The Meaning of 1 Kings 16:9 Explained

1 Kings 16:9

KJV: And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza steward of his house in Tirzah.

YLT: and conspire against him doth his servant Zimri (head of the half of the chariots) and he is in Tirzah drinking -- a drunkard in the house of Arza, who is over the house in Tirzah.

Darby: And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him; and he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was the steward of his house in Tirzah;

ASV: And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him. Now he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And his servant  Zimri,  captain  of half  [his] chariots,  conspired  against him, as he was in Tirzah,  drinking  himself drunk  in the house  of Arza  steward of [his] house  in Tirzah. 

What does 1 Kings 16:9 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 16:1-14 - Executioners Of Evil-Doers
A noble figure crosses the canvas for a moment. It is Jehu, the son of Hanani, shining like a star in the night. No age has been without its prophets; no life, however abandoned, has been without some remonstrating voice; no soul goes over the cataract without a warning cry. And these messages, answering to the voice of conscience within, reveal the pitying love of the Father, not willing that any should perish, Ezekiel 18:23. Hanani, Jehu's father, had been a prophet, 2 Chronicles 16:7, and Jehu held the same office for a long period, 2 Chronicles 19:2; 2 Chronicles 20:34.
Baasha died in peace and was buried in state. But such an end is not the end, and points forward to another life, since God is God, Psalms 17:14. Elah and the remainder of the royal house were cut off by Zimri, and the extermination was so complete that none of his avengers were left. But Zimri, after a reign of seven days, was similarly treated, 2 Kings 9:31. Seven days are long enough to test a man, and in that brief space Zimri found time to walk in the way of Jeroboam and his sin, 1 Kings 16:15; 1 Kings 16:19. Such is the course of this world. Happy are they who, amid political convulsion, live the life of the quiet in the land, 1 Thessalonians 4:11, and receive the kingdom that cannot be moved, Hebrews 12:27. [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 16:9 mean?

And conspired against him his servant Zimri commander of half [his] chariots and as he [was] in Tirzah drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza who steward of [his] house in Tirzah
וַיִּקְשֹׁ֤ר עָלָיו֙ עַבְדּ֣וֹ זִמְרִ֔י שַׂ֖ר מַחֲצִ֣ית הָרָ֑כֶב וְה֤וּא בְתִרְצָה֙ שֹׁתֶ֣ה שִׁכּ֔וֹר בֵּ֣ית אַרְצָ֔א אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־ הַבַּ֖יִת בְּתִרְצָֽה

וַיִּקְשֹׁ֤ר  And  conspired 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָשַׁר  
Sense: to bind, tie, bind together, league together, conspire.
עָלָיו֙  against  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
עַבְדּ֣וֹ  his  servant 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
זִמְרִ֔י  Zimri 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: זִמְרִי 
Sense: the son of Salu, a Simeonite chieftain, slain by Phinehas with the Midianitish princess Cozbi.
שַׂ֖ר  commander 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
מַחֲצִ֣ית  of  half 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מַחֲצִית  
Sense: half, middle.
הָרָ֑כֶב  [his]  chariots 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֶכֶב  
Sense: a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders.
וְה֤וּא  and  as  he  [was] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
בְתִרְצָה֙  in  Tirzah 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: תִּרְצָה 
Sense: one of the 7 daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher of the tribe of Manasseh.
שֹׁתֶ֣ה  drinking 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁתָה  
Sense: to drink.
שִׁכּ֔וֹר  himself  drunk 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: שִׁכֹּור  
Sense: drunken.
בֵּ֣ית  in  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אַרְצָ֔א  of  Arza 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַרְצָא  
Sense: housekeeper of Elah, king of Israel.
עַל־  steward 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַבַּ֖יִת  of  [his]  house 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
בְּתִרְצָֽה  in  Tirzah 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: תִּרְצָה 
Sense: one of the 7 daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher of the tribe of Manasseh.