“And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years.”
King James Version (KJV)
16:31 A light thing - The Hebrew runs, was it a light thing, &c,that is, was this but a small sin, that therefore he needed to add moreabominations? Where the question, as is usual among the Hebrews,implies a strong denial; and intimates, that this was no small sin, buta great crime; and might have satisfied his wicked mind, without anyadditions. Jezebel - A woman infamous for her idolatry, and cruelty, andsorcery, and filthiness. Eth - baal - Called Ithbalus, or Itobalusin heathen writers. So she was of an heathenish and idolatrous race. Suchas the kings and people of Israel were expressly forbidden to marry.Baal - The idol which the Sidonians worshipped, which is thought to beHercules. And this idolatry was much worse than that of the calves;because in the calves they worshipped the true God; but in these, false godsor devils.