1 Kings 15:1-32 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

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Abijam and Asa of Judah, and Nadab and Baasha of Israel. Abijam, called Abijah (2 Chronicles 13:1), had a short and evil reign. It would appear, notwithstanding 1 Kings 15:8, that he was succeeded by his brother Asa, as both are said to have had the same mother, Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom. Josephus says the granddaughter of Absalom; see 2 Chronicles 11:20). Except that Asa could not remove the high places he is said to have done right during his long reign of forty-one years. Asa deposed Maacah from the position of queen-mother for her idolatry. She had made (1 Kings 15:13) an abominable image (Heb. a horror of an image) for an Asherah. The AV renders an idol in a grove. The Heb. word Asherah (p. 100) is translated in the LXX by the word Halsos, a grove. It was a sacred pole set up by an altar (Deuteronomy 16:21), probably to represent a tree. Two roots are suggested for this word: (a) one meaning happy, (b) upright. (a) would mean the happy woman, i.e. Ashtoreth, (b) upright. In the latter case it may have been an unseemly emblem almost universal in idolatrous worship. Asa also purified the Temple by putting away the dedicated men who under the name of religion encouraged vice. The high places continued till the end of the seventh century B.C.

Three kinds of false worship are mentioned in Kings: (a) The schismatical worship of N. Israel, which was, however, condemned only after the days of the Deuteronomic revival in the time of Josiah. (b) The high places, Asherim (groves), pillars (maçç eboth), and sacrifices under trees. These were used, with the exception, perhaps, of the groves, in patriarchal times, but by the prophetic era (eighth century) they had come to be regarded as idolatrous by the more religious spirits in the nation. In both these cases Yahweh was professedly worshipped. (c) Apostasy, forsaking Yahweh for the gods of other nations, e.g. the Baal of Tyre.

1 Kings 15:16-21. The Syrians of Damascus now made their appearance as the chief enemies of Israel (pp. 68f.). Owing to the pressure exercised on Asa by his rival Baasha in Israel, the king of Judah called in the aid of Ben-hadad, son of Tabrimmon. son of Hezion (1 Kings 11:23 *). Ben-hadad ravaged northern Israel down to the Sea of Galilee or Chinneroth (1 Kings 15:20). Asa is said by the Chronicler to have been delivered from Zerah the Ethiopian (2 Chronicles 14:9-15), and to have been rebuked by the seer Hanani for his unpatriotic action in calling in the help of Ben-hadad (2 Chronicles 16:7).

1 Kings 15:25-32 ; Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, was killed by Baasha in accordance with Ahijah's prophecy. The complete extirpation of the king's family happened at every change of dynasty in Israel. The males of the houses of Jeroboam, Baasha, Ahab, were all of them put to the sword.

Related Commentaries of 1 Kings 15:1

1 Kings 15:1-32

1 Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah.

2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah,a the daughter of Abishalom.

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.

4 Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a lampb in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem:

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.

6 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.

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.

8 And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.

9 And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah.

10 And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother'sc name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.

11 And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father.

12 And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

13 And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyedd her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.

14 But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.

15 And he brought in the thingse which his father had dedicated, and the things which himself had dedicated, into the house of the LORD, silver, and gold, and vessels.

16 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

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.

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,

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 departf from me.

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.

21 And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off building of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah.

22 Then king Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was exempted:g 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.

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.

24 And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoshaphath his son reigned in his stead.

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.

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.

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.

28 Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did Baasha slay him, and reigned in his stead.

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:

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.

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?

32 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.