1 Kings 15

1 Kings, chapter 15 1 Kings 15 1 Kings 14 chapter 14 1 Kings 16 chapter 16 First book of Kings Old Testament 11 Nevi'im 4 Former Prophets Leningrad-codex-09-kings.pdf 250px The pages containing the Books of Kings (1 & 2 Kings) Leningrad Codex (1008 CE). 1 Kings 15 is the fifteenth chapter of the Books of Kings in the Hebrew Bible or the First Book of Kings in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.Halley 1965 191Collins 2014 288 The book is a compilation of various annals recording the acts of the kings of Israel and Judah by a Deuteronomic compiler in the seventh century BCE, with a supplement added in the sixth century BCE.McKane 1993 324 1 Kings 12:1-16:14 documents the consolidation of the kingdoms of northern Israel and Judah.Dietrich 2007 241 This chapter focusses on the reigns of Abijam (or Abijah) and Asa in the southern kingdom, as well as Nadab and Baasha in the northern kingdom.Dietrich 2007 243–244 Text This chapter was originally written in the Hebrew language and since the 16th century is divided into 34 verses. Textual witnesses Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis (895), Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008).Würthwein 1995 35-37 There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BCE. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; B; 4th century) and Codex Alexandrinus (A; A; 5th century).Würthwein 1995 73-74The whole book of 1 Kings is missing from the extant Codex Sinaiticus.Codex Sinaiticus Old Testament references 1 Kings 15:1–8 9: 2 Chronicles 13:1–3 91 Kings 15, Berean Study Bible 1 Kings 15:9–15 9: 2 Chronicles 14:1–15 9; 2 Chronicles 15:8–19 9 1 Kings 15:16–22 9: 2 Chronicles 16:1–6 9 1 Kings 15:23–24 9: 2 Chronicles 17:1–19 9 Abijam, the king of Judah (15:1–8) Abijam is the first king who is given synchronized dating, that is, correlation to the line of kings in the northern kingdoms, a reminder of the common heritage, despite their separate development, as the people of YHWH.Dietrich 2007 243 The names of the Judean queen mothers are always noted for specific political reasons: as an overriding factor to decide who took up the reins of the government among rival parties and interest-groups (cf. 1 Kings 1), also as she held a specific rank of 'mistress' (synonymous with the Hebrew word for 'queen mother') giving her power especially in the case of her son's death, similar to other cultures of the ancient Near East, such as amongst the Hittites.Dietrich 2007 243 Abijam did not rule for long (about two full years, cf. verse 1 with 15:9; the number 'three' in 15:2 can be explained since the years of accession and death were not complete calendar years).Dietrich 2007 243 Abijam was given a poor rating as a king, because he did not reverse the (alleged) atrocities introduced by Rehoboam, and failed to be "like David", but for David's sake, God still gave "a lamp in Jerusalem" (verse 4; cf. 1 Kings 11:36) even when there were conflicts with the northern state at this time (v. 7b, probably a note from the annals of the Judean kings).Dietrich 2007 243Coogan 2007 518 Hebrew Bible Verses 1–2 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.1 Kings 15:1–2 KJV KJV Cross references: 2 Chronicles 13:1–2 "Eighteenth year of king Jeroboam...three years reigned he": in Thiele's chronology (improved by McFall), Abijam became king between April and September 913 BCE and died between September 911 and April 910 BCE (his age was omitted).McFall 1991 no. 4 This is the only synchronism with the kingdom of Israel recorded by the Chronicler,Thiele 1951, p. 81 who called him "Abijah".McFall 1991 no. 4 "Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom": Abijam's mother was Maacah, the 'granddaughter' (in Hebrew also called 'daughter') of Abishalom (=Absalom) the son of David (Maacah's mother Tamar was the daughter of Absalom mentioned in 2 Samuel 14:27, and Maacah's father is named as Uriel of Gibeah in 2 Chronicles 13:2).Dietrich 2007 243 Asa, the king of Judah (15:9–24) Asa reigned for an unusually long time in Jerusalem, seeing five Israelite kings rise and fall before Ahab started to reign, until Asa was 'diseased in his feet' in old age, which indicates his son Jehoshaphat's regency during Asa's lifetime.Dietrich 2007 243Coogan 2007 518 Hebrew Bible He was given a good assessment compared to David, though he did not abolish the high places outside Jerusalem (which was left to Josiah, 2 Kings 23:8), but otherwise was regarded as exemplary as he 'made pious donations' to the temple, 'chased the cult-prostitutes out' of the land (cf. 1 Kings 14:24), and dismissed the queen mother (his grandmother) 'because she had made an abominable image for Asherah'.Dietrich 2007 243 The queen mother, Maacah, was the mother of Abijam, not Asa, but kept her position as queen mother following Abijam's early death until Asa relieved her of the post.Dietrich 2007 243 Asa's strategy to fend off northern Israel's provocative expansion of the Benjaminite town of Ramah into a border fortress (cf. Joshua 18:25) was questionable, because he incited the Aramean king in Damascus to carry out a military attack on northern Israel, devastating Galilee, and while the Israelite king turned his back on the south to concentrate on the enemy in the north, Asa took the chance to build his own border fortress in Ramah, using the available materials from the northern kingdom.Dietrich 2007 243–244 Verses 9–10 9And 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.1 Kings 15:9–10 KJV KJV Cross references: 2 Chronicles 16:13 "The twentieth year of Jeroboam...forty and one years reigned he": in Thiele's chronology (improved by McFall), Asa became king between September 911 and April 910 BCE and died between September 870 and April 869 BCE (his age was omitted).McFall 1991 no. 5 Nadab, the king of Israel (15:25–32) The narrative turns to the kingdom of northern Israel, where Nadab, son of Jeroboam I, inherited a dynasty which only lasted a short time, although he managed to wage war against the Philistines in the Philistine territory (apparently resumed the war which Saul had begun; cf. 1 Samuel 13–14; 31). The motives of Baasha was not clear on why he overthrew the king and liquidated the entire royal family, other than stated as everything came to pass as prophesied by the prophet Ahijah that due to Jeroboam's sin, his 'house' had to be eliminated and Baasha carried it out. However, this is not a licence for political murder, for in 1 Kings 16:7 Baasha and his son would pay the price for the bloodbath he brought upon the house of Jeroboam (God may use humans as instruments of his judgement, but he does not condone their crimes).Dietrich 2007 244 Verse 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.1 Kings 15:25 KJV KJV "The second year of Asa...reigned over Israel two years": in Thiele's chronology (improved by McFall), Nadab became king between September 910 and April 909 BCE and died between September 909 and April 908 BCE.McFall 1991 no. 6 Baasha, the king of Israel (15:33–34) It is already recorded in previous passages how Baasha became the second founder of a dynasty in the northern kingdom of Israel (after killing the heir of the previous dynasty, 15:27–28), and was involved in a war on two fronts against Judah and Syria (15:17–22).Dietrich 2007 244 Now it is noted that he reigned for twenty-four years in Tirzah, a city in the territory of Manasseh (generally identified as "el-Far'ah", about 10 km. north of Nablus) which Jeroboam had already used as a residence (1 Kings 14:17). Baasha was given a poor rating as king because he walked 'in the way of Jeroboam', a religious (not political) criteria, as he left the bull cult of Bethel (and Dan) untouched.Dietrich 2007 244Coogan 2007 519 Hebrew Bible Verse 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.1 Kings 15:33 KJV KJV "The third year of Asa... reign...twenty and four years": in Thiele's chronology (improved by McFall), Baasha became king between September 909 and April 908 BCE (after killing Nadab) and died between September 886 and April 885 BCE.McFall 1991 no. 7,8 See also 22em Abijam or Abijah, king of Judah Benhadad Chronicles of the Kings of Israel Chronicles of the Kings of Judah David Idolatry Israel Jeroboam Jerusalem Kingdom of Judah Nadab, king of Israel Prophet Solomon's Temple Tirzah Related Bible parts: 1 Kings 13, 1 Kings 14, 2 Kings 23, 2 Chronicles 13, 2 Chronicles 14, 2 Chronicles 15, 2 Chronicles 16, 2 Chronicles 17 Notes References Sources Collins John J. Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures Chapter 14: 1 Kings 12 – 2 Kings 25 277–296 Fortress Press 2014 https://books.google.com/books?id=fbsoBAAAQBAJ 978-1451469233 Coogan Michael David Michael D. Coogan The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books: New Revised Standard Version, Issue 48 Coogan Michael David Marc Zvi Brettler Carol Ann Newsom Pheme Perkins Augmented 3rd Oxford University Press 2007 978-0195288810 https://books.google.com/books?id=HmpMPgAACAAJ Dietrich Walter 13. 1 and 2 Kings The Oxford Bible Commentary John Barton John Barton (theologian) John Muddiman John Muddiman Oxford University Press first (paperback) 2007 232–266 978-0199277186 https://books.google.com/books?id=ZJdVkgEACAAJ February 6, 2019 Fitzmyer Joseph A. Joseph Fitzmyer A Guide to the Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Literature William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company https://books.google.com/books?id=TILXeWJ2eNAC 2008 9780802862419 Grand Rapids, MI Halley Henry H. Henry Hampton Halley Halley's Bible Handbook: an abbreviated Bible commentary 24th (revised) Zondervan Publishing House 1965 https://archive.org/details/halleysbiblehand00henr registration 0-310-25720-4 Hayes Christine Introduction to the Bible Yale University Press 2015 https://books.google.com/books?id=SKbkXYHxvlAC 978-0300188271 Leithart Peter J. 1 & 2 Kings Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible Brazos Press 2006 https://books.google.com/books?id=Z_gvin9G7LgC 978-1587431258 http://www.btinternet.com/~lmf12/TransGuide.pdf Leslie McFall Translation Guide to the Chronological Data in Kings and Chronicles Bibliotheca Sacra 148 1991 3-45 https://web.archive.org/web/20100827065339/http://www.btinternet.com/%7Elmf12/TransGuide.pdf dead 2010-08-27 McKane William Kings, Book of Metzger Bruce M Bruce M. Metzger Coogan Michael D The Oxford Companion to the Bible https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780195046458 registration Oxford University Press 1993 409–413 978-0195046458 Metzger Bruce M Bruce M. Metzger Coogan Michael D The Oxford Companion to the Bible Oxford University Press 1993 978-0195046458 Thiele, Edwin R., The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings, (1st ed.; New York: Macmillan, 1951; 2d ed.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965; 3rd ed.; Grand Rapids: Zondervan/Kregel, 1983). 9780825438257 Ulrich Eugene The Biblical Qumran Scrolls: Transcriptions and Textual Variants 2010 Brill https://archive.org/details/TheBiblicalQumranScrolls Würthwein Ernst Ernst Würthwein The Text of the Old Testament Wm. B. Eerdmans Grand Rapids, MI 1995 Erroll F. Rhodes 0-8028-0788-7 https://books.google.com/books?id=FSNKSBObCYwC January 26, 2019 External links Jewish translations: Melachim I - I Kings - Chapter 15 (Judaica Press). Hebrew text and English translation [with Rashi's commentary] at Chabad.org Christian translations: Online Bible at GospelHall.org (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English) 1 Kings chapter 15. Bible Gateway 15