1 וּבִשְׁנַתH8141 שְׁמֹנֶהH8083 עֶשְׂרֵהH6240 לַמֶּלֶךְH4428 יָרָבְעָםH3379 בֶּןH1121 נְבָטH5028 מָלַךְH4427 אֲבִיָּםH38 עַלH5921 יְהוּדָֽהH3063
2 שָׁלֹשׁH7969 שָׁנִיםH8141 מָלַךְH4427 בִּירוּשָׁלִָםH3389 וְשֵׁםH8034 אִמּוֹH517 מַעֲכָהH4601 בַּתH1323 אֲבִישָׁלֽוֹםH53
3 וַיֵּלֶךְH1980 בְּכָלH3605 חַטֹּאותH2403 אָבִיוH1 אֲשֶׁרH834 עָשָׂהH6213 לְפָנָיוH6440 וְלֹאH3808 הָיָהH1961 לְבָבוֹH3824 שָׁלֵםH8003 עִםH5973 יְהוָהH3068 אֱלֹהָיוH430 כִּלְבַבH3824 דָּוִדH1732 אָבִֽיוH1
4 כִּיH3588 לְמַעַןH4616 דָּוִדH1732 נָתַןH5414 יְהוָהH3068 אֱלֹהָיוH430 לוֹH0 נִירH5216 בִּירוּשָׁלִָםH3389 לְהָקִיםH6965 אֶתH853 בְּנוֹH1121 אַחֲרָיוH310 וּֽלְהַעֲמִידH5975 אֶתH853 יְרוּשָׁלִָֽםH3389
5 אֲשֶׁרH834 עָשָׂהH6213 דָוִדH1732 אֶתH853 הַיָּשָׁרH3477 בְּעֵינֵיH5869 יְהוָהH3068 וְלֹֽאH3808 סָרH5493 מִכֹּלH3605 אֲשֶׁרH834 צִוָּהוּH6680 כֹּלH3605 יְמֵיH3117 חַיָּיוH2416 רַקH7535 בִּדְבַרH1697 אוּרִיָּהH223 הַחִתִּֽיH2850
6 וּמִלְחָמָהH4421 הָיְתָהH1961 בֵיןH996 רְחַבְעָםH7346 וּבֵיןH996 יָרָבְעָםH3379 כָּלH3605 יְמֵיH3117 חַיָּֽיוH2416
7 וְיֶתֶרH3499 דִּבְרֵיH1697 אֲבִיָּםH38 וְכָלH3605 אֲשֶׁרH834 עָשָׂהH6213 הֲלֽוֹאH3808 הֵםH1992 כְּתוּבִיםH3789 עַלH5921 סֵפֶרH5612 דִּבְרֵיH1697 הַיָּמִיםH3117 לְמַלְכֵיH4428 יְהוּדָהH3063 וּמִלְחָמָהH4421 הָיְתָהH1961 בֵּיןH996 אֲבִיָּםH38 וּבֵיןH996 יָרָבְעָֽםH3379
8 וַיִּשְׁכַּבH7901 אֲבִיָּםH38 עִםH5973 אֲבֹתָיוH1 וַיִּקְבְּרוּH6912 אֹתוֹH853 בְּעִירH5892 דָּוִדH1732 וַיִּמְלֹךְH4427 אָסָאH609 בְנוֹH1121 תַּחְתָּֽיוH8478
9 וּבִשְׁנַתH8141 עֶשְׂרִיםH6242 לְיָרָבְעָםH3379 מֶלֶךְH4428 יִשְׂרָאֵלH3478 מָלַךְH4427 אָסָאH609 מֶלֶךְH4428 יְהוּדָֽהH3063
10 וְאַרְבָּעִיםH705 וְאַחַתH259 שָׁנָהH8141 מָלַךְH4427 בִּירוּשָׁלִָםH3389 וְשֵׁםH8034 אִמּוֹH517 מַעֲכָהH4601 בַּתH1323 אֲבִישָׁלֽוֹםH53
11 וַיַּעַשׂH6213 אָסָאH609 הַיָּשָׁרH3477 בְּעֵינֵיH5869 יְהוָהH3068 כְּדָוִדH1732 אָבִֽיוH1
12 וַיַּעֲבֵרH5674 הַקְּדֵשִׁיםH6945 מִןH4480 הָאָרֶץH776 וַיָּסַרH5493 אֶתH853 כָּלH3605 הַגִּלֻּלִיםH1544 אֲשֶׁרH834 עָשׂוּH6213 אֲבֹתָֽיוH1
13 וְגַםH1571 אֶתH853 מַעֲכָהH4601 אִמּוֹH517 וַיְסִרֶהָH5493 מִגְּבִירָהH1377 אֲשֶׁרH834 עָשְׂתָהH6213 מִפְלֶצֶתH4656 לָאֲשֵׁרָהH842 וַיִּכְרֹתH3772 אָסָאH609 אֶתH853 מִפְלַצְתָּהּH4656 וַיִּשְׂרֹףH8313 בְּנַחַלH5158 קִדְרֽוֹןH6939
14 וְהַבָּמוֹתH1116 לֹאH3808 סָרוּH5493 רַקH7535 לְבַבH3824 אָסָאH609 הָיָהH1961 שָׁלֵםH8003 עִםH5973 יְהוָהH3068 כָּלH3605 יָמָֽיוH3117
15 וַיָּבֵאH935 אֶתH853 קָדְשֵׁיH6944 אָבִיוH1 וקדשוH6944 וְקָדְשֵׁיH6944 בֵּיתH1004 יְהוָהH3068 כֶּסֶףH3701 וְזָהָבH2091 וְכֵלִֽיםH3627
16 וּמִלְחָמָהH4421 הָיְתָהH1961 בֵּיןH996 אָסָאH609 וּבֵיןH996 בַּעְשָׁאH1201 מֶֽלֶךְH4428 יִשְׂרָאֵלH3478 כָּלH3605 יְמֵיהֶֽםH3117
17 וַיַּעַלH5927 בַּעְשָׁאH1201 מֶֽלֶךְH4428 יִשְׂרָאֵלH3478 עַלH5921 יְהוּדָהH3063 וַיִּבֶןH1129 אֶתH853 הָרָמָהH7414 לְבִלְתִּיH1115 תֵּתH5414 יֹצֵאH3318 וָבָאH935 לְאָסָאH609 מֶלֶךְH4428 יְהוּדָֽהH3063
18 וַיִּקַּחH3947 אָסָאH609 אֶתH853 כָּלH3605 הַכֶּסֶףH3701 וְהַזָּהָבH2091 הַֽנּוֹתָרִיםH3498 בְּאוֹצְרוֹתH214 בֵּיתH1004 יְהוָהH3068 וְאֶתH853 אֽוֹצְרוֹתH214 בֵּיתH1004 מלךH4428 הַמֶּלֶךְH4428 וַֽיִּתְּנֵםH5414 בְּיַדH3027 עֲבָדָיוH5650 וַיִּשְׁלָחֵםH7971 הַמֶּלֶךְH4428 אָסָאH609 אֶלH413 בֶּןH0 הֲדַדH1130 בֶּןH1121 טַבְרִמֹּןH2886 בֶּןH1121 חֶזְיוֹןH2383 מֶלֶךְH4428 אֲרָםH758 הַיֹּשֵׁבH3427 בְּדַמֶּשֶׂקH1834 לֵאמֹֽרH559
19 בְּרִיתH1285 בֵּינִיH996 וּבֵינֶךָH996 בֵּיןH996 אָבִיH1 וּבֵיןH996 אָבִיךָH1 הִנֵּהH2009 שָׁלַחְתִּֽיH7971 לְךָH0 שֹׁחַדH7810 כֶּסֶףH3701 וְזָהָבH2091 לֵךְH1980 הָפֵרָהH6565 אֶתH853 בְּרִֽיתְךָH1285 אֶתH854 בַּעְשָׁאH1201 מֶֽלֶךְH4428 יִשְׂרָאֵלH3478 וְיַעֲלֶהH5927 מֵעָלָֽיH5921
20 וַיִּשְׁמַעH8085 בֶּןH0 הֲדַדH1130 אֶלH413 הַמֶּלֶךְH4428 אָסָאH609 וַיִּשְׁלַחH7971 אֶתH853 שָׂרֵיH8269 הַחֲיָלִיםH2428 אֲשֶׁרH834 לוֹH0 עַלH5921 עָרֵיH5892 יִשְׂרָאֵלH3478 וַיַּךְH5221 אֶתH853 עִיּוֹןH5859 וְאֶתH853 דָּןH1835 וְאֵתH853 אָבֵלH0 בֵּֽיתH0 מַעֲכָהH62 וְאֵתH853 כָּלH3605 כִּנְרוֹתH3672 עַלH5921 כָּלH3605 אֶרֶץH776 נַפְתָּלִֽיH5321
21 וַֽיְהִיH1961 כִּשְׁמֹעַH8085 בַּעְשָׁאH1201 וַיֶּחְדַּלH2308 מִבְּנוֹתH1129 אֶתH853 הָֽרָמָהH7414 וַיֵּשֶׁבH3427 בְּתִרְצָֽהH8656
22 וְהַמֶּלֶךְH4428 אָסָאH609 הִשְׁמִיעַH8085 אֶתH853 כָּלH3605 יְהוּדָהH3063 אֵיןH369 נָקִיH5355 וַיִּשְׂאוּH5375 אֶתH853 אַבְנֵיH68 הָֽרָמָהH7414 וְאֶתH853 עֵצֶיהָH6086 אֲשֶׁרH834 בָּנָהH1129 בַּעְשָׁאH1201 וַיִּבֶןH1129 בָּםH0 הַמֶּלֶךְH4428 אָסָאH609 אֶתH853 גֶּבַעH1387 בִּנְיָמִןH1144 וְאֶתH853 הַמִּצְפָּֽהH4709
23 וְיֶתֶרH3499 כָּלH3605 דִּבְרֵֽיH1697 אָסָאH609 וְכָלH3605 גְּבוּרָתוֹH1369 וְכָלH3605 אֲשֶׁרH834 עָשָׂהH6213 וְהֶֽעָרִיםH5892 אֲשֶׁרH834 בָּנָהH1129 הֲלֹֽאH3808 הֵמָּהH1992 כְתוּבִיםH3789 עַלH5921 סֵפֶרH5612 דִּבְרֵיH1697 הַיָּמִיםH3117 לְמַלְכֵיH4428 יְהוּדָהH3063 רַקH7535 לְעֵתH6256 זִקְנָתוֹH2209 חָלָהH2470 אֶתH854 רַגְלָֽיוH7272
24 וַיִּשְׁכַּבH7901 אָסָאH609 עִםH5973 אֲבֹתָיוH1 וַיִּקָּבֵרH6912 עִםH5973 אֲבֹתָיוH1 בְּעִירH5892 דָּוִדH1732 אָבִיוH1 וַיִּמְלֹךְH4427 יְהוֹשָׁפָטH3092 בְּנוֹH1121 תַּחְתָּֽיוH8478
25 וְנָדָבH5070 בֶּןH1121 יָרָבְעָםH3379 מָלַךְH4427 עַלH5921 יִשְׂרָאֵלH3478 בִּשְׁנַתH8141 שְׁתַּיִםH8147 לְאָסָאH609 מֶלֶךְH4428 יְהוּדָהH3063 וַיִּמְלֹךְH4427 עַלH5921 יִשְׂרָאֵלH3478 שְׁנָתָֽיִםH8141
26 וַיַּעַשׂH6213 הָרַעH7451 בְּעֵינֵיH5869 יְהוָהH3068 וַיֵּלֶךְH1980 בְּדֶרֶךְH1870 אָבִיוH1 וּבְחַטָּאתוֹH2403 אֲשֶׁרH834 הֶחֱטִיאH2398 אֶתH853 יִשְׂרָאֵֽלH3478
27 וַיִּקְשֹׁרH7194 עָלָיוH5921 בַּעְשָׁאH1201 בֶןH1121 אֲחִיָּהH281 לְבֵיתH1004 יִשָּׂשכָרH3485 וַיַּכֵּהוּH5221 בַעְשָׁאH1201 בְּגִבְּתוֹןH1405 אֲשֶׁרH834 לַפְּלִשְׁתִּיםH6430 וְנָדָבH5070 וְכָלH3605 יִשְׂרָאֵלH3478 צָרִיםH6696 עַֽלH5921 גִּבְּתֽוֹןH1405
28 וַיְמִתֵהוּH4191 בַעְשָׁאH1201 בִּשְׁנַתH8141 שָׁלֹשׁH7969 לְאָסָאH609 מֶלֶךְH4428 יְהוּדָהH3063 וַיִּמְלֹךְH4427 תַּחְתָּֽיוH8478
29 וַיְהִיH1961 כְמָלְכוֹH4427 הִכָּהH5221 אֶתH853 כָּלH3605 בֵּיתH1004 יָרָבְעָםH3379 לֹֽאH3808 הִשְׁאִירH7604 כָּלH3605 נְשָׁמָהH5397 לְיָרָבְעָםH3379 עַדH5704 הִשְׁמִדוֹH8045 כִּדְבַרH1697 יְהוָהH3068 אֲשֶׁרH834 דִּבֶּרH1696 בְּיַדH3027 עַבְדּוֹH5650 אֲחִיָּהH281 הַשִּׁילֹנִֽיH7888
30 עַלH5921 חַטֹּאותH2403 יָרָבְעָםH3379 אֲשֶׁרH834 חָטָאH2398 וַאֲשֶׁרH834 הֶחֱטִיאH2398 אֶתH853 יִשְׂרָאֵלH3478 בְּכַעְסוֹH3708 אֲשֶׁרH834 הִכְעִיסH3707 אֶתH853 יְהוָהH3068 אֱלֹהֵיH430 יִשְׂרָאֵֽלH3478
31 וְיֶתֶרH3499 דִּבְרֵיH1697 נָדָבH5070 וְכָלH3605 אֲשֶׁרH834 עָשָׂהH6213 הֲלֹאH3808 הֵםH1992 כְּתוּבִיםH3789 עַלH5921 סֵפֶרH5612 דִּבְרֵיH1697 הַיָּמִיםH3117 לְמַלְכֵיH4428 יִשְׂרָאֵֽלH3478
32 וּמִלְחָמָהH4421 הָיְתָהH1961 בֵּיןH996 אָסָאH609 וּבֵיןH996 בַּעְשָׁאH1201 מֶֽלֶךְH4428 יִשְׂרָאֵלH3478 כָּלH3605 יְמֵיהֶֽםH3117
33 בִּשְׁנַתH8141 שָׁלֹשׁH7969 לְאָסָאH609 מֶלֶךְH4428 יְהוּדָהH3063 מָלַךְH4427 בַּעְשָׁאH1201 בֶןH1121 אֲחִיָּהH281 עַלH5921 כָּלH3605 יִשְׂרָאֵלH3478 בְּתִרְצָהH8656 עֶשְׂרִיםH6242 וְאַרְבַּעH702 שָׁנָֽהH8141
34 וַיַּעַשׂH6213 הָרַעH7451 בְּעֵינֵיH5869 יְהוָהH3068 וַיֵּלֶךְH1980 בְּדֶרֶךְH1870 יָרָבְעָםH3379 וּבְחַטָּאתוֹH2403 אֲשֶׁרH834 הֶחֱטִיאH2398 אֶתH853 יִשְׂרָאֵֽלH3478
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary 1 We have here a short account of the short reign of Abijam the son of Rehoboam king of Judah. He makes a better figure, 2 Chr. 13, where we have an account of his war with Jeroboam, the speech which he made before the armies engaged, and the wonderful victory he obtained by the help of God. There he is called
Abijah -
My father is the Lord, because no wickedness is there laid to his charge. But here, where we are told of his faults,
Jah, the name of God, is, in disgrace to him, taken away from his name, and he is called
Abijam. See
Jer 22:24.
I. Few particulars are related concerning him. 1. Here began his reign in the beginning of Jeroboam's eighteenth year; for Rehoboam reigned but seventeen,
1Kgs 14:21. Jeroboam indeed survived Rehoboam, but Rehoboam's Abijah lived to succeed him and to be a terror to Jeroboam, while Jeroboam's Abijah (whom we read of
1Kgs 14:1) died before him. 2. He reigned scarcely three years, for he died before the end of Jeroboam's twentieth year,
1Kgs 15:9. Being made proud and secure by his great victory over Jeroboam (
2Chr 13:21), God cut him off, to make way for his son Asa, who would be a better man. 3.
His mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom, that is, Absalom, David's son, as I am the rather inclined to think because two other of Rehoboam's wives were his near relations (
2Chr 11:18), one the daughter of Jerimoth, David's son, and another the daughter of Eliab, David's brother. He took warning by his father not to marry strangers; yet thought it below him to marry his subjects, except they were of the royal family. 4. He carried on his father's wars with Jeroboam. As there was continual war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam, not set battles (these were forbidden,
1Kgs 12:24), but frequent encounters, especially upon the borders, one making incursions and reprisals on the other, so there was between Abijam and Jeroboam (
1Kgs 15:7), till Jeroboam, with a great army, invaded him, and then Abijam, not being forbidden to act in his own defence, routed him, and weakened him, so that he compelled him to be quiet during the rest of his reign,
2Chr 13:20.
II. But, in general, we are told, 1. That he was not like David, had no hearty affection for the ordinances of God, though, to serve his purpose against Jeroboam, he pleaded his possession of the temple and priesthood, as that upon which he valued himself, (2Chr:13:10-12). Many boast of their profession of godliness who are strangers to the power of it, and plead the truth of their religion who yet are not true to it.
His heart was not perfect with the Lord his God. He seemed to have zeal, but he wanted sincerity; he began pretty well, but he fell off, and
walked in all the sins of his father, followed his bad example, though he had seen the bad consequences of it. He that was all his days in war ought to have been so wise as to make and keep his peace with God, and not to make him his enemy, especially having found him so good a friend in his war with Jeroboam,
2Chr 13:18.
Let favour be shown to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness, Isa 26:10. 2. That yet it was for David's sake that he was advanced, and continued upon the throne; it was
for his sake (
1Kgs 15:4,
1Kgs 15:5) that God thus
set up his son after him; not for his own sake, nor for the sake of his father, in whose steps he trod,
but for the sake of David, whose example he would not follow. Note, It aggravates the sin of a degenerate seed that they fare the better for the piety of their ancestors and owe their blessings to it, and yet will not imitate it. They stand upon that ground, and yet despise it, and trample upon it, and unreasonably ridicule and oppose that which they enjoy the benefit of. The kingdom of Judah was supported, (1.) That David might have a lamp, pursuant to the divine ordination of
a lamp for his anointed, Pss 132:17. (2.) That Jerusalem might be established, not only that the honours put upon it in David's and Solomon's time might be preserved to it, but that it might be reserved to the honours designed for it in after-times. The character here given of David is very great -
that he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord; but the exception is very remarkable -
save only in the matter of Uriah, including both his murder and the debauching of his wife. That was a bad matter; it was a remaining blot upon his name, a bar in his escutcheon, and the reproach of it was not wiped away, though the guilt was. David was guilty of other faults, but they were nothing in comparison of that; yet even that being repented of, though it be mentioned for warning to others, did not prevail to throw him out of the covenant, nor to cut off the entail of the promise upon his seed.
9 We have here a short account of the reign of Asa; we shall find a more copious history of it (2Chr:14:1-15), 15, and (2Chr:16:1-14). Here is,
I. The length of it:
He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem, 1Kgs 15:10. In the account we have of the kings of Judah we find the number of the good kings and the bad ones nearly equal; but then we may observe, to our comfort, that the reign of the good kings was generally long, but that of the bad kings short, the consideration of which will make the state of God's church not altogether so bad within that period as it appears at first sight. Length of days is in Wisdom's right hand.
Honour thy father, much more thy heavenly Father,
that thy days may be long. II. The general good character of it (
1Kgs 15:11):
Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, and that is right indeed which is so in God's eyes; those are approved whom he commends. He did
as did David his father, kept close to God, and to his instituted worship, was hearty and zealous for that, which gave him this honourable character, that he was like David, though he was not a prophet, or psalmist, as David was. If we come up to the graces of those that have gone before us it will be our praise with God, though we come short of their gifts. Asa was like David, though he was neither such a conqueror nor such an author; for
his heart was perfect with the Lord all his days (
1Kgs 15:14), that is, he was both cordial and constant in his religion. What he did for God he was sincere in, steady and uniform, and did it from a good principle, with a single eye to the glory of God.
III. The particular instances of Asa's piety. His times were times of reformation. For,
1. He removed that which was evil. There reformation begins; and a great deal of work of that kind his hand found to do. For, though it was but twenty years after the death of Solomon that he began to reign, yet very gross corruption had spread far and taken deep root. Immorality he first struck at:
He took away the sodomites out of the land, suppressed the brothels; for how can either prince or people prosper while those cages of unclean and filthy birds, more dangerous than pest-houses, are suffered to remain? Then he proceeded against idolatry:
He removed all the idols, even those
that his father had made, 1Kgs 15:12. His father having made them, he was the more concerned to remove them, that he might cut off the entail of the curse, and prevent the visiting of that iniquity upon him and his. Nay (which redounds much to his honour, and shows his heart was perfect with God), when he found idolatry in the court, he rooted it out thence,
1Kgs 15:13. When it appeared that Maachah his mother, or rather his grandmother (but called his
mother because she had the educating of him in his childhood), had an idol in a grove, though she was his mother, his grandmother, - though, it is likely, she had a particular fondness for it, - though, being old, she could not live long to patronise it, - though she kept it for her own use only, yet he would by no means connive at her idolatry. Reformation must begin at home. Bad practices will never be suppressed in the country while they are supported in the court. Asa, in every thing else, will honour and respect his mother; he loves her well, but he loves God better, and (like the Levite,
Deut 33:9) readily forgets the relation when it comes in competition with his duty. If she be an idolater, (1.) Her idol shall be destroyed, publicly exposed to contempt, defaced, and burnt to ashes
by the brook Kidron, on which, it is probable, he strewed the ashes, in imitation of Moses (
Exod 32:20) and in token of his detestation of idolatry and his indignation at it wherever he found it. Let no remains of a court-idol appear. (2.) She shall be deposed, He removed her from being queen, or from the queen, that is, from conversing with his wife; he banished her from the court, and confined her to an obscure and private life. Those that have power are happy when thus they have hearts to use it well.
2. He re-established that which was good (
1Kgs 15:15): He
brought into the house of God the dedicated things which he himself had vowed out of the spoils of the Ethiopians he had conquered, and which his father had vowed, but lived not to bring in pursuant to his vow. We must not only cease to do evil, but learn to do well, not only cast away the idols of our iniquity, but dedicate ourselves and our all to God's honour and glory. When those who, in their infancy, were by baptism devoted to God, make it their own act and deed to join themselves to him and vigorously employ themselves in his service, this is bringing in the dedicated things which they and their fathers have dedicated: it is necessary justice - rendering to God the things that are his.
VI. The policy of his reign. He built cities himself, to encourage the increase of his people (
1Kgs 15:23) and to invite others to him by the conveniences of habitation; and he was very zealous to hinder Baasha from building Ramah, because he designed it for the cutting off of communication between his people and Jerusalem and to hinder those who in obedience to God would come to worship there. An enemy must by no means be suffered to fortify a frontier town.
V. The faults of his reign. In both the things for which he was praised he was found defective. The fairest characters are not without some
but or other in them. 1. Did he take away the idols? That was well;
but the high places were not removed (
1Kgs 15:14); therein his reformation fell short. He removed all images which were rivals with the true God or false representations of him; but the altars which were set up in high places, and to which those sacrifices were brought which should have been offered on the altar in the temple, those he suffered to stand, thinking there was no great harm in them, they having been used by good men before the temple was built, and being loth to disoblige the people, who had a kindness to them and were wedded to them both by custom and convenience; whereas in Judah and Benjamin, the only tribes under Asa's government which lay so near Jerusalem and the altars there, there was less pretence for them than in those tribes which lay more remote. They were against the law, which obliged them to worship
at one place, Deut 12:11. They lessened men's esteem of the temple and the altars there, and were an open gap for idolatry to enter in at, while the people were so much addicted to it. It was not well that Asa, when his hand was in, did not remove these.
Nevertheless his heart was perfect with the Lord. This affords us a comfortable note, That those may be found honest and upright with God, and be accepted of him, who yet, in some instances, come short of doing the good they might and should do. The perfection which is made the indispensable condition of the new covenant is not to be understood of sinlessness (then we were all undone), but sincerity. 2. Did he bring in the dedicated things? That was well; but he afterwards alienated the dedicated things, when he took the gold and silver out of the house of God and sent them as a bribe to Benhadad, to hire him to break his league with Baasha, and, by making an inroad upon his country, to give him a diversion from the building of Ramah,
1Kgs 15:18,
1Kgs 15:19. Here he sinned, (1.) In tempting Benhadad to break his league, and so to violate the public faith. If he did wrong in doing it, as certainly he did, Asa did wrong in persuading him to do it. (2.) In that he could not trust God, who had done so much for him, to free him out of this strait, without using such indirect means to help himself. (3.) In taking the gold out of the treasury of the temple, which was not to be made use of but on extraordinary occasions. The project succeeded. Benhadad made a descent upon the land of Israel, which obliged Baasha to retire with his whole force from Ramah (
1Kgs 15:20,
1Kgs 15:21), which gave Asa a fair opportunity to demolish his works there, and the timber and stones served him for the building of some cities of his own,
1Kgs 15:22. But, though the design prospered, we find it was displeasing to God; and though Asa valued himself upon the policy of it, and promised himself that it would effectually secure his peace, he was told by the prophet that he had done foolishly, and that
thenceforth he should have wars; see (2Chr:16:7-9).
VI. The troubles of his reign. For the most part he prospered; but, 1. Baasha king of Israel was a very troublesome neighbour to him. He reigned twenty-four years, and all his days had war, more or less, with Asa,
1Kgs 15:16. This was the effect of the division of the kingdoms, that they were continually vexing one another, and so weakened one another, which made them both an easier prey to the common enemy. 2. In his old age he was himself afflicted with the gout: He was
diseased in his feet, which made him less fit for business and peevish towards those about him.
VII. The conclusion of his reign. The acts of it were more largely recorded in the common history (to which reference is here had,
1Kgs 15:23) than in this sacred one. He reigned long, but finished at last with honour, and left his throne to a successor no way inferior to him.
25 We are now to take a view of the miserable state of Israel, while the kingdom of Judah was happy under Asa's good government. It was threatened that they should be as
a reed shaken in the water (
1Kgs 14:15), and so they were, when, during the single reign of Asa, the government of their kingdom was in six or seven different hands, as we find in this and the following chapter. Jeroboam was upon the throne in the beginning of his reign and Ahab at the end of it, and between them were Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Tibni, and Omri, undermining and destroying one another. This they got by deserting the house both of God and of David. Here we have, 1. The ruin and extirpation of the family of Jeroboam, according to the word of the Lord by Ahijah. His son Nadab succeeded him. If the death of his brother Abijah had had a due influence upon him to make him religious, and the honour done him at his death had engaged him to follow his good example, his reign might have been long and glorious; but he
walked in the way of his father (
1Kgs 15:26), kept up the worship of his calves, and forbade his subjects to go up to Jerusalem to worship,
sinned and made Israel to sin, and therefore God brought ruin upon him quickly, in the second year of his reign. He was besieging Gibbethon, a city which the Philistines had taken from the Danites, and was endeavouring to re-take it; and there, in the midst of his army, did Baasha, with others, conspire against him and kill him, (
1Kgs 15:27), and so little interest had he in the affections of his people that his army did not only not avenge his death, but chose his murderer for his successor. Whether Baasha did it upon a personal pique against Nadab, or to be avenged on the house of Jeroboam for some affront received from them, or whether under pretence of freeing his country from the tyranny of a bad prince, or whether merely from a principle of ambition, to make way for himself to the throne, does not appear; but he
slew him and
reigned in his stead, 1Kgs 15:28. And the first thing he did when he came to the crown was to
cut off all the house of Jeroboam, that he might the better secure himself and his own usurped government. He thought it not enough to imprison or banish them, but he destroyed them, left not only no males (as was foretold,
1Kgs 14:10), but none that breathed. Herein he was barbarous, but God was righteous. Jeroboam's sin was punished (
1Kgs 15:30); for those that provoke God do it
to their own confusion; see
Jer 7:19. Ahijah's prophecy was accomplished (
1Kgs 15:29); for no word of God shall fall to the ground. Divine threatenings are not bugbears. 2. The elevation of Baasha. He shall be tried awhile, as Jeroboam was. Twenty-four years he reigned (
1Kgs 15:33), but showed that it was not from any dislike to Jeroboam's sin that he destroyed his family, but from malice and ambition; for, when he had rooted out the sinner, he himself clave to the sin, and
walked in the way of Jeroboam (
1Kgs 15:34), though he had seen the end of that way; so strangely was his heart hardened with the deceitfulness of sin.