ESV Global Study Bible :: Footnotes for 1 Kings 15

1 Kings 15:1–24 Abijam and Asa. The history of the kings of Judah continues. Abijam (vv. 1–8) is a bad Judean king. He follows the idolatry of the older Solomon and of Rehoboam. Asa (vv. 9–24) is a good Judean king, behaving more like David and the younger Solomon. All the Judean kings who follow are either faithful like Asa or disobedient like Abijam. The authors judge the kings in terms of whether or not they have been “like David.” After the history of these two kings, the text will return to the kings of Israel.

1 Kings 15:2–3 If Abishalom is the same as David’s son Absalom, one should remember that the Hebrew terms daughter and father (as well as “mother,” v. 10) do not necessarily refer to a first-generation relationship; they can mean “granddaughter,” etc.

1 Kings 15:4 a lamp in Jerusalem. See note on 11:34–39.

1 Kings 15:6–7 there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam . . . between Abijam and Jeroboam. The feud that began in ch. 12 between the houses of Rehoboam and Jeroboam continues.

1 Kings 15:10–11 Asa reigned forty-one years, from 910 to 869 b.c. On the generations depicted by mother, daughter, and father, see note on vv. 2–3.

1 Kings 15:12 He put away the male cult prostitutes. See note on 14:24.

1 Kings 15:13 The queen mother served as an adviser of the king and as teacher of the royal children. abominable image for Asherah. This is another object associated with the worship of the goddess Asherah like the Asherim mentioned in 14:15, 23. On the brook Kidron, see note on 2 Chron. 15:16.

1 Kings 15:14–15 Even though the high places were not taken away, Asa was commended for his religious policy. He was faithful enough to bring into the house of the Lord the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts. When 2 Chron. 14:3 says that Asa removed the high places, this should be taken as meaning he removed some but not all of them (compare 2 Chron. 15:17).

1 Kings 15:17 Baasha king of Israel finds Asa’s military position so weak that he is able to push into Benjamin and build up Ramah, only a few miles north of Jerusalem.

1 Kings 15:18–19 Asa took all the silver and the gold. Asa was forced to send a large bribe to Damascus to try to establish a new treaty like the one between his father Abijah and the previous Syrian king Tabrimmon (see note on 2 Chron. 16:2–5).

1 Kings 15:25–16:34 From Nadab to Ahab. The fulfillment of the prophecy against the house of Jeroboam (14:10–11) has been delayed until God makes it clear how differently he treats the house of David. “Because for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem” (15:4), Judah’s wicked kings do not bring its downfall. Now, however, everything turns out for Israel just as Ahijah had prophesied in ch. 14.

1 Kings 15:29 He left to the house of Jeroboam not one that breathed. Baasha fulfills the prophecy of 14:10–11.