The Meaning of 1 Kings 16:31 Explained

1 Kings 16:31

KJV: And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.

YLT: And it cometh to pass -- hath it been light his walking in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat? -- then he taketh a wife, Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Zidonians, and goeth and serveth Baal, and boweth himself to it,

Darby: And it came to pass, as if it was a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshipped him.

ASV: And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing  for him to walk  in the sins  of Jeroboam  the son  of Nebat,  that he took  to wife  Jezebel  the daughter  of Ethbaal  king  of the Zidonians,  and went  and served  Baal,  and worshipped  him. 

What does 1 Kings 16:31 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 16:29-34 - Sin's Climax Summons Jehovah's Prophet
From the beginning of his reign Ahab set aside both the First and the Second Commandment. His marriage with Jezebel, the young and beautiful Sidonian princess, plunged him and his kingdom into yet deeper darkness. In addition to Jeroboam's calves, the worship of Baal, the sun-god, was shamelessly introduced, and his temple was served by hundreds of priests. The inspired artist does not hesitate to paint with Rembrandt colors, and the illustrious glory of Elijah shows clearly against the dark background. The darkest hour precedes the dawn; the keenest pain ushers in birth. First Ahab and Jezebel, then Elijah.
Gilead was far from court or temple-God trains His workers in His own school. The prophet's name-"Jehovah is my strength"-suggests where he abode and whence he derived his power. He stood before God for the uniting and the uplifting of a divided people. The drought was the result of prayer. Elijah felt that nothing less could arrest king and people, James 5:17. The man who stands before God is not afraid to stand before Ahab. Now and again God bids His servants hide themselves toward the sunrise, but in these periods of enforced seclusion He makes Himself responsible for their supplies. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 16

1  Jehu's prophecy against Baasha
5  Elah succeeds him
8  Zimri, conspiring against Elah, succeeds him
11  Zimri executes Jehu's prophecy
15  Omri, made king by the soldiers, forces Zimri desperately to burn himself
21  The kingdom being divided, Omri prevails against Tibni
23  Omri builds Samaria
25  His wicked reign
27  Ahab succeeds him
29  Ahab's most wicked reign
34  Joshua's curse upon Hiel the builder of Jericho

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 16:31 mean?

And it came to pass as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat that he took as wife - Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians and he went and served Baal and worshiped him
וַיְהִי֙ הֲנָקֵ֣ל לֶכְתּ֔וֹ בְּחַטֹּ֖אות יָרָבְעָ֣ם בֶּן־ נְבָ֑ט וַיִּקַּ֨ח אִשָּׁ֜ה אֶת־ אִיזֶ֗בֶל בַּת־ אֶתְבַּ֙עַל֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ צִידֹנִ֔ים וַיֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֣ד הַבַּ֔עַל וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ לֽוֹ

וַיְהִי֙  And  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
הֲנָקֵ֣ל  as  though  it  had  been  a  trivial  thing 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָלַל  
Sense: to be slight, be swift, be trifling, be of little account, be light.
לֶכְתּ֔וֹ  for  him  to  walk 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
בְּחַטֹּ֖אות  in  the  sins 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: חַטָּאָה 
Sense: sin, sinful.
יָרָבְעָ֣ם  of  Jeroboam 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָרָבְעָם  
Sense: the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel when the kingdom split at the death of Solomon and the 0 tribes split off from Judah and Benjamin and the kingdom under Solomon’s son Rehoboam; idolatry was introduced at the beginning of his reign.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
נְבָ֑ט  of  Nebat 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נְבָט  
Sense: an Ephraimite of Zereda, father of king Jeroboam I of the northern kingdom of Israel.
וַיִּקַּ֨ח  that  he  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
אִשָּׁ֜ה  as  wife 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אִיזֶ֗בֶל  Jezebel 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִיזֶבֶל  
Sense: queen of Israel, wife of Ahab, daughter of Ethbaal.
בַּת־  the  daughter 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
אֶתְבַּ֙עַל֙  of  Ethbaal 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶתְבַּעַל  
Sense: king of Sidon, father of Jezebel.
מֶ֣לֶךְ  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
צִידֹנִ֔ים  of  the  Sidonians 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: צִידֹנִי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Sidon.
וַיֵּ֙לֶךְ֙  and  he  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֣ד  and  served 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
הַבַּ֔עַל  Baal 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּעַל  
Sense: supreme male divinity of the Phoenicians or Canaanites.
וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ  and  worshiped 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁחָה  
Sense: to bow down.