1 Kings 15:12-22

12 And he put away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his father had made.
13 And also Maachah his mother he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol for the Asherah; and Asa cut down her idol, and burned it in the valley of Kidron.
14 But the high places were not removed; only, Asa's heart was perfect with Jehovah all his days.
15 And he brought into the house of Jehovah the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which he himself had dedicated, silver and gold and vessels.
16 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
17 And Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, in order to let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
18 And Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and in the treasures of the king's house, and gave them into the hand of his servants; and king Asa sent them to Ben-Hadad, the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who dwelt at Damascus, saying,
19 There is a league between me and thee, [as] between my father and thy father; behold, I send thee a present of silver and gold: go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.
20 And Ben-Hadad hearkened to king Asa, and sent the captains of his forces against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-Beth-Maachah, and all Kinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.
21 And it came to pass when Baasha heard of it, that he left off building Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah.
22 And king Asa called together all Judah: none was exempted; and they carried away the stones and the timber from Ramah, with which Baasha had been building; and king Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.

1 Kings 15:12-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 15

In this chapter we have a short history of the reign of Abijam, 1Ki 15:1-8 and of Asa, 1Ki 14:9-24, both kings of Judah; and of the reigns of Nadab the son of Jeroboam, and of Baasha, who destroyed his family, both kings of Israel, 1Ki 15:25-34.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Strictly, 'mistress.' It was a position similar to that of an empress-mother in China: see ch 2.19; for Asherah, see Ex. 34.13; Judg. 2.13.
  • [b]. Meaning, 'son of Hadad,' i.e. of the sun-god of the Syrians.
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.