1 Kings 15

Chapter context

What is happening in 1 Kings 15?

templewisdomidolatrydivision

1 Kings 15 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as division of the kingdom. First Kings tells of Solomon’s reign and temple, the split between north and south, and the rise of prophetic confrontation through Elijah. Read this chapter with the wider themes of temple, wisdom, and idolatry in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

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, 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 lamp 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’s 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 destroyed 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 things 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 depart 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: 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 Jehoshaphat 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. 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. 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.

Study helps

Glossary

Abijam Person v. 1, 7-8: Father of the sea; i. e., “seaman” the name always used in Kings of the king of Judah, the son of Rehoboam, elsewhere called Abijah ( 1 Kings 15:1 , 7, 8). (See ABIJAH. ).
Jeroboam Person v. 1, 6-7, 9, 25, 29-30, 34: Increase of the people. (1. ) The son of Nebat ( 1 Kings 11:26-39 ), “an Ephrathite,” the first king of the ten tribes, over whom he reigned twenty-two years (B. C. 976-945).
Nebat Person v. 1: Sight; aspect, the father of Jeroboam, the king of Israel ( 1 Kings 11:26 , etc. ).
Jerusalem Place v. 2, 4, 10: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Jerusalem.
David Person v. 3, 5, 8, 11, 24: Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25 .
Uriah Person v. 5: The Lord is my light. (1. ) A Hittite, the husband of Bathsheba, whom David first seduced, and then after Uriah’s death married. He was one of the band of David’s.
Rehoboam Person v. 6: He enlarges the people, the successor of Solomon on the throne, and apparently his only son. He was the son of Naamah “the Ammonitess,” some well-known Ammonitish princess ( 1 Kings 14:21 ; 2 Chr. 12:13 ).
Asa Person v. 8-9, 11, 13, 16-18, 20, 22-25, 28, 32-33: Physician, son of Abijah and grandson of Rehoboam, was the third king of Judah.
City People v. 8, 24: The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain ( Gen. 4:17 ). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12).
City of David Place v. 8, 24: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: City of David.
Kidron Place v. 13: Biblical river. Modern identification: Kidron River.
Baasha Tribe v. 16-17, 19, 21-22, 27-28, 32-33: Bravery, the third king of the separate kingdom of Israel, and founder of its second dynasty (1 Kings 15; 16; 2 Chr. 16:1-6 ). He was the son of Ahijah of the tribe of Issachar.
Ramah Place v. 17, 21-22: ( Matt. 2:18 ), the Greek form of Ramah. (1. ) A city first mentioned in Josh. 18:25 , near Gibeah of Benjamin. It was fortified by Baasha, king of Israel ( 1 Kings 15:17-22 ; 2 Chr. 16:1-6 ). Modern identification: Al Ram.
Damascus Place v. 18: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Damascus.
Syria Place v. 18: Biblical region. Modern identification: Damascus.
Tabrimon Person v. 18: Good is Rimmon, the father of Benhadad, king of Syria ( 1 Kings 15:18 ).
Abel-beth-maacah Place v. 20: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tel Abel Beth Maacah.
Chinnereth Place v. 20: Biblical body of water. Modern identification: Tel Kinrot.
Dan Place v. 20: Woodland Dan, a place probably somewhere in the direction of Dan, near the sources of the Jordan ( 2 Sam. 24:6 ). The LXX. and the Vulgate read “Dan-ja’ar”, i. e., “Dan in the forest. ”. Modern identification: Tel Dan.
Ijon Place v. 20: A ruin, a city of Naphtali, captured by Ben-hadad of Syria at the instance of Asa ( 1 Kings 15:20 ). Modern identification: Tell Dibbine.
Naphtali Person v. 20: My wrestling, the fifth son of Jacob. His mother was Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid ( Gen. 30:8 ). When Jacob went down into Egypt, Naphtali had four sons ( Gen. 46:24 ). Little is known of him as an individual.
Tirzah Place v. 21, 33: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell el Farah.
Benjamin Person v. 22: Son of my right hand. (1. ) The younger son of Jacob by Rachel ( Gen. 35:18 ). His birth took place at Ephrath, on the road between Bethel and Bethlehem, at a short distance from the latter place.
Geba Place v. 22: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Jaba.
Mizpah Place v. 22: Or Miz’peh, watch-tower; the look-out. (1. ) A place in Gilead, so named by Laban, who overtook Jacob at this spot ( Gen. 31:49 ) on his return to Palestine from Padan-aram. Modern identification: Tell en Nasbeh.
Jehoshaphat Person v. 24: Jehovah-judged. (1. ) One of David’s body-guard ( 1 Chr. 11:43 ). (2. ) One of the priests who accompanied the removal of the ark to Jerusalem ( 1 Chr. 15:24 ).
Ahijah Person v. 27, 29, 33: Brother (i. e., “friend”) of Jehovah. (1. ) One of the sons of Bela ( 1 Chr. 8:7 , R. V. ). In A. V. called “Ahiah. ” (2. ) One of the five sons of Jerahmeel, who was great-grandson of Judah ( 1 Chr. 2:25 ).
Gibbethon Place v. 27: A height, a city of the Philistines in the territory of Dan, given to the Kohathites ( Josh. 19:44 ; 21:23 ). Modern identification: Tell Melat.
Shiloh Place v. 29: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Khirbet Seilun.