1V osemnástom roku kráľa Járobeáma, syna Nebatovho, sa nad Júdom stal kráľom Abijám. 2Tri roky kraľoval v Jeruzaleme. Meno jeho matky bolo Maachá, dcéra Abíšálómova. 3Svojimi hriechmi sa podal na svojho otca, a jeho srdce nebolo úplne oddané Hospodinovi, jeho Bohu, ako bolo srdce jeho otca Dávida. 4Ale kvôli Dávidovi Hospodin, jeho Boh, mu dal v Jeruzaleme sviecu, ustanovil po ňom jeho syna a nechal stáť Jeruzalem, 5pretože Dávid robil, čo bolo správne v Hospodinových očiach. Po celý svoj život sa neodklonil od ničoho, čo mu prikázal, iba v prípade Uriáša Chetejského. 6Medzi Rechabeámom a Járobeámom bola po celý čas ich života vojna. 7Ostatné Abijámove činy, aj všetko, čo vykonal, je zapísané v Knihe letopisov judských kráľov. 8Keď Abijám usnul so svojimi otcami, pochovali ho v meste Dávidovom. Po ňom sa stal kráľom jeho syn Ásá. 9V dvadsiatom roku izraelského kráľa Járobeáma stal sa judským kráľom kráľ Ásá. 10Štyridsaťjeden rokov kraľoval v Jeruzaleme. Meno jeho matky bolo Maachá, dcéra Abíšálómova. 11Ásá konal, čo bolo správne v očiach Hospodinových, ako jeho praotec Dávid. 12Vyhnal z krajiny zasvätencov modlárskeho smilstva a odstránil všetky modly, ktoré dali narobiť jeho otcovia. 13Svoju matku Maachu zvrhol z hodnosti vládkyne, pretože dala zhotoviť Ašére ohavnú modlu. Ásá zoťal túto ohavnú modlu, spálil ju pri potoku Kidrón. 14Hoci výšiny neboli odstránené, Ásovo srdce bolo po všetky dni celkom oddané Hospodinovi. 15Do domu Hospodinovho dal vniesť posvätné dary svojho otca i vlastné posvätné dary, a to striebro, zlato a nádoby. 16Medzi Ásóm a izraelským kráľom Bašom bola vojna po celý ich život. 17Izraelský kráľ Baša vytiahol proti Judsku a vystaval Rámu, aby nedovolil judskému kráľovi Ásóvi vychádzať a vchádzať. 18Ásá vzal všetko striebro a zlato, čo zostalo v pokladnici domu Hospodinovho, aj poklady kráľovského paláca, dal to do rúk svojich služobníkov a poslal ich sýrskemu kráľovi Benhadadovi, synovi Tábrimmóna, Checjónovho syna, ktorý sídlil v Damasku, s odkazom: 19Nech je zmluva medzi mnou a tebou, medzi mojím otcom a tvojím otcom! Hľa, posielam ti dar, striebro a zlato. Choď a zruš svoju zmluvu s izraelským kráľom Bašom, aby odtiahol odo mňa. 20Benhadad poslúchol kráľa Ású a poslal svojich vojvodcov proti izraelským mestám. Dobyl Ijón, Dán, Ábel-Bét-Maachá aj celý Kinerót s celou krajinou Naftálí. 21Keď sa o tom dopočul Baša, prestal stavať Rámu a ostal v Tirci. 22Kráľ Ásá vyzval celé Judsko, takže nikto neostal oslobodený, aby poodnášali kamene z Rámy, aj drevo, z ktorého Baša staval. Z nich kráľ Ásá vybudoval Benjamínsku Gebu a Micpu. 23Ostatné Ásove činy, všetko jeho hrdinstvo, všetko, čo vykonal, a mestá, ktoré vystaval, je zapísané v Knihe letopisov judských kráľov. Len to nie, že vo svojej starobe ochorel na nohy. 24Keď Ásá usnul so svojimi otcami, pochovali ho k nim v meste jeho otca Dávida; po ňom sa stal kráľom jeho syn Jehóšáfát. 25Járobeámov syn Nádáb sa stal kráľom nad Izraelom v druhom roku judského kráľa Ású a dva roky kraľoval nad Izraelom. 26Robil, čo sa nepáčilo Hospodinovi, chodil po ceste svojho otca, v jeho hriechu, ku ktorému zvádzal Izrael. 27Baša, syn Achijov z domu Jissáchárovho, zosnoval proti nemu sprisahanie. Baša ho zabil v Gibbetóne, ktorý patril Filištíncom, keď Nádáb a celý Izrael obliehali Gibbetón. 28Baša ho usmrtil v treťom roku judského kráľa Ású. Kráľom sa stal on. 29Keď sa stal kráľom, pozabíjal celú Járobeámovu domácnosť. Neponechal Járobeámovi ani dušu, až ich vykynožil podľa slova Hospodinovho, ktorý predpovedal prostredníctvom svojho služobníka Achiju Šilónskeho, 30pre hriechy Járobeámove, ktoré spáchal a ktorými zvádzal Izrael na hriech, a pre popudzovanie Hospodina, Boha Izraela. 31Ostatné Nádábove činy a všetko, čo vykonal, je zapísané v Knihe letopisov izraelských kráľov. 32Medzi Ásóm a Bašom, kráľom Izraela, bola vojna celý ich život. 33V treťom roku judského kráľa Ású sa stal na dvadsaťštyri rokov kráľom nad celým Izraelom v Tirci Achijov syn Baša. 34Robil, čo sa nepáčilo Hospodinovi, chodil po ceste Járobeáma a jeho hriechu, na ktorý zvádzal Izrael.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 ABIJAM'S WICKED REIGN OVER JUDAH. (
1Kgs 15:1-8)
Abijam--His name was at first Abijah (
2Chr 12:16); "Jah," the name of God, according to an ancient fashion, being conjoined with it. But afterwards, when he was found "walking in all the sins of his father" [
1Kgs 15:3], that honorable addition was withdrawn, and his name in sacred history changed into Abijam [LIGHTFOOT].
2 Three years reigned he--(compare
1Kgs 15:1 with
1Kgs 15:9). Parts of years are often counted in Scripture as whole years. The reign began in Jeroboam's eighteenth year, continued till the nineteenth, and ended in the course of the twentieth.
his mother's name was Maachah--or Michaiah (
2Chr 13:2), probably altered from the one to the other on her becoming queen, as was very common under a change of circumstances. She is called the daughter of Abishalom, or Absalom (
2Chr 11:21), of Uriel (
2Chr 13:2). Hence, it has been thought probable that Tamar, the daughter of Absalom (
2Sam 14:27;
2Sam 18:18), had been married to Uriel, and that Maachah was their daughter.
3 his heart was not perfect with the Lord . . . , as the heart of David his father--(Compare
1Kgs 11:4;
1Kgs 14:22). He was not positively bad at first, for it appears that he had done something to restore the pillaged treasures of the temple (
1Kgs 15:15). This phrase contains a comparative reference to David's heart. His doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord (
1Kgs 15:5) is frequently used in speaking of the kings of Judah, and means only that they did or did not do that which, in the general course and tendency of their government, was acceptable to God. It furnishes no evidence as to the lawfulness or piety of one specific act.
4 for David's sake did the Lord his God give him a lamp--"A lamp" in one's house is an Oriental phrase for continuance of family name and prosperity. Abijam was not rejected only in consequence of the divine promise to David (see on 1Ki. 11:13-36).
10 ASA'S GOOD REIGN. (
1Kgs 15:9-22)
his mother's name was Maachah--She was properly his grandmother, and she is here called "the king's mother," from the post of dignity which at the beginning of his reign she possessed. Asa, as a constitutional monarch, acted like the pious David, laboring to abolish the traces and polluting practices of idolatry, and in pursuance of his impartial conduct, he did not spare delinquents even of the highest rank.
13 also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen--The sultana, or queen dowager, was not necessarily the king's natural mother (see
1Kgs 2:19), nor was Maachah. Her title, and the privileges connected with that honor and dignity which gave her precedency among the ladies of the royal family, and great influence in the kingdom, were taken away. She was degraded for her idolatry.
because she had made an idol in a grove--A very obscene figure, and the grove was devoted to the grossest licentiousness. His plans of religious reformation, however, were not completely carried through, "the high places were not removed" (see
1Kgs 3:2). The suppression of this private worship on natural or artificial hills, though a forbidden service after the temple had been declared the exclusive place of worship, the most pious king's laws were not able to accomplish.
15 he brought in the things which his father had dedicated--Probably the spoils which Abijam had taken from the vanquished army of Jeroboam (see
2Chr 13:16).
and the things which himself had dedicated--after his own victory over the Cushites (
2Chr 14:12).
16 there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days--Asa enjoyed a ten years' peace after Jeroboam's defeat by Abijam, and this interval was wisely and energetically spent in making internal reforms, as well as increasing the means of national defense (
2Chr 14:1-7). In the fifteenth year of his reign, however, the king of Israel commenced hostilities against him, and, invading his kingdom, erected a strong fortress at Ramah, which was near Gibeah, and only six Roman miles from Jerusalem. Afraid lest his subjects might quit his kingdom and return to the worship of their fathers, he wished to cut off all intercourse between the two nations. Ramah stood on an eminence overhanging a narrow ravine which separated Israel from Judah, and therefore he took up a hostile position in that place.
18 Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the . . . house of the Lord--Asa's religious character is now seen to decline. He trusted not in the Lord (
2Chr 16:7). In this emergency Asa solicited the powerful aid of the king of Damascene-Syria; and to bribe him to break off his alliance with Baasha, he transmitted to him the treasure lying in the temple and palace. The Syrian mercenaries were gained. Instances are to be found, both in the ancient and modern history of the East, of the violation of treaties equally sudden and unscrupulous, through the presentation of some tempting bribe. Ben-hadad poured an army into the northern provinces of Israel, and having captured some cities in Galilee, on the borders of Syria, compelled Baasha to withdraw from Ramah back within his own territories.
Ben-hadad--(See on
1Kgs 11:14).
22 Then king Asa made a proclamation--The fortifications which Baasha had erected at Ramah were demolished, and with the materials were built other defenses, where Asa thought they were needed--at Geba (now Jeba) and Mizpeh (now Neby Samuil), about two hours' travelling north of Jerusalem.
23 in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet--(See on
2Chr 16:12, where an additional proof is given of his religious degeneracy.)
25 NADAB'S WICKED REIGN. (
1Kgs 15:25-34)
Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign--No record is given of him, except his close adherence to the bad policy of his father.
27 Baasha smote him at Gibbethon--This town, within the tribe of Dan, was given to the Levites (
Josh 19:44). It lay on the Philistine borders, and having been seized by that people, Nadab laid siege to recover it.
29 when he reigned, he smote all the house of Jeroboam--It was according to a barbarous practice too common in the East, for a usurper to extirpate all rival candidates for the throne; but it was an accomplishment of Ahijah's prophecy concerning Jeroboam (
1Kgs 14:10-11).