Bible Strands
1 Kings 16:29
In the thirty-eighth year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria twenty-two years.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records the transfer of northern royal power immediately after Omri’s burial, synchronizing Ahab’s accession with the thirty-eighth year of Asa’s reign over Judah. This chronological anchor marks the precise moment Ahab assumes control in Samaria.
The words — מָלַךְ (ma.laKh) literally means “he became king,” indicating the formal assumption of royal authority. בֶּן־ (ben-) translates as “[the] son of,” establishing Ahab’s direct dynastic lineage from Omri.
The thread — The accession date and reign length structure appears in 1 Kings 16:28 and directly precedes the moral evaluation in 1 Kings 16:30. This chronological framework repeats throughout 1–2 Kings to track the divided kingdoms’ parallel histories.
Why it lands — The verse demands recognition that political continuity does not guarantee covenant fidelity. It requires the reader to evaluate dynastic stability against the subsequent moral record of the monarch.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.