Bible Commentaries

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

1 Kings 15

Clinging to a Counterfeit Cross
Introduction

1  Abijam's wicked reign.
7  Asa succeeds him.
9  Asa's good reign.
16  The war between Baasha and him causes him to make a league with Bed-hadad.
23  Jehoshaphat succeeds Asa.
25  Nadab's wicked reign.
27  Baasha conspiring against him, executes Ahijah's prophecy.
31  Nadab's acts and death.
33  Baasha's wicked reign.
Verse 1

Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah.
14:31, 2 Chronicles 13:1,2-22
Verse 2

Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
his mother's
13, 2 Chronicles 11:20-22
Maachah
2 Chronicles 13:2
Michaiah the daughter of Uriel
Abishalom.
2 Chronicles 11:21
Absalom
Verse 3

And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.
all the sins
14:21,22
and his heart
3:14, 11:4,33, 2 Kings 20:3, 2 Chronicles 25:2, 31:20,21, Psalms 119:80
Verse 4

Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem:
for David's
11:12,32, Genesis 12:2, 19:29, 26:5, Deuteronomy 4:37, 2 Samuel 7:12-16, Isaiah 37:35, Jeremiah 33:20-26, Romans 11:28
give him
11:36, 2 Chronicles 21:7, Psalms 132:17, Luke 1:69-79, 2:32, John 8:12, Revelation 22:16
lamp
or, candle.
Psalms 18:28
and to establish
Psalms 87:5, Isaiah 9:7, 14:32, 62:7, Jeremiah 33:2, Micah 4:1,2, Matthew 16:18
Verse 5

Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
David
3, 14:8, 2 Kings 22:2, 2 Chronicles 34:2, Psalms 119:6, Luke 1:6, Acts 13:22,36
save only
2 Samuel 11:4,15-17, 12:9,10, Psalms 51:1; *title
Verse 6

And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.
there was war
Instead of Rehoboam fourteen MSS., the Arabic, and some copies of the Targum, read Abijam. The Syriac has "Abia, the son of Rehoboam;" and the Editio Princeps of the Vulgate has Abia. This is doubtless the true reading, as otherwise it would be an unnecessary repetition of ch. 14:30, and a repetition which interrupts the history of Abijah: (see 2 Ch 13:3, etc.)
14:30
Verse 7

Now the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.
the rest
14:29, 2 Chronicles 13:2,21,22
there was war
2 Chronicles 13:3-20
Verse 8

And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.
A. M. 3049. B.C. 955. Abijam
14:1,31, 2 Chronicles 14:1
Asa
1 Chronicles 3:9, Matthew 1:7,8
Verse 10

And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
A. M. 3049-3090. B.C. 955-914. mother's. that is, grandmother's
2,13, 2 Chronicles 11:20,21, 13:2
Verse 11

And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father.
Asa
3, 2 Chronicles 14:2,11, 15:17, 16:7-10
Verse 12

And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
the sodomites
14:24, 22:46, Romans 1:26,27, Jude 1:7
all the idols
3, 11:7,8, 14:23, 2 Chronicles 14:2-5, Ezekiel 20:18,19, Zechariah 1:2-6, 1 Peter 1:18
Verse 13

And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.
Maachah
2,10, 2 Chronicles 15:15,16-19
his mother
Deuteronomy 13:6-11, 33:9, Zechariah 13:3, Matthew 10:37, 12:46-50, 2 Corinthians 5:16, Galatians 2:5,6,14
destroyed
Heb. cut off.
Leviticus 26:30, Deuteronomy 7:5, 2 Kings 18:4, 23:12-15, 2 Chronicles 34:4
and burnt
Exodus 32:20, Deuteronomy 9:21, Joshua 6:24
the brook
2 Samuel 15:23, 2 Kings 23:6, John 18:1
Cedron
Verse 14

But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.
the high places
22:43, 2 Kings 12:3, 14:4, 15:4, 2 Chronicles 14:3,5
was perfect
3, 8:61, 11:4, 2 Chronicles 15:17,18, 16:9, 25:2
Verse 15

And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which himself had dedicated, into the house of the LORD, silver, and gold, and vessels.
he brought
7:51, 1 Chronicles 26:26-28, 2 Chronicles 14:13, 15:18
things
Heb. holy.
Verse 16

And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
6,7,32, 14:30, 2 Chronicles 16:1-6
Verse 17

And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
A. M. 3074. B.C. 930. Baasha
27, 2 Chronicles 16:1-6
Ramah
By building Ramah is here meant fortifying it, in order to prevent all intercourse with the kingdom of Judah, lest his subjects should cleave to the house of David: for Ramah was a city of Benjamin, situated on the confines of both kingdoms, probably on a hill, as the name imports, commanding a narrow defile between the mountains, through which lay the principal road to Jerusalem; so that a fortification being erected here, no communication could be held between the people of Israel and Judah, without Baasha's permission.
21, Joshua 18:25, 1 Samuel 15:34, Jeremiah 31:15
he might not suffer
12:27, 2 Chronicles 11:13-17
Verse 18

Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants: and king Asa sent them to Benhadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,
Asa
15, 14:26, 2 Kings 12:18, 18:15,16, 2 Chronicles 15:18, 16:2-6
Ben-hadad
20:1-5,33,34, 2 Kings 8:7-15
Damascus
11:23,24, Genesis 14:15, 15:2, Jeremiah 49:27, Amos 1:4
Verse 19

There is a league between me and thee, and between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold; come and break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.
There is a league
2 Chronicles 19:2, Isaiah 31:1
break thy league
2 Samuel 21:2, 2 Chronicles 16:3, Ezekiel 17:13-16, Romans 1:31, 3:8
depart
Heb. go up.
Verse 20

So Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of the hosts which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelbethmaachah, and all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.
Ijon
Probably the same as Hazar-enan, a frontier town to Damascus, (Eze 48:1;) and perhaps the Inna of Coele-Syria, long. 68 degrees and a half, lat. 33 degrees, according to Ptolemy.
2 Kings 15:29
Dan
12:29, Genesis 14:14, Judges 18:29
Abel-beth-maachah
2 Samuel 20:14,15
Cinneroth
Joshua 11:2, 12:3
Verse 21

And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off building of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah.
when Baasha
2 Chronicles 16:5
Tirzah
14:17, 16:15-18, Song of Solomon 6:4
Verse 22

Then king Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was exempted: and they took away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; and king Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.
made a proclamation
2 Chronicles 16:6
exempted
Heb. free. Geba.
Joshua 18:24
Gaba
Joshua 21:17
Mizpah
Joshua 18:26, 1 Samuel 7:5
Mizpeh
Jeremiah 40:6,10
Verse 23

The rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? Nevertheless in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet.
rest of all
7,8, 14:29-31
in the time
2 Chronicles 16:12-14, Psalms 90:10
Verse 24

And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead.
A. M. 3090. B.C. 914. was buried. Of his splendid and costly funeral we read in 2 Ch 16:14
Jehoshaphat
22:41-43, 2 Chronicles 17:1-9, Matthew 1:8
Josaphat
Verse 25

And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel two years.
A. M. 3050-3051. B.C. 954-953. Nadab
14:12,20
began to reign
Heb. reigned.
Verse 26

And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.
he did evil
16:7,25,30
walked
12:28-33, 13:33,34
in his sin
30,34, 14:16, 16:19,26, 21:22, 22:52, Genesis 20:9, Exodus 32:21, 1 Samuel 2:24, 2 Kings 3:3, 21:11, 23:15, Jeremiah 32:35, Romans 14:15, 1 Corinthians 8:10-13
Verse 27

And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.
Baasha the son
16,17, 14:14
conspired
16:9, 2 Kings 12:20
Gibbethon
16:15,17, Joshua 19:44, 21:23
Verse 28

Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did Baasha slay him, and reigned in his stead.
Deuteronomy 32:35
Verse 29

And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according unto the saying of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite:
he left not
14:9-16, 2 Kings 9:7-10,36,37, 10:10,11,31, 19:25
Verse 30

Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.
the sins
26, 14:9-16
by his provocation
14:22
Verse 31

Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
A. M. 3050-3051. B.C. 954-953. are they not written
14:19, 16:5,14,20,27
Verse 32

And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
A. M. 3051-3074. B.C. 953-930. there was war. That is, there was a constant spirit of hostility kept up between the two kingdoms, and no doubt frequent skirmishing between the bordering parties; but there was no open war till Baasha king of Israel began to build Ramah, which was, according to 2 Ch 15:19; 16:1, in the thirty-sixth year of Asa; but according to ch. 16:8, 9, his son was killed by Zimri in the twenty-sixth year of Asa, and consequently he could not make war upon him in the thirty-sixth year of his reign. Chronologers endeavour to reconcile this, by saying that the years should be reckoned, not from the beginning of Asa's reign, but from the separation of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. We must either adopt this mode of solution, or admit that there is a mistake in some of the numbers, probably in the parallel places in Chronicles, but which we have no direct means of correcting
Verse 33

In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, twenty and four years.
twenty and four years
16:8
Verse 34

And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.
he did evil
walked
26, 12:28,29, 13:33,34, 14:16, Isaiah 1:4

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