1 Kings 16:24
He 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.
He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer

Omri selected a defensible, centrally located site for a new royal capital and acquired it from its owner, Shemer.

2Sa 24:24 So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen…
Gen 23:16 Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out……
Jer 32:9 So I bought the field in Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel…

for two talents of silver

The substantial payment reflects the value of the site and the resources available to the king.

Jer 32:10-12 I signed and sealed the deed, called in witnesses,…
2Ki 5:5 “Go now,” said the king of Aram, “and I will send you…
2Ki 15:19-20 Then Pul king of Assyria invaded the land,…

and built a city there,

Omri established a fortified administrative center that would replace Tirzah as the capital of the Northern Kingdom.

Gen 4:17 And Cain had relations with his wife…
Num 32:34-36 And the Gadites built up Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,…
2Ch 11:5-10 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and he built up cities…

calling it Samaria after the name of Shemer,

The city retained the memory of the man from whom the hill was purchased.

Jdg 18:29 They named it Dan, after their forefather Dan…
Jos 19:47 Later, when the territory of the Danites was lost…
2Sa 5:9-10 So David took up residence in the fortress…

who had owned the hill.

Samaria became the enduring political center of Israel and later represented the northern kingdom itself.

1Ki 21:2-4 So Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard…
Rut 4:3-4 And he said to the kinsman-redeemer, “Naomi,…
Lev 25:23-28 The land must not be sold permanently, because it is Mine…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Omri
The sixth king of Israel, who reigned after Zimri and established a new capital for the Northern Kingdom.

2. Shemer
The original owner of the hill that Omri purchased to build the city of Samaria.

3. Samaria
The city built by Omri, which became the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

4. Two Talents of Silver
The price paid by Omri for the hill, indicating a significant investment in establishing a new capital.

5. The Hill of Samaria
The strategic location chosen by Omri for its defensibility and central position in the Northern Kingdom.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Foundations
Omri's decision to establish Samaria as the capital shows the importance of laying strong foundations. In our lives, we must ensure that our spiritual and moral foundations are built on Christ, the solid rock.

Strategic Decisions and Their Consequences
Omri's choice of Samaria was strategic, but it also became a center of idolatry and rebellion against God. Our decisions should be guided by wisdom and aligned with God's will to avoid negative consequences.

Legacy and Influence
Omri's legacy was marked by the city he built, which influenced Israel's history. We should consider the legacy we are building and strive to leave a positive, godly influence on those around us.

The Cost of Leadership
Omri's investment in Samaria reflects the cost of leadership. As leaders in our families, churches, or communities, we must be willing to invest time, resources, and effort to build and nurture those we lead.

God's Sovereignty Over Nations
Despite human plans and constructions, God remains sovereign over nations and their destinies. We should trust in His ultimate plan and purpose for our lives and the world.
Bible Study Questions
1. What can we learn from Omri's decision to establish Samaria as the capital, and how does this apply to the foundations we lay in our own lives?

2. How does the history of Samaria illustrate the consequences of strategic decisions, and what can we do to ensure our decisions align with God's will?

3. In what ways can we build a positive legacy that influences others for Christ, considering Omri's legacy with Samaria?

4. What are some practical ways we can invest in our leadership roles, following Omri's example of investing in Samaria?

5. How does the account of Samaria remind us of God's sovereignty, and how can this understanding impact our trust in His plans for our lives?
Connections to Other Scriptures
2 Kings 17:5-6
This passage describes the fall of Samaria to the Assyrians, highlighting the city's significance and eventual downfall.

Amos 3:9-12
The prophet Amos speaks against the injustices in Samaria, showing the city's moral and spiritual decline.

John 4:4-42
Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well, illustrating the long-lasting cultural and religious impact of Samaria.
Change Without ImprovementJ. Urquhart 1 Kings 16:21-34
Omri's ReignJ.A. Macdonald 1 Kings 16:23-28
People
Abiram, Ahab, Arza, Asa, Baasha, Elah, Ethbaal, Ginath, Hanani, Hiel, Israelites, Jehu, Jeroboam, Jezebel, Joram, Joshua, Nebat, Nun, Omri, Segub, Shemer, Sidonians, Tibni, Tirzah, Zidon, Zidonians, Zimri
Places
Bethel, Gibbethon, Jericho, Samaria, Tirzah
Topics
Bought, Buildeth, Building, Built, Buyeth, Calleth, Calling, Former, Fortified, Got, Hill, Mount, Named, Naming, Owner, Price, Samaria, Sama'ria, Shemer, Silver, Talents, Town
Dictionary of Bible Themes
1 Kings 16:24

     4363   silver
     5240   building
     5260   coinage
     5615   weights

Library
Whether the Mode of virtue Falls under the Precept of the Law?
Objection 1: It would seem that the mode of virtue falls under the precept of the law. For the mode of virtue is that deeds of justice should be done justly, that deeds of fortitude should be done bravely, and in like manner as to the other virtues. But it is commanded (Dt. 26:20) that "thou shalt follow justly after that which is just." Therefore the mode of virtue falls under the precept. Objection 2: Further, that which belongs to the intention of the lawgiver comes chiefly under the precept.
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether a Man Can be Saved Without Baptism?
Objection 1: It seems that no man can be saved without Baptism. For our Lord said (Jn. 3:5): "Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." But those alone are saved who enter God's kingdom. Therefore none can be saved without Baptism, by which a man is born again of water and the Holy Ghost. Objection 2: Further, in the book De Eccl. Dogm. xli, it is written: "We believe that no catechumen, though he die in his good works, will have eternal life, except
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether There Can be any Suitable Cause for the Sacraments of the Old Law?
Objection 1: It would seem that there can be no suitable cause for the sacraments of the Old Law. Because those things that are done for the purpose of divine worship should not be like the observances of idolaters: since it is written (Dt. 12:31): "Thou shalt not do in like manner to the Lord thy God: for they have done to their gods all the abominations which the Lord abhorreth." Now worshippers of idols used to knive themselves to the shedding of blood: for it is related (3 Kings 18:28) that they
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether a Vow Consists in a Mere Purpose of the Will?
Objection 1: It would seem that a vow consists in nothing but a purpose of the will. According to some [*William of Auxerre, Sum. Aur. III, xxviii, qu. 1; Albertus Magnus, Sent. iv, D, 38], "a vow is a conception of a good purpose after a firm deliberation of the mind, whereby a man binds himself before God to do or not to do a certain thing." But the conception of a good purpose and so forth, may consist in a mere movement of the will. Therefore a vow consists in a mere purpose of the will. Objection
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether Whoever is Perfect is in the State of Perfection?
Objection 1: It would seem that whoever is perfect is in the state of perfection. For, as stated above (A[3], ad 3), just as bodily perfection is reached by bodily growth, so spiritual perfection is acquired by spiritual growth. Now after bodily growth one is said to have reached the state of perfect age. Therefore seemingly also after spiritual growth, when one has already reached spiritual perfection, one is in the state of perfection. Objection 2: Further, according to Phys. v, 2, movement "from
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether after the Resurrection Every one Will Know what Sins He Has Committed?
Objection 1: It seems that after the resurrection everyone will not be able to know all the sins he has committed. For whatever we know, either we receive it anew through the senses, or we draw it from the treasure house of the memory. Now after the resurrection men will be unable to perceive their sins by means of sense, because they will be things of the past, while sense perceives only the present: and many sins will have escaped the sinner's memory, and he will be unable to recall them from the
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Sennacherib (705-681 B. C. )
The struggle of Sennacherib with Judaea and Egypt--Destruction of Babylon. Sennacherib either failed to inherit his father's good fortune, or lacked his ability.* He was not deficient in military genius, nor in the energy necessary to withstand the various enemies who rose against him at widely removed points of his frontier, but he had neither the adaptability of character nor the delicate tact required to manage successfully the heterogeneous elements combined under his sway. * The two principal
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 8

The Assyrian Revival and the Struggle for Syria
Assur-nazir-pal (885-860) and Shalmaneser III. (860-825)--The kingdom of Urartu and its conquering princes: Menuas and Argistis. Assyria was the first to reappear on the scene of action. Less hampered by an ancient past than Egypt and Chaldaea, she was the sooner able to recover her strength after any disastrous crisis, and to assume again the offensive along the whole of her frontier line. Image Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a bas-relief at Koyunjik of the time of Sennacherib. The initial cut,
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 7

Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.),
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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