1 Kings 16:8
In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years. In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years.
Elah the son of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah in the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah and reigned two years. Tirzah, where Elah began his reign, was for a time the capital of the northern kingdom, and its ancient site is identified with the village of Taluza. The verse belongs to the history of Israel's kings after the kingdom was divided, with ten tribes in the northern kingdom of Israel and two and a half tribes in Judah and war and strife between the two divisions. That history of the divided kingdom continues through the overthrow of the kingdom of Israel in 721 B.C.
In the succession of Israel's kings, Elah follows Nadab and Baasha and comes before Zimri and Omri and the wicked Ahab, at the time when Abijah and Asa reigned in Judah. His two-year reign in Tirzah repeats the history of Nadab son of Jeroboam in reigning only two years, and it falls wholly within the one good reign of Asa king of Judah. His short reign was marked by drunkenness and ended when he was killed by violent hands; Zimri, one of his chief generals, killed him during a drunken debauch. With Elah's death Baasha's royal house came to an end, as his murderer destroyed all his house and took the throne in fulfillment of Jehu's prophecy against Baasha and his house.
Elah's reign forms one step in the gradual going from bad to worse since Jeroboam made Israel to sin, within the nation's growing apostasy under its kings. That apostasy reaches a climax under weak King Ahab and his Baal-worshiping wife Jezebel, whose worship of Baal, persecution of God's faithful people, corruption of Israel, and leading the people to transgress God's commandments show the course of the apostasy. This was the setting in which Elijah served. In that great apostasy in Israel during the days of Elijah, God preserved a faithful remnant who responded to the call of His prophet.