1 Kings 15
Summary for 1Kgs 15:1-8: 15:1-8 a The author of 1 &2 Kings describes the reign of each king of Judah in a typical pattern: the date of his accession in chronological relationship to the current king of the other kingdom (15:1 b), the length of his reign, the name of his mother (15:2 c), a spiritual evaluation of his character (15:3-5 d), details of his reign (15:6-7 e), sources where further data about him could be found (15:7 f), where he was buried, and his successor’s name (15:8 g). 15:1 h Abijam (see study note on 2 Chr 13:1) reigned from 913 to 910 BC.15:2 i Abijam’s mother was Maacah, Rehoboam’s favorite of his eighteen wives. She was the granddaughter of Absalom. Presumably this Absalom is David’s son. Maacah, an idol worshiper, was an evil spiritual influence in Judah (15:13 j).
Summary for 1Kgs 15:3-5: 15:3-5 k Despite Abijam’s unfaithfulness, God remained faithful to his covenant with David (2 Sam 7:12-16 l; Ps 89:19-29 m) and preserved David’s line on Judah’s throne. Each king that followed David was to be a lamp, dispensing the light of God’s grace (1 Kgs 11:36 n).
15:6 o Abijam inherited the hostility between the northern and southern kingdoms. Like Rehoboam (14:30 p), he faced war with Jeroboam. During one notable battle (2 Chr 13:2-20 q), when Abijam and his outnumbered forces were surrounded by northern troops, they cried out to the Lord; God delivered them and enabled them to inflict a severe defeat on Jeroboam.
15:7 r rest of the events: Among other details of Abijam’s reign, the Chronicler tells us that he married fourteen wives and had thirty-eight children (2 Chr 13:21 s).
15:9 t Asa reigned from 910 to 869 BC.
15:10 u forty-one years: The first ten years of Asa’s long reign were peaceful (2 Chr 14:1-7 v), perhaps due to his father’s decisive victory over Jeroboam.
Summary for 1Kgs 15:11-13: 15:11-13 w did what was pleasing: In addition to reforms mentioned here, the Chronicler records the positive spiritual influence of God’s prophet Azariah upon the king (2 Chr 15:1-7 x) and Asa’s convening of a great assembly to renew the covenant with the Lord (2 Chr 15:9-15 y).
• shrine prostitutes: See 1 Kgs 14:23-24 z. Asa’s efforts to restrict idolatry and pagan fertility rites even extended to Maacah, deposing her from her influential role as queen mother (15:13 aa; 2 Chr 15:16 ab).
• The Kidron Valley became a place for reforming kings of Judah to destroy pagan idols (2 Kgs 23:4-15 ac; 2 Chr 29:16 ad; 30:14 ae).
Summary for 1Kgs 15:14-15: 15:14-15 af Although he allowed the pagan shrines to remain, Asa’s heart remained ... faithful to the Lord. The pagan shrines apparently became locations for worshiping the Lord. In his latter days, Asa’s spiritual ardor appears to have diminished (2 Chr 16:7-12 ag).
15:16 ah Baasha began to reign in Asa’s third year (15:33 ai); when Baasha was established, Judah faced renewed hostilities with Israel. Asa also withstood an attack by Zerah the Ethiopian (2 Chr 14:9-12 aj), who was apparently a commander in the service of Pharaoh Osorkon I (924–889 BC). Asa and his troops won a great victory and took vast plunder from Zerah’s forces and from towns in the Negev that probably launched the Egyptian invasion.
15:17 ak Baasha’s southward thrust recaptured towns previously lost to Abijam (2 Chr 13:19 al), as well as Ramah in Judah, about four miles north of Jerusalem. This sealed the border, preventing the Israelites from defecting to Judah and confining Asa to his own territory. Ramah commanded the important north–south and east–west routes in Canaan (Judg 4:5 am; Isa 10:29 an; Jer 31:15 ao; 40:1 ap).
Summary for 1Kgs 15:18-19: 15:18-19 aq Ben-hadad ... the king of Aram and his successors were a major factor in Aramean-Israelite relations for many years. Asa’s appeal for Ben-hadad’s help was reinforced with rich gifts taken from the Temple treasury. Despite previous enmity between the Arameans and Israel (11:23-25 ar; 2 Sam 8:3-12 as; 2 Chr 8:3-4 at), Ben-hadad and Baasha had established a treaty. Asa understood that the Aramean king’s assistance could be purchased for the right price (1 Kgs 15:20 au). When God’s prophet Hanani delivered the Lord’s rebuke to Asa for approaching Ben-hadad, Asa reacted uncharacteristically and threw him into prison (2 Chr 16:7-10 av). Asa apparently forgot God’s previous intervention on his behalf against Zerah’s sizeable army (2 Chr 14:7-8 aw).
Summary for 1Kgs 15:20-22: 15:20-22 ax As a result of King Asa’s request, the war with Baasha quickly turned to Asa’s advantage. Ben-hadad swiftly captured several sections of northern Israel and secured important northern trade routes, forcing Baasha to cease operations in Ramah in order to meet the emergency on his northern frontier. Asa retook Ramah and used its building materials to fortify other strategic border towns against further moves by Baasha.
15:23 ay feet became diseased: The nature of Asa’s malady is uncertain; the Talmud conjectures that it was gout. During his severe illness, Asa depended only on his physicians rather than seeking the Lord’s help (2 Chr 16:12 az).
Summary for 1Kgs 15:25-31: 15:25-31 ba The writer of 1 Kings presents Nadab’s biography following the standard format (see study note on 15:1-8).
Summary for 1Kgs 15:27-29: 15:27-29 bb Baasha ... assassinated ... Nadab and slaughtered all the descendants of ... Jeroboam, thus terminating Israel’s first dynasty. Baasha’s father was named Ahijah, who is not to be confused with the prophet who predicted the demise of Jeroboam’s dynasty (11:29-39 bc). Baasha’s coup d’etat was the first of several in Israel’s history (e.g., 16:9-10 bd).
Summary for 1Kgs 15:30-31: 15:30-31 be Jeroboam had provoked the Lord’s condemnation and judgment. His sins were perpetuated by his son Nadab, and Baasha’s accession inaugurated a new dynasty that further weakened Israel’s spiritual condition (15:34 bf).
Summary for 1Kgs 15:32-34: 15:32-34 bg Baasha established his capital at Tirzah, the royal retreat of earlier kings (14:17 bh).
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