Abijam's wicked reign, 1-6. Asa succeeds him, 7, 8. Asa's good reign, 9-15. The war between Baasha and him causes him to make a league with Ben-hadad, 16-22. Jehoshaphat succeeds Asa, 23, 24. Nadab's wicked reign, 25, 26. Baasha, conspiring against him, executes Ahijah's prophecy, 27-30. Nadab's acts and death, 31, 32. Baasha's wicked reign, 33, 34.
1 Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam reigned over Judah. 2 He reigned three years 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 the LORD his God gave 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 did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except 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, Asa reigned over Judah. 10 And he reigned forty-one years 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 banished the temple prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. 13 And also Maachah his mother, he even removed her 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 the things which his father had dedicated and the things which he himself had dedicated into the house of the LORD: silver, 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 so that he might not allow any to go out or come to Asa king of Judah. 18 Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that was 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, who dwelt at Damascus, saying, 19 "There is a league between you and me and between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent to you a present of silver and gold. Come and break your league with Baasha king of Israel so that he may depart from me." 20 So Ben-hadad listened to king Asa and sent the captains of the armies which he had against the cities of Israel and smote Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maachah, and all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. 21 And it came to pass, when Baasha heard of it, that he left off building of Ramah and dwelt in Tirzah. 22 Then king Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah. No one was exempted. And they took away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had built it, and king Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.
23 The rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, 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 with which 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, Baasha slayed him and reigned in his stead. 29 And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam any who breathed until he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD 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 with which 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, Baasha the son of Ahijah began to reign over all Israel in Tirzah twenty-four years. 34 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin.
Matthew Henry Commentary - 1st Kings, Chapter 15[➚]
[v.3] - "as the heart of David his father" - Reference, 1st Samuel 13:14; Psalm 89:20.
[v.4] - See the note for 1st Samuel 16:1. Reference, 2nd Samuel 7:12-18.
[v.5] - "the matter of Uriah the Hittite" - Reference, 2nd Samuel, ch. 11.
[v.29] - "the saying of the LORD, which he spoke by his servant Ahijah" - Reference, 1st Kings 14:14.