, Shomron): The name Samaria is closely related to Shemer (שֶׁמֶר, Shemer), showing the connection between the land's previous owner and the new city.
  • "talents" (כִּכָּר, kikkar) and "silver" (כֶּסֶף, kesef): The mention of two talents of silver gives a sense of the value of the transaction and the resources Omri had at his disposal.

Why 1 Kings 16:24 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Samaria did not exist before Omri's reign and that its founding was a deliberate act tied to a specific purchase.
  • The detail about naming the city after Shemer shows how personal names and places were often linked in ancient Israel, providing insight into naming customs.
  • Understanding the founding of Samaria helps make sense of later events in the Bible, since Samaria became the capital of the northern kingdom and a central location in Israel's history.

Where else these words appear

“Shemer” Hebrew H8106 · used in 4 verses

  • 1 Chronicles 6:46 The son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shamer,
  • 1 Chronicles 7:34 And the sons of Shamer; Ahi, and Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram.
  • 1 Chronicles 8:12 The sons of Elpaal; Eber, and Misham, and Shamed, who built Ono, and Lod, with the towns thereof:

“talents” Hebrew H3603 · used in 55 verses

  • Genesis 13:10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
  • 2 Samuel 12:30 And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.
  • 1 Chronicles 29:4 Even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal:

“bought” Hebrew H7069 · used in 76 verses

  • Genesis 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
  • Joshua 24:32 And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
  • Proverbs 18:15 The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

“Samaria” Hebrew H8111 · used in 101 verses

  • 1 Kings 13:32 For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.
  • 2 Kings 13:1 In the three and twentieth year of Joash the son of Ahaziah king of Judah Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years.
  • 2 Chronicles 28:9 But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the LORD God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven.