Commentaries:
Barnes' Notes
As if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam - Idolatries are not exclusive. Ahab, while he detested the pure worship of Yahweh, and allowed Jezebel to put to death every "prophet of the Lord" whom she could find I Kings 18:4, readily tolerated the continued worship of the "calves," which had no doubt tended more and more to lose its symbolic character, and to become a thoroughly idolatrous image-worship.
Eth-baal - Identified with the Ithobalus of Menander, who reigned in Tyre, probably over all Phoenicia, within 50 years of the death of Hiram. This Ithobalus, whose name means "With him is Baal," was originally priest of the great temple of Astarte, in Tyre. At the age of 36 he conspired against the Tyrian king, Pheles (a usurping fratricide), killed him, and seized the throne. His reign lasted 32 years, and he established a dynasty which continued on the throne at least 62 years longer. The family-tree of the house may be thus exhibited:
Lineage of Eth-Baal
Eth-baal
Badezor Jezebel Matgen (Belus of Virgil) Pygmalion Dido (founder of Carthage) Hence, Jezebel was great-aunt to Pygmalion and his sister Dido.
Served Baal - The worship of Baal by the Phoenicians is illustrated by such names as IthoBAL, HanniBAL, etc. Abundant traces of it are found in the Phoenician monuments.
Other Barnes' Notes entries containing 1 Kings 16:31:
1 Kings 22:52
2 Kings 3:2
Ezekiel 28:21
Hosea 13:1
Revelation 2:20
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