P² q 1,2. Introduction.
r 3. Sins. Committed.
s 4,5. Divine forbearance.
r 6. Sins. Punished.
q 7,8. Conclusion.863 B.C.
1 Kings 15)
1 Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijah over Judah (#18 = bondage).
2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem (not full years, for he died in the 20th year of Jeroboam [v.9]). And his grandmother's name [was] Maachah (= oppression. Or Michaiah [2 Chron. 13:2] = who is like God?), the daughter of Absalom (2 Chron.11:21).
3 And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart (or mind) was not perfect with the Lord (Yehovah) his God, as the mind of David his father (fig. put for ancestor).
4 Nevertheless for David's sake did the Lord his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem (see 11:36. Peculiarly used of David), 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? (see 2 Chron.13:3) And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.
8 And Abijam slept with his fathers (see 14:20); and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.
P³ t 9,10. Introduction.
u 11-15. Events. Religious.
u 16-22. Events. Military.
t 23,24. Conclusion.860 to 819 B.C.
9 And in the twentieth year (#20 = redemption) of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa (= physician, or cure) over Judah.
10 And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his grandmother's name [was] Maachah, the daughter of Absalom.
11 And Asa did [that which was] right in the eyes of the Lord (therefore his days "long in the land" [v.23]. Contemporary with 7 Israelite kings), as [did] David his father.
12 And he took away the sodomites out of the land (see 14:24), and removed all the filthy 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 (= a monstrous ’Ashêrah. See Ex. 34:13); and Asa destroyed her filthy idol, and burnt [it] by the brook Kidron.
14 But the high places were not removed (not till the reign of Hezekiah [22:43. 2 Kings 12:3; 18:4): nevertheless Asa's mind was perfect with the Lord all his days.
15 And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated (= holy things of his father. See Ex. 3:5), and the things which himself had dedicated, into the house of the Lord, silver, and gold, and vessels.
u v 16. War with Baasha. Begun.
w 17. Baasha's building of Ramah. Begun.
x 18. Ben-hadad. Subsidy to.
y 19. Former league appealed to.
x 20. Ben-hadad. Help from.
w 21. Baasha's building of Ramah. Left.
v 22. War with Baasha. Ended.16 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days (only border fighting. No campaign. Cp. v.32).
17 And Baasha (= wicked) king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah (= a hill. The modern - er Rãm, 5 miles north of Jerusalem, which it was intended to menace. See 2 Chron. 16:1), that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah (but in vain. See 12:27; 15:9, &c.).
18 Then Asa took all the silver and the gold [that were] left in the treasures of the house of the Lord (Yehovah), and among the treasures of the king's house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants: and king Asa sent them to Benhadad (= son of the mighty), the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,
19 “[Let there be] a covenant between me and you, [as] between my father and your father: behold, I have sent to you a present of silver and gold; come and break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.”
20 So Benhadad listened to king Asa, and sent the captains of the forces which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelbethmaachah, and all Cinneroth (all in the neighborhood of Gennesaret), with all the land of Naphtali.
21 And it came to pass, when Baasha heard [thereof], that he left off building of Ramah, and returned to Tirzah (see 14:17).
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.
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? (cp. 2 Chron. 14:9-15:10) 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 forefather: and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead.
E² Q¹ 15:25-31. Nadab.
Q² 15:32-16:7. Baasha.
Q³ 16:8-14. Elah.
Q4 16:15-20. Zimri.
(Interregnum, 16:21,22).
Q5 16:23-28. Omri.
Q6 16:29-22:40. Ahab.
Q¹ z 25. Introduction.
a 26. Evil-doing.
b 27-29. Conspiracy of Baasha.
a 30. Evil-doing.
z 31. Conclusion.858-857 B.C.
25 And Nadab (= liberal) the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel two years (= division).
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 (see 14:16).
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 to the saying of the Lord (cp. 14:7-11), which He spoke 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?
Q² c 15:32,33. Introduction.
d 15:34. Evil-doing.
d 16:1-4. Evil-doing. Punished.
c 16:5-7. Conclusion.32 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days (only border fighting [cp. vv.16,32. 2 Chron. 14:1; 15:19], no actual campaign as in 2 Chron. 16:1).
857 to 833 B.C.
33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah (see 14:17 and v.21), twenty and four years (began in the 3rd year of Asa. Therefore he died in the 26th year of Asa [16:8]. Yet in the 36th year Baasha came and made war against Judah [2 Chron. 16:1]. This would be 9 or 10 years after he was dead. But see note on 2 Chron. 16:1, were the word "reign" should be rendered "kingdom": i.e. the 36th year from the kingdom of Israel).
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.