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.
His servant Zimri, who was captain of half the king's chariots, plotted against him while the king was in Tirzah, getting drunk in the house of Arza, who managed the king's household in Tirzah.
This verse describes how King Elah's own military officer Zimri conspired against him while the king was drinking heavily and vulnerable.
📚 Historical Context
In the 9th century BC, during the divided kingdom of Israel, King Elah was ruling the northern kingdom but was part of a line of unfaithful kings who faced constant rebellion and divine judgment for their idolatry and moral failures. Zimri, as a high-ranking military officer in charge of half the chariots, took advantage of Elah's drunken vulnerability in the city of Tirzah to orchestrate a coup, reflecting the instability and treachery common in that era's politics. This event underscores the biblical theme of how personal sin can lead to national downfall, as seen in the books of Kings.
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