Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Kings 16

Jehu the son of Hanani — probably of Hanani the seer of Judah in the reign of Asa (2 Chronicles 15:7). Jehu must have been young then, for we find him rebuking Jehoshaphat after the death of Ahab, and writing the annals of Jehoshaphat’s reign (2 Chronicles 19:2; 2 Chronicles 20:34).

Forasmuch as I exalted thee ... —The prophecy—closely resembling that of Ahijah against Jeroboam—clearly shows that Baasha had a probation, which he neglected; and it seems to be implied in 1 Kings 16:7 that his guilt was enhanced by perseverance in the very sins for which, by his hand, so terrible a vengeance had been inflicted.

And also. —This second reference to the prophecy of Jehu seems to be a note of the historian—perhaps added chiefly for the sake of the last clause, which shows that Baasha’s act, though foretold, was not thereby justified.

Drinking himself drunk. —There seems an emphasis of half-contemptuous condemnation in the description of Elah’s debauchery, evidently public, and in the house of a mere officer of his household, while war was raging at Gibbethon. On the other hand, Zimri—noted emphatically as his servant—was apparently the high officer left in special charge of the palace and the king’s person, while the mass of the army was in the field. Therefore, his name passed into a proverb for unusual treachery. (See 2 Kings 9:31.)

Vanities —that is, idols (1 Samuel 12:21; Psalms 31:6; Isaiah 41:29; Jeremiah 8:19; etc.): not only the idols of Dan and Bethel, but the worse abominations which grew up under cover of these. In the Old Testament generally, the contempt for idolatry and false worship as a gross folly, wasting faith on unrealities, is at least as strong as the condemnation of them, as outraging God’s law, and connected with sensual or bloody rites. (See, for example, the utter scorn of Isaiah 44:9-20; Psalms 115:4–8.)