The Kings of Israel and Judah
Zimri
Israel · 885 BC · 7 days · 1 Kings 16:15 – 20
His Story
A chariot captain who murdered his drunken king and seized the throne of Israel — for one week. His is the shortest reign in the Bible, and his name became a proverb for treason: “Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?” (2 Kings 9:31).
His Sin — How He Displeased the LORD
Treason and murder, “for his sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight of the LORD, in walking in the way of Jeroboam.” He killed a king to escape judgment and walked straight into his own.
The Good He Did
Scripture records none.
The LORD’s verdict
“For his sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight of the LORD, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, to make Israel to sin.”1 Kings 16:19 (KJV)
How His Reign Ended
When Israel’s army acclaimed Omri and besieged Tirzah, Zimri went into the king’s palace, set it on fire over his own head, and died in the flames of the house he had stolen.
Lessons for Believers Today
- Sin seized by violence must be kept by violence, and it ends in fire. “Be sure your sin will find you out.”
- Seven days can hold a whole eternity of warning.