Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts: one half of the people followed Thebni the son of Gineth, to make him king: and one half followed Amri.

Then are the sons of Israel parted into halves; half of the people hath been after Tibni son of Ginath to cause him to reign, and the half after Omri;

Then there was a division among the people of Israel; half the people were for making Tibni, son of Ginath, king, and half were supporting Omri.

Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts: one half part of the people followed Tibni, the son of Ginath, having appointed him as king, and one half part followed Omri.

Divided into two parts - Why this division took place we cannot tell; the people appear to have been for Tibni, the army for Omri; and the latter prevailed.

Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts: (i) half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; and half followed Omri.
(i) That is, the people who were not at the siege of Gibbethon: for there they had chosen Omri.

Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts,.... About the succession in the kingdom:
half the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king: these were the friends of Zimri, or however such who did not like that the army should impose a king upon them; who this Tibni was is not said:
and half followed Omri; the general of the army, perhaps the whole of that.

Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts--The factions that ensued occasioned a four years' duration (compare 1-Kings 16:15 with 1-Kings 16:23), of anarchy or civil war. Whatever might be the public opinion of Omri's merits a large body of the people disapproved of the mode of his election, and declared for Tibni. The army, however, as usual in such circumstances (and they had the will of Providence favoring them), prevailed over all opposition, and Omri became undisputed possessor of the throne.

But Omri did not come into possession of an undisputed sovereignty immediately upon the death of Zimri. The nation divided itself into two halves; one half was behind Tibni, the son of Ginath (i.e., declared in favour of Tibni), to make him king, the other adhered to Omri. Nevertheless Omri's gained the upper hand over the party of Tibni, and the latter died, whereupon Omri became king after four years, as we may see from a comparison of 1-Kings 16:15, 1-Kings 16:16 with 1-Kings 16:23. The "people of Israel" (1-Kings 16:21) are probably the fighting people, so that the succession to the throne was decided by the military. אהרי היה as in 2-Samuel 2:10. הזק, with an accusative instead of with על, in the sense of to overpower, as in Jeremiah 20:7. According to Josephus (Ant. viii. 12, 5), Tibni was slain by his opponent; but this is not contained in the words; on the contrary, all that is implied in the connection of ויּמת with וגו ויּחזק וגו/ is that he met with his death in the decisive engagement in which the opposing party triumphed.

Were divided - Fell into a civil war: yet neither this, nor any other of God's dreadful judgments could win them to repentance.