1 Kings 15:27

27 Baasha son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.

1 Kings 15:27 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 15:27

And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar
A man of that tribe; but who he was, or his father, is nowhere else said, very probably an officer in Nadab's army:

conspired against him;
laid a scheme to take away his life, and seize the kingdom:

and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon;
a city in the tribe of Dan, ( Joshua 19:44 )

which belongeth to the Philistines;
it was a city given to the Levites, ( Joshua 21:23 ) and they being driven from it by Jeroboam, the Philistines seized on it, or had heretofore made a conquest of it; and Nadab was desirous of getting it out of their hands, and therefore besieged it, as follows:

for Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon;
and while he was besieging it, Baasha took the opportunity to slay him, where his carcass lay exposed to dogs, or fowls of the air, and had no burial, as Ahijah predicted, ( 1 Kings 14:11 1 Kings 14:13 ) .

1 Kings 15:27 In-Context

25 Nadab son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of King Asa of Judah; he reigned over Israel two years.
26 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, walking in the way of his ancestor and in the sin that he caused Israel to commit.
27 Baasha son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.
28 So Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of King Asa of Judah, and succeeded him.
29 As soon as he was king, he killed all the house of Jeroboam; he left to the house of Jeroboam not one that breathed, until he had destroyed it, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite—
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.