Abijah found the Israelites in great force, both in his front and rear, and the battle raged all round them. In this dilemma, the host of Judah cried unto Jehovah, and the priests sounded with the trumpets; and as the men of Judah gave a shout, God smote Jeroboam and all Israel, and they fled before Judah and God delivered them into their hand. And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter; so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men. Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed because they relied upon Jehovah, the God of their fathers. And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam and took cities from him; Bethel, with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah, with the towns thereof, and Ephraim with the towns thereof. Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah.* Jeroboam reigned twenty-two years over the ten tribes .of Israel, when God struck him, and he died, and he slept with his fathers,† and was suceeded by his son, A.C. 956. NADAB. THIS prince reigned over Israel only two years. during which he did evil in the sight of Jehovah, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin. Having gone up with all Israel to besiege Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines Baasha, the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him and slew him, and reigned in his stead.‡ * 2 Chron. xiii. 13-20. A. C. 954. 561 BAASHA. IMMEDIATELY after this monarch assumed the royal authority, he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according unto the saying which Jehovah spake by his servant Ahijah, the Shilonite, because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and made Israel sin, by his provocation, wherewith he provoked Jehovah, the God of Israel, to anger.* The international war continued between the houses of Judah and Israel all the reign of this monarch, during which Baasha came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa, king of Judah.† Being sore pressed, however, by the king of Israel, Asa formed a league with Benhadad, king of Syria, who then resided at Damascus, and prevailed on that monarch to invade the cities of Israel, ljon, Dan, and Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali; upon which Baasha desisted from his purpose of building Ramah, and withdrew his army, when Asa demolished the place and carried away the stones of Ramah and the timber thereof, and therewith built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah. It was probably upon this occasion that Asa dug the pit or trench which is spoken of by the prophet Jeremiah.§ Baasha having reigned twenty-four years over Israel, and done evil in the sight of Jehovah, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, the word of Jehovah came to Jehu, * 1 Kings, xv. 29, 30. + 2 Chron. xvi. 1. The reason of which was, lest his subjects should return to their allegiance, to the house of Judah. 2 Chron. xvi. 2-6. 1 Kings, xv. 17—22. Jer. xli. 9. A. Clarke says it was so, and that it was a cistern or the son of Hanani,* against him, saying; Forasmuch I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over my people Israel; and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to ange with their sins: behold, I will take away the posterity Baasha, and the posterity of his house; and will make th house like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Him the dieth of Baasha in the city, shall the dogs eat; and him the dieth of his in the fields, shall the fowls of the air eat.t Soon after this denunciation, Baasha slept with hi fathers, and was buried in Tirzah, where he had always kept his court; and was succeeded by his son,§ A. C. 930. ELAH. This monarch was completely vicious, and having reigned only two years, was assassinated, whilst in: state of intoxication, at the house of Arza, his steward at Tirzah, by Zimri, one of his officers, who usurped th throne as Elah's father had done that of Nadab.|| A.C. 929. ZIMRI Imitated also the conduct of Baasha, by cutting về all that monarch's posterity, not leaving a single mak alive, and thus fulfilling the prophecy of Jehu, the son of Hanani.¶ This usurper reigned only seven days, but they were seven days of sin; for besides his rebellion agains * Quite a different person from Jehu, the son of Nimshi, and is said to have written a book of the kings of Israel, 2 Chron. xx. 34. +1 Kings, xvi. 2. 4. 7. 1 Kings, xv. 33. xvi. 6. 1 Kings, xvi. 8—10. §1 Kings, xvi. 6. his master, he did evil in the sight of Jehovah by walking in the way of Jeroboam.* The Israelites were besieging Gibbethon, in the lot of Dan, but then in the possession of the Philistines, at the time that Zimri slew Elah; and when the troops heard of that transaction, they immediately elected Omri, the general who commanded the besieging army, and made him king over Israel on the spot. Immediately after which, Omri broke up the siege and marched with his troops to besiege Zimri in the royal palace at Tirzah. And when Zimri saw that the city was taken, he set fire to the palace and was consumed in the conflagration which ensued.† A. C. 929. OMRI Did not establish himself in the throne of Israel without some difficulty, for the nation became divided, and one half of them wished to make Tibni, the son of Ginath, their king; but Omri having succeeded in defeating his competitor, was, by his death, confirmed in the throne.+ After reigning six years in Tirzah, he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver, and erected thereon a city which he named Samaria, after Shemer the former proprietor.§ Having reigned six years longer in Samaria, and during the whole time wrought evil in the eyes §1 Kings, xvi. 23, 24. See also Wilson's Travels, vol. i. 376. and see A. Clarke (in loco) as to the actual name (Shomer) and the site of Jehovah, and done worse than all that were before him," he slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria, an succeeded by his son,† A. C. 925. АНА В. Of this prince it is recorded that he did evil in th sight of Jehovah, above all that were before him; and that, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk i the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, he took to wi Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Zidonians and went and served Baal, and worshipped him; and rears up an altar for Baal, in the house of Baal, which he had be in Samaria. He also made a grove, and did more to provok Jehovah, the God of Israel, to anger, than all the kings Israel that were before him.§ The prophet Elijah, whom we now read of for the firs time, was sent to denounce to Ahab that there should be famine in Israel, and that there should be neither dew D rain until he besought Jehovah for it. The prophet immediately sent by God to the brook Cherith, before Jorda This monarch was-1. An idolater in principle. 2. An idolat in practice. 3. He led the people to idolatry by precept and exam And 4. Which was that in he did worse than all before him, he ma statutes in favour of idolatry, and obliged the people, by law, commit it: Micah. vi. 16. +1 Kings, xvi. 25—28. Ethbaal or Ithobalus, king of Tyre, who had been a priest Astarte, or Venus, the goddess of the Zidonians. This made her s zealous to promulgate the worship of her family gods. She was a to Dido, queen of Carthage, the heroine of the Æneid. Jahn's He Com. i. 128. Jos. v. Apion, i. See the pedigree in Judah, p. li A. Clarke. § 1 Kings, xvi. 30-33. 1 Kings, xvii. 1. |