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 Ben-hadad, 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 Ben-hadad 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 Abel-beth-maachah, 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

1 Nowe in the eighteenth yeere of king Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, reigned Abiiam ouer Iudah.

2 Three yeeres reigned hee in Ierusalem: and his mothers name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.

3 And he walked in all the sinnes of his father, which hee had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as the heart of Dauid his father.

4 Neuerthelesse, for Dauids sake did the Lord his God giue him a lampe in Ierusalem, to set vp his sonne after him, and to establish Ierusalem:

5 Because Dauid did that which was right in the eies of the Lord, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the daies of his life, saue onely in the matter of Uriiah the Hittite.

6 And there was warre betweene Rehoboam and Ieroboam all the dayes of his life.

7 Now the rest of the actes of Abiiam, and all that hee did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah? And there was warre betweene Abiiam and Ieroboam.

8 And Abiiam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the citie of Dauid: and Asa his sonne reigned in his stead.

9 And in the twentieth yeere of Ieroboam king of Israel, reigned Asa ouer Iudah.

10 And forty and one yeeres reigned hee in Ierusalem: and his mothers name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.

11 And Asa did that which was right in the eies of the Lord, as did Dauid his father.

12 And hee tooke away the Sodomites out of the land, and remooued all the idoles that his fathers had made.

13 And also Maachah his mother, euen her hee remoued from being Queene, because she had made an idole in a groue, and Asa destroyed her idole, and burnt it by the brooke Kidron.

14 But the high places were not remooued: neuerthelesse, Asa his heart was perfect with the Lord all his dayes.

15 And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which himselfe had dedicated, into the house of the Lord, siluer, and gold, and vessels.

16 And there was war betweene Asa and Baasha King of Israel all their dayes.

17 And Baasha king of Israel went vp against Iudah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to goe out or come in to Asa king of Iudah.

18 Then Asa tooke all the siluer and the golde that were left in the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the kings house, and deliuered them into the hand of his seruants: and king Asa sent them to Benhadad the sonne of Tabrimon, the sonne of Hezion king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,

19 There is a league betweene me and thee, and betweene my father and thy father: behold, I haue sent vnto thee a present of siluer and gold; come and breake the league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.

20 So Benhadad hearkened vnto king Asa, and sent the captaines of the hosts, which he had, against the cities of Israel, and smote Iion, and Dan, and Abel-Bethmaachah, and all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.

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

22 Then king Asa made a Proclamation throughout all Iudah, (none was exempted:) and they tooke away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof wherewith Baasha had builded, and king Asa built with them Geba of Beniamin, and Mizpah.

23 The rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which hee built, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah? Neuerthelesse in the time of his old age, hee was diseased in his feete.

24 And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers, in the citie of Dauid his father: and Iehoshaphat his sonne reigned in his stead.

25 And Nadab the sonne of Ieroboam began to reigne ouer Israel, in the second yeere of Asa king of Iudah, and reigned ouer Israel two yeeres.

26 And he did euill in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sinne wherewith hee made Israel to sinne.

27 And Baasha the sonne of Ahiiah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him, and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belongeth to the Philistines, (for Nadab and all Israel layd siege to Gibbethon,)

28 Euen in the third yeere of Asa king of Iudah, did Baasha slay him, and reigned in his stead.

29 And it came to passe when hee raigned, that he smote all the house Ieroboam, hee left not to Ieroboam any that breathed, vntill hee had destroyed him, according vnto the saying of the Lord, which hee spake by his seruant Ahiiah the Shilonite:

30 Because of the sinnes of Ieroboam which he sinned, and which hee made Israel sinne, by his prouocation wherewith he prouoked the Lord God of Israel to anger.

31 Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that hee did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

32 And there was warre betweene Asa and Baasha king of Israel al their dayes.

33 In the third yeere of Asa King of Iudah, began Baasha the sonne of Ahiiah to reigne ouer all Israel in Tirzah, twentie and foure yeeres.

34 And hee did euill in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of Ieroboam, and in his sinne wherewith he made Israel to sinne.

I == 1st Kings 16:7 ; 2nd chr 19:2 ; 20:34

II == 1st Kings 14:7 ; 15:34

III == 1st Kings 14:10 ; 15:29 ; 16:11

 

 

IV == 1st Kings 14:11

 

V == 2nd Chr 16:1

 

 

VI == 1st Kings 14:7 ; 15:21

VII == 1st Kings 15:27 , 29 ; 16:1 ; Hos 1:4

 

 

 

 

IX == 2nd Kings 9:31

 

 

 

XI == 1st Sam 25:22

XII == 1st Kings 16:1 , 3

 

XIII == Deut 32:21 ; 1st Sam 12:21 ; Isa 41:29 ; Jon 2:8 ; 1st Cor 8:4 ; 10:19

 

 

 

XV == 1st Kings 15:27

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XIX == 1st Kiings 12:28 ; 15:26 , 34

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXIV == 1st Kings 13:32 ; 2nd Kings 17:24 ; John 4:4

 

XXV == Mic 6:16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXXI == Deut 7:3 ; Judg 18:7 ; 1st Kings 21:25-26 ; 2nd Kings 10:18 ; 17:16

XXXII == 2nd Kings 10:21 , 26-27

XXXIII == 1st Kings 16:30 ; 21:25 ; 2nd Kings 13:6 ; 17:10 ; 21:3 ; Jer 17:2

XXXIV == Josh 6:26

 

1 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, son of Nebat, Abijam became king of Judah;

2 he reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah, daughter of Abishalom.

3 He imitated all the sins his father had committed before him, and his heart was not entirely with the LORD, his God, like the heart of his grandfather David.

4 Yet for David's sake the LORD, his God, gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, raising up his son after him and permitting Jerusalem to endure;

5 because David had pleased the LORD and did not disobey any of his commands as long as he lived, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.

6 There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.

7 The rest of Abijam's acts, with all that he did, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah.

8 Abijam rested with his ancestors; he was buried in the City of David, and his son Asa succeeded him as king.

9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam, king of Israel, Asa, king of Judah, began to reign;

10 he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother's name was Maacah, daughter of Abishalom.

11 Asa pleased the LORD like his forefather David,

12 banishing the temple prostitutes from the land and removing all the idols his father had made.

13 He also deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother, because she had made an outrageous object for Asherah. Asa cut down this object and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

14 The high places did not disappear; yet Asa's heart was entirely with the LORD as long as he lived.

15 He brought into the temple of the LORD his father's and his own votive offerings of silver, gold, and various utensils.

16 There was war between Asa and Baasha, king of Israel, as long as they both reigned.

17 Baasha, king of Israel, attacked Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent communication with Asa, king of Judah.

18 Asa then took all the silver and gold remaining in the treasuries of the temple of the LORD and of the royal palace. Entrusting them to his ministers, King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad, son of Tabrimmon, son of Hezion, king of Aram, resident in Damascus. He said:

19 "There is a treaty between you and me, as there was between your father and my father. I am sending you a present of silver and gold. Go, break your treaty with Baasha, king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me."

20 Ben-hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the leaders of his troops against the cities of Israel. They attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinnereth, besides all the land of Naphtali.

21 When Baasha heard of it, he left off fortifying Ramah, and stayed in Tirzah.

22 Then King Asa summoned all Judah without exception, and they carried away the stones and beams with which Baasha was fortifying Ramah. With them King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpeh.

23 The rest of the acts of Asa, with all his valor and accomplishments, and the cities he built, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah. In his old age, Asa had an infirmity in his feet.

24 He rested with his ancestors; he was buried in his forefather's City of David, and his son Jehoshaphat succeeded him as king.

25 In the second year of Asa, king of Judah, Nadab, son of Jeroboam, became king of Israel; he reigned over Israel two years.

26 He did evil in the LORD'S sight, imitating his father's conduct and the sin which he had caused Israel to commit.

27 Baasha, son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, plotted against him and struck him down at Gibbethon of the Philistines, which Nadab and all Israel were besieging.

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

29 Once he was king, he killed off the entire house of Jeroboam, not leaving a single soul to Jeroboam but destroying him utterly, according to the warning which the LORD had pronounced through his servant, Ahijah the Shilonite,

30 because of the sins Jeroboam committed and caused Israel to commit, by which he provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger.

31 The rest of the acts of Nadab, with all that he did, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

32 (There was war between Asa and Baasha, king of Israel, as long as they lived.)

33 In the third year of Asa, king of Judah, Baasha, son of Ahijah, began his twenty-four-year reign over Israel in Tirzah.

34 He did evil in the LORD'S sight, imitating the conduct of Jeroboam and the sin he had caused Israel to commit.

v 1-6. Jeroboam reigned over Israel 18 years when Abijah followed Rehoboam over Judah. For family information read 2 Chr. 11:18-23. Maacah, the granddaughter of David’s son Absalom, was Rehoboam’s favorite among 18 wives and 60 concubines, so he prepared her son, Abijah to be king. Rehoboam had 28 sons and 60 daughters and  provided for all his sons as leaders in fortified cities and sought wives for them. Abijah sinned like Rehoboam had done much of the time, but God set up his son after him and established Jerusalem for David’s sake, in spite of David’s sin regarding Uriah, 2 Sam. 11.

 

 

v 7.8. There continued to be war with Jeroboam through the three years of Abijah. For more on Abijah, read 2 Chr. 13:1-19. When his 400,000 men were faced with Jeroboam’s 800,000, he took a stand for the Lord. He rebuked Jeroboam for taking advantage of Rehoboam when he was young, for the golden calves, for ousting the priests and setting up common men as priests and perverting commanded worship. Furthermore, Judah was trusting God for it’s captain. When Abijah realized Jeroboam had set an ambush, all Judah called upon God, gave a shout and God delivered them and they killed 500,000 of the enemy soldiers. So Judah prevailed and captured many of the cities of Israel because they had relied on God.   Read 2 Chr. 13: 21 22 for record that Abijah had 14 wives, 22 sons and 16 daughters.

v 9-15. Asa is Judah’s first really good king, and starting in the twentieth year of Jeroboam, he reigned 41 years. Maacah was actually his grandmother, but he did not show partiality. He destroyed the idol she she had made in a grove and removed her from being queen, 2 Chr. 15:16. The groves were Ashera poles set up with fertility symbols (private parts) carved on them. Apparently it was in his early years that he removed the homosexuals and idols from the land. In keeping with Lev. 26:30, he removed the high places, according to 2 Chr. 14:2-5, but there were many and he did not get them all removed, v 14 and 2 Chr. 15:16. He was able to bring in dedicated items from the war Abijah won over Jeroboam and from his own victory over the Ethiopians, read 2 Chr. 14:6-15. God had given Asa rest after his early reforms, so he built fortified cities, a 580,000 man army and prospered. Zerah, an Ethiopian came against him with a million men and 300 chariots. Asa called upon the Lord in trust with a well known verse, 2 Chr. 14:11, the Lord can help with many or with the weak. God aided him in practically destroying the enemy, so Asa smote all the cities round about and brought back an abundance of spoils.
At this point 2 Chr. 15:1-7 takes place.  The Prophet Azariah met Asa, perhaps as he was returning from the battle, and gave him an admonition that if he sought the Lord, the Lord would be with him, but if he forsook the Lord, the Lord would forsake him. Azariah pointed out that this had been the case with Israel in the past, so if Asa would strengthen himself in the Lord, he would be rewarded. (Gal. 6:9)
Jeroboam’s death after 22 years is recorded 14:19, 20 and 2 Chr. 13:20. For more information on him see 1 Kings 22 and 2 Chr. 17-20.
v 25-31 come chronologically before  v 16-22
Nadab succeeded Jeroboam, 14:20 in the 2nd year of Asa, king of Judah. He was sinful like his father, who had made Israel sin by setting up a corrupt religious system. He only reigned two years and was slain by Baasha who took his place. He slew every one that breathed of the house of Jeroboam, 14:20, thus fulfilling the word of the Lord to the prophet Ahijah, 14:10-14.

v 16-22. After ruthlessly slaying all of the Jeroboam family, Baasha continuously warred against Asa, king of Judah. He constituted a threat by setting up Ramah on the border of Judah to prevent any communication between the two countries. Instead of trusting the Lord for help as he had before, Asa emptied his treasuries to hire the king of Syria, Ben-hadad, to break his treaty with Israel and help him. Ben-hadad smote some of the cities in northern Israel, so Baasha left off building Ramah, and returned to his capitol,Tirzah, north of Shechem. Asa took the building materials to build fortified border cities of his own, Mizpah in the disputed area and Geba along the border of Benjamin. This portion is repeated in 2 Chr. 16:1-6 with the addition in 7-10 of a rebuke from the Lord through Hanani the seer. Asa had relied on the Lord in the battle with the Ethiopians, but here he relied on the power of Syria. He had done foolishly so from now on he would have wars. (2 Chr,15:19, There had been no more war after that with the Ethiopians  until his 35th  year.) Asa was angry with the message of Hanani so he threw him in prison and apparently took his anger out on some other people by oppressing them.

v 23,24. Read 2 Chr. 16:11-17:1 for better detail than here. Throughout Asa’s life he had trusted the Lord until the treaty with Syria, and again in his old age, in the 39th year of his reign, he became diseased in his feet and tried to rely on physicians to help him instead of calling upon the Lord. He died in his 40th year and had an elaborate funeral, befitting one who had followed the Lord most of his life.
He was laid on a bed of spices but placed in the tomb he had prepared. Some say the “Great burning” in 2 Chron. 16:14 refers to the burning of the spices. because cremation was not practiced by the Jews. It is pointed out that at Herod’s funeral five hundred men bearing spices.
Others say royal cremation was prevalent at the time of the kings, among Jews
Jehoshaphat, Asa’s son reigned in his place, after a co-regency of 2 or 3 years.
For the beginning of the reign of Jehoshaphat, see notes in 2 Chr. 17. The reign of Ahab and the major part of Elijah’s ministry are in 1 Ki. 16:28 -21:29 and we pick up on Jehoshaphat again in 1st Ki 22 and 2 Chr. 18.

v 25-31 was covered before 16-22)

v 32-34. The sad part of the commentary on Baasha’s 24 year reign is that he did evil, walking after the manner of wicked Jeroboam.