1 Kings 16:4, commentary and pictures

The verse stands in the history of the kings of Israel after the division of the kingdom into Judah and Israel, among the reigns of Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri and Ahab, contemporary with Abijah and Asa in Judah. It belongs to the account in 1 Kings 15 and 16 of Israel's apostasy in which the kings led the nation to forsake the worship of the living God for idols. They turned away from the God-given plan of worship which pointed to Christ and revealed the way of salvation from sin and all that was pure and true and uplifting, and turned to the impure, untrue and degrading worship of Baal and Ashtoreth, the worship of the creature instead of the Creator. That apostasy comes to a climax when Ahab son of Omri ascends the throne, in the corrupt period of idolatry and apostasy under Ahab and Jezebel in which Elijah appears. It falls within a sad record of moral decline teaching that when leaders failed to lead rightly, the people also failed.

Through the prophet Jehu the Lord warned Baasha that he and his house would come to the same end that befell the house of Jeroboam. Although Baasha reigned twenty-four years he did no better than Jeroboam who made Israel to sin, but followed in the way of Jeroboam, continued in the sins of Jeroboam, and led Israel into sin. The verse pronounces the judgment on Baasha's house that its dead would be left without burial in disgrace. Those dying in the city would be eaten by dogs and those dying in the fields would be eaten by birds of the air.

The judgment meant violent overthrow and destruction of the dynasty. It was fulfilled when Baasha's son Elah reigned only two years before Zimri conspired against him, killed him by violence, destroyed all the house of Baasha and took the throne. So the house came to an end with Elah's death.