A king of Israel during the time of the divided kingdom, who reigned for seven days after assassinating King Elah. He committed suicide when Omri was made king in his place.
About Zimri
A king of Israel who ruled for only seven days (in 885 BC). He became king after he killed King Elah and all of Baasha's family (1 Kings 16:9–12). Zimri was the commander of half of the chariot forces, but he failed to get support from the people. Instead, the people supported Omri, who was the commander of the army. When Omri attacked Zimri at Tirzah, Zimri killed himself by setting fire to his palace (16:15–18). Later, Queen Jezebel referred to Zimri's cruelty when she accused Jehu of being like Zimri (2 Kings 9:31).
Key References
However, while Elah was in Tirzah getting drunk in the house of Arza the steward of his household there, Elah’s servant Zimri, the commander of half his chariots, conspired against him.
In the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah for seven days. Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon of the Philistines,
and the people in the camp heard that Zimri had conspired against the king and struck him down. So there in the camp that very day, all Israel proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel.
Then Omri and all the Israelites marched up from Gibbethon and besieged Tirzah.
When Zimri saw that the city was captured, he entered the citadel of the royal palace and burned it down upon himself. So he died
because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the sight of the LORD and following the example of Jeroboam and the sin he had committed and had caused Israel to commit.
All Scripture References (8)
1 Kings (7)
However, while Elah was in Tirzah getting drunk in the house of Arza the steward of his household there, Elah’s servant Zimri, the commander of half his chariots, conspired against him.
So in the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Zimri went in, struck Elah down, and killed him. And Zimri reigned in his place.
So Zimri destroyed the entire household of Baasha, according to the word that the LORD had spoken against Baasha through Jehu the prophet.
In the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah for seven days. Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon of the Philistines,
and the people in the camp heard that Zimri had conspired against the king and struck him down. So there in the camp that very day, all Israel proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel.
When Zimri saw that the city was captured, he entered the citadel of the royal palace and burned it down upon himself. So he died
As for the rest of the acts of Zimri and the treason he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
2 Kings (1)
And as Jehu entered the gate, she asked, “Have you come in peace, O Zimri, murderer of your master?”