Lexical Summary
Omri: Omri
Original Word:עָמְרִי
Part of Speech:Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration:`Omriy
Pronunciation:OM-ree
Phonetic Spelling:(om-ree')
KJV: Omri
NASB:Omri
Word Origin:[fromH6014 (עָמַר - To bind sheaves)]
1. heaping
2. Omri, an Israelite
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Omri
Fromamar; heaping; Omri, an Israelite -- Omri.
see HEBREWamar
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitiona king of Isr., also several other Isr.
NASB TranslationOmri (18).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
18 (MI4,5,7 ; in Assyrian–umri COTGloss); —1 Kings 16:16 11t.1 Kings 16;2 Kings 8:26 2Chronicles 22:2;Micah 6:16, ()().
1 Chronicles 7:8.
1 Chronicles 9:4.
1 Chronicles 27:18.
Topical Lexicon
Principal Bearer of the NameOmri, commander of Israel’s army, became the sixth king of the northern kingdom after the death of Elah and the seven-day reign of Zimri (1 Kings 16:16–18). Scripture records that “all Israel made Omri … king … in the camp” (1 Kings 16:16). After a brief civil war against Tibni son of Ginath (1 Kings 16:21–22), Omri reigned twelve years (1 Kings 16:23).
Historical Background and Rise to Power
Omri’s ascent took place in the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah (1 Kings 16:23). Initially ruling from Tirzah, he purchased the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a new capital city (1 Kings 16:24, information supplied in narrative immediately after the Strong’s listings). The strategic location gave military advantage and economic leverage on the principal trade routes, consolidating the kingdom after years of instability.
Political and Military Achievements
1. Consolidation of Territory – The Chronicle of the Kings of Israel (1 Kings 16:27) suggests extensive campaigns and building projects. Extra-biblical records corroborate his strength: the Mesha Stele cites “Omri king of Israel” who “oppressed Moab many days,” and Assyrian annals call Israel “Bit-Humri” (“the house of Omri”) for over a century.
2. Diplomatic Ties – Though Scripture mentions it only implicitly, Omri’s policy paved the way for Ahab’s marriage to Jezebel of Sidon (1 Kings 16:31), establishing lucrative Phoenician alliances.
Spiritual Appraisal
“But Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD and acted more wickedly than all who were before him” (1 Kings 16:25). His reign intensified the idolatrous trajectory started by Jeroboam, laying the ideological groundwork that culminated in Ahab’s full-blown Baal worship. Omri is thus a benchmark for covenant violation; subsequent monarchs are compared to “the sins of Omri” (cf.Micah 6:16).
Dynastic Legacy
The “house of Omri” ruled Israel for four generations (Omri, Ahab, Ahaziah, Joram) until Jehu’s purge (2 Kings 10). Through Ahab’s daughter Athaliah, Omri’s influence crossed into Judah, producing the only queen to seize David’s throne (2 Kings 11;2 Chronicles 22:2). The prophetic judgment on both kingdoms is therefore traced to Omri’s statutes: “For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the practices of the house of Ahab” (Micah 6:16).
Other Men Named Omri
1. A Benjamite in the genealogy of Becher (1 Chronicles 7:8).
2. An ancestor of Uthai of Judah (1 Chronicles 9:4).
3. Omri son of Michael, tribal chief over Issachar in David’s military organization (1 Chronicles 27:18).
While unconnected to the king, these minor figures show the name’s broader usage among the tribes.
Archaeological and Extra-Biblical Corroboration
• Mesha Stele (Moabite Stone): Confirms Omri’s dominion over Moab.
• Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III: Refers to Jehu as “son of Omri,” reflecting the dynasty’s enduring label.
These attestations align with Kings, reinforcing Scripture’s historical reliability.
Prophetic Significance
Micah employs Omri metaphorically to describe institutionalized rebellion. The pairing of “statutes of Omri” with “house of Ahab” underlines how systemic sin begins with leadership choices and metastasizes through successive generations.
Lessons for Faith and Ministry
• Leadership Accountability – Omri’s political success did not offset spiritual failure; visible achievements cannot compensate for covenant disloyalty.
• Generational Influence – Decisions of one ruler shaped worship patterns for decades, reminding believers that today’s compromises echo in tomorrow’s culture.
• Divine Justice and Mercy – God’s patience allowed Omri’s dynasty to flourish, yet eventual judgment through Jehu and prophetic denouncements demonstrate the certainty of divine retribution.
Omri’s account stands as a sober warning: strategic brilliance and national prosperity, severed from wholehearted allegiance to the LORD, lead inevitably to ruin.
Forms and Transliterations
וְעָמְרִי֙ ועמרי עָמְרִ֔י עָמְרִ֖י עָמְרִ֗י עָמְרִ֛י עָמְרִ֤י עָמְרִ֨י עָמְרִֽי׃ עָמְרִי֙ עמרי עמרי׃ ‘ā·mə·rî ‘āmərî ameRi veameRi wə‘āmərî wə·‘ā·mə·rî
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