OMRI.  In Assyrian, Khumri.  A king of Israel.  He founded the IIIrd Israelitish dynasty after defeating Zimri, who had murdered Elah, and compelling him to burn himself in the palace of Tirzah.  He also defeated Tibni, another competitor for the crown, and reigned six years in Tirzah.  He then made Samaria the capital of the kingdom, and reigned there another six years.  He allied himself with the Phoenicians, and married his son Ahab to the daughter of the Sidonian king Ethbaal.  Samaria is sometimes called Bit-khumri or Bit-khumriya, "The House of Omri," in the Assyrian inscriptions. (An Archaic Dictionary, Cooper, 1876).

OMRI.  [Probably an abbreviation of Omriyah = "servant of Jehovah" (Gesenius): "like a sheaf" (?) (Oxford Bible)].
    (1) A son of Becher, and grandson of Benjamin (1 Chron. vii. 8).
    (2) A son of Imri, descended from Pharez, the son of Judah (1 Chron. ix. 4).
    (3) A son of Michael of the tribe of Issachar.  He lived in David's reign (1 Chron. xxvii. 18).
    (4) One of the kings of Israel.  When first mentioned he was the commander-in-chief of the Israelite army at the siege of Gibbethon.  When the news arrived that Zimri had assassinated Elah the king, the army and the people appointed Omri to avenge the murder, and proclaimed him king.  He at once marched on Tirzah and captured it, on which Zimri set the palace on fire and perished in the flames.  Omri had still a rival for the throne, a certain Tibni, the soin of Ginath, and a battle seems to have taken place between the contending parties.  Victory fell to Omri, "so Tibni died and Omri reigned."  He came to the throne, by the Hebrew chronology, about the year B.C. 929, and reigned twelve years, not merely following the idolatries of Jeroboam, but acting in other respects more wickedly than any of his predecessors on the throne of the twelve tribes.  The chief event of his reign, and historically viewed it was a very important one, was his founding a new capital, Samaria, to which, on completion, he removed the seat of government from Tirzah, at which place it had been during the first six years of his reign.  His last six years were spent in Samaria, which was the capital of the ten tribes during the remainder of the period that their kingdom stood.  He died, by the Hebrew chronology, about 918 B.C., leaving his son, Ahab, to ascend the throne (1 Kings xvi. 16-28); Micah vi. 16).  His daughteer, Athaliah, who married into the royal family of Judah, had also a remarkable career. [Athaliah.]  Omri is mentioned on the Assyrian monuments by the name of Humri, and the capital he built, Samaria, is called Humri and Beth Humri (the House of Omri), and Jehu is erroneously called the son of Omri, when in reality he was the deadly foe of his dynasty. (The Sunday School Teacher's Bible Manual, Hunter, 1894).