1 Kings 16 · Verse 24

1 Kings 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.
1 Kings 16:24, King James Version

1 Kings 16:24 in other translations

BSBHe bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city there, calling it Samaria after the name of Shemer, who had owned the hill.
WEBHe bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, Samaria, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill.
ASVAnd he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill, Samaria.
YLTand he buyeth the mount Samaria from Shemer, with two talents of silver, and buildeth on the mount, and calleth the name of the city that he hath built by the name of Shemer, lord of the hill--Samaria.
DARBYAnd he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver; and built on the hill, and called the name of the city that he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria.
BBEHe got the hill Samaria from Shemer for the price of two talents of silver, and he made a town there, building it on the hill and naming it Samaria, after Shemer the owner of the hill.
WebsterAnd 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.

What does 1 Kings 16:24 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
24. he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer--The palace of Tirzah being in ruins, Omri, in selecting the site of his royal residence, was naturally influenced by considerations both of pleasure and advantage. In the center of a wide amphitheatre of mountains, about six miles from Shechem, rises an oblong hill with steep, yet accessible sides, and a long flat top extending east and west, and rising five hundred or six hundred feet above the valley. What Omri in all probability built as a mere palatial residence, became the capital of the kingdom instead of Shechem. It was as though Versailles had taken the place of Paris, or Windsor of London. The choice of Omri was admirable, in selecting a position which combined in a union not elsewhere found in Palestine: strength, beauty, and fertility [Stanley]. two talents of silver--£684. Shemer had probably made it a condition of the sale, that the name should be retained. But as city and palace were built there by Omri, it was in accordance with Eastern custom to call it after the founder. The Assyrians did so, and on a tablet dug out of the ruins of Nineveh, an inscription was found relating to Samaria, which is called Beth-khumri--the house of Omri [Layard]. (See 2Ki 17:5).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 24 He bought the hill Samaria of Shemer - 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; and bought it from him for two talents of silver, about 707 3s. 9d. 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, or, as it is corruptly written, Samaria, 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 in it, 1Kgs 22:39; the kings of Syria had magazines or storehouses in it, for the purpose of commerce; see 1Kgs 20:34. And it appears to have been a place of considerable importance and great strength. Samaria endured several sieges; Ben-hadad king of Syria, besieged it twice, 1Kgs 20:1, etc.; and it cost Shalmaneser a siege of three years to reduce it, 2Kgs 17:6, etc. 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, pro-consul of Syria, partially rebuilt it, and called it Gabiniana. Herod the Great restored it to its ancient splendor, and placed in it a colony of six thousand men, and gave it the name of Sebaste, in honor of Augustus. It is now a place of little consequence.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Kings 16:15-28

When men forsake God, they will be left to plague one another. Proud aspiring men ruin one another. Omri struggled with Tibni some years. Though we do not always understand the rules by which God governs nations and individuals in his providence, we may learn useful lessons from the history before us. When tyrants succeed each other, and massacres, conspiracies, and civil wars, we may be sure the Lord has a…

Read the full comment on 1 Kings 16:15-28 →

1 Kings 16:24 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּ֜קֶןvai.Yi.kenand he boughtH7069
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הָהָ֥רha.Harthe hillH2022
שֹׁמְר֛וֹןsho.me.RonSamariaH8111
מֵ֥אֶתMe.'etfrom withH854
שֶׁ֖מֶרShe.merShemerH8106
בְּכִכְּרַ֣יִםbe.khi.ke.Ra.yimfor two talentsH3603
כָּ֑סֶףKa.sefsilverH3701
וַיִּ֙בֶן֙vai.Yi.venand he builtH1129
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הָהָ֔רha.Harthe hillH2022
וַיִּקְרָ֗אvai.yik.Ra'and he calledH7121
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
שֵׁ֤םshem[the] name ofH8034
הָעִיר֙ha.'Irthe cityH5892
אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherwhichH834
בָּנָ֔הba.Nahhe builtH1129
עַ֣ל'alonH5921
שֶׁם\־shem-[the] name ofH8034
שֶׁ֔מֶרShe.merShemerH8106
אֲדֹנֵ֖י'a.do.Nei[the] owner<s> ofH113
הָהָ֥רha.Harthe hillH2022
שֹׁמְרֽוֹן\׃sho.me.RonSamariaH8111

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Kings 16:24

  • 1 Kings 13:32

    For the saying which he cried by the word of the Lord against the altar in Beth–el, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.

  • 1 Kings 16:32

    And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

  • 2 Kings 17:24

    And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.

  • 1 Kings 20:1

    And Ben–hadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it.

  • 1 Kings 16:28-29

    So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria: and Ahab his son reigned in his stead. And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years.

  • 2 Kings 17:6

    In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

  • 1 Kings 22:37

    So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.

  • 2 Kings 17:1

    In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.

  • Acts 8:5-8

    Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city.

  • John 4:4-5

    And he must needs go through Samaria. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

  • 1 Kings 18:2

    And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the name of the city.
13:32; 18:2; 20:1; 22:37; 2Ki 17:1,6,24; Joh 4:4,5; Ac 8:5-8
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.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Kings 16:23

    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 16:24

    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.

  • 1 Kings 16:25

    But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the Lord, and did worse than all that were before him.

Read all of 1 Kings 16

1 Kings 16:24 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y compró él de Semer el monte de Samaria por dos talentos de plata, y edificó en el monte: y llamó el nombre de la ciudad que edificó, Samaria, del nombre de Semer, señor que fué de aquel monte.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il acheta de Shémer la montagne de Samarie pour deux talents d’argent; et il bâtit sur la montagne, et appela le nom de la ville qu’il bâtit Samarie, selon le nom de Shémer, propriétaire de la montagne.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und er kaufte den Berg Samaria von Schemer um zwei Talente Silber; und er bebaute den Berg und gab der Stadt, die er gebaut hatte, den Namen Samaria, nach dem Namen Schemers, des Herrn des Berges.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Emitque montem Samariæ a Somer duobus talentis argenti: et ædificavit eum, et vocavit nomen civitatis quam exstruxerat, nomine Semer domini montis, Samariam.