Tibni תִּבְנִי
Rival to Omri for the throne of Israel
Who is Tibni in the Bible?
Tibni was a rival claimant to the throne of Israel who competed against Omri following King Zimri's death around 885 BC. According to 1 Kings 16:21-22, after Zimri's demise, the people of Israel split into two factions, with half supporting Tibni son of Ginath and the other half backing Omri. The two rivals led a divided kingdom for approximately four years until Omri's supporters proved militarily superior and Tibni died, allowing Omri to establish sole rule and found a powerful dynasty in the northern kingdom. Tibni's brief appearance in Scripture illustrates the political turmoil and succession disputes that marked Israel's divided monarchy period, though the Bible provides no other details about his background, legitimacy, or death.
Biography
Tibni is mentioned in 1Ki.16.21-22 as a rival to Omri for the throne of Israel. After King Zimri's death, the people of Israel were divided, with half following Tibni son of Ginath and the other half following Omri. The conflict between the two factions lasted for about four years, during which time Israel was effectively a divided kingdom. Eventually, Omri's supporters proved stronger, and Tibni died, allowing Omri to consolidate his power and establish a new dynasty that ruled the northern kingdom of Israel. No other details are provided about Tibni's background, his claim to the throne, or the circumstances of his death. His brief mention in the biblical narrative highlights the political instability and power struggles that characterized the period of the divided monarchy in Israel.
Family
In Scripture
1 biblical book1 Kings 2 verses
- 1 Kings 16:21
"At that time the people of Israel were divided: Half of the people supported Tibni son of Ginath as king, and half supported Omri."
- 1 Kings 16:22
"But the followers of Omri proved stronger than those of Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri became king."
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | תִּבְנִי |
Encyclopedia Article
ISBE 1915 (Public Domain) Tibni
only reference to Tibni that has come down to us; a comparison of this passage with the account of Zimri's death (especially 1Ki 16:15) shows that the length of the struggle was four years.
ti'-dal (tidh`al; Thalga, Thalgal, Codex E, Thargal):
1The Name and Its Forms
Tidal is mentioned in Ge 14:1,9 in the account of the