This document is about Elah (King of Northern Israel). For other homonyms, please refer to the Elah document. Elah was the 4th king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He succeeded his father Baasha and ruled for only a short period of two years. He was killed and usurped by his subordinate commander Zimri. [See Genealogy of the Kingdom of Israel]
1 Kings 16:6Moreover Yahweh’s word came by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha and against his house, both because of all the evil that he did in Yahweh’s sight, to provoke him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he struck him.1 Kings 16:7In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah for two years.1 Kings 16:8His servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him. Now he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, who was over the household in Tirzah;1 Kings 16:9and Zimri went in and struck him, and killed him, in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place.1 Kings 16:10When he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, he attacked all the house of Baasha. He didn’t leave him a single one who urinates on a wall among his relatives or his friends.1 Kings 16:11Thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha), according to Yahweh’s word, which he spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet,1 Kings 16:12for all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, which they sinned, and with which they made Israel) to sin, to provoke Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger with their vanities.1 Kings 16:13Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?1 Kings 16:14In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. Now the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines.