Who is King Elah in the Bible?

Quick Facts

Father: King Baasha, 1 Kings 16:8
Predecessor: King Baasha, 1 Kings 16:8
Reign: 886 BC to 885 BC
Succession: 4th king
Length of reign: 2 years, 1 Kings 16:8
Successor: King Zimri, 1Kings 16:10,11
Kingdom: Kingdom of Israel
Tribe: Issachar, 1 Kings 15:27
Morality: evil king, 1 Kings 16:13
Bible reference: 1 Kings 16:8-14

Elah, king of Israel

The name Elah means an oak. Elah, son and successor of King Baasha, was the 4th king who ruled the Kingdom of Israel. He ruled from the city of Tirzah. The reign of Elah lasted for 2 years, from 886 BC to 885 BC. He began to rule at the time when King Asa of Judah had reigned for 26 years. Elah was not different from his father, nor from the other kings who preceded his father, for he also perpetuated the religion founded by Jeroboam I, which is the worship of the two golden calves.  

The death of Elah

King Elah’s death was fast and sudden. Elah left his palace and went into the house of his palace administrator who was called Arza. There, Elah was entertained, such as was befitting a king, and he drank alcohol till he was drunk. Then, at such an opportune time, Zimri, one of the army captains, pounced on him and killed him (1Ki 16:10). Elah did not die alone; Zimri proceeded to kill all the relatives of Elah, the entire family of King Baasha (1Ki 16:11-12).

The reason concerning the death of Elah is that even before he was made a king, his destruction was awaiting him, in that God had spoken by the mouth of Prophet Jehu that He was going to destroy the entire house of Baasha, including Elah, because Baasha perpetuating the sin of Jeroboam. Elah could have possibly averted this prophecy of doom by serving God, but since he himself was ungodly and followed in the footsteps of his father, he only added insult to injury and justified why he and his relatives have to be destroyed without a remnant.

One can see how the consumption of alcohol and getting drunk can easily make a person vulnerable to his enemies. Though many other kings of Israel were assassinated during their reign, it appears Elah, in particular, made himself an easy target to kill by getting drunk.

Major events during Elah’s reign

During Elah’s reign, the army of Israel had encamped for war against the Philistine city of Gibbethon. The fact that the army was far from Elah and the capital city of Tirzah made it look like it was the right time to stage a coup d’état; hence Zimri struck and assassinated King Elah, and usurped the throne. (1 Kings 16:15-20)

Contemporaries of Elah

King Asa had reigned for 26 years when Elah became the king of the Kingdom of Israel. They were not in a good relationship, since Elah’s father was an enemy of Asa. (1 Kings 16:8)

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