The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 351

belonged to the Philistines [Blunt suggests Ver. 31.-Now the reat of the acts of ("Coincidenoes,"p, 181) that it was because Nadab, and all that he did, are they not the place had been deserted by the Levites, written 1n the book of the chronicles of the in the general exodllS to Judah, that the kings of Israel ? Philistines availed themselves of the oppor- Ver. 32.-And there was war between tunity to seize e.nd fortify it. But the Asa and Baasha king of Iarael all their divided and consequently weakened state days. [Verbatim as ver. 16, where see of the kingdom would of itself have encou- note. Several commentators suggest that raged them to throw off the yoke of Israel this latter st1Ltement was copied from the (Ewa.Id)]; for Nadab a.nd aJl Israel laid chronicles of Israel, and that of ver. 16 siege to Gibbethon. from those of J ude.h. It is held by others, Ver. 28.-Even 1n the third year of Asa however, that for Bae.she. we should here [We have here (as in eh. xvi. 8, 23) a con- read Nadab, and in favour of this view is spicuous instance of the Hebrew ha.bit of the fact that the reign of Na.dab is still counting parts of years as entire yea.rs. It under consideration, the history of Be.asha is obvious that if Na.dab succeeded to the only beginning with the following verse.) throne in the second (ver. 25) and died in Ver. 33.-ID the third year of Asa king of the third year of Asa, he cannot have reigned Judah began Baa.sha the son of Ahijah to two full years] king of Judah did Baasha reign [Practica.lly a repetition of ver. 28. slay him [As the assassination took place These iterations are thoroughly in accord during the siege, it is extremely probable with Ee.stern usage (cf. vers. 26, 30, 34; eh. that Baasha, like Omri, was the captain of xvi. 1, 7, &c.)] over all Israel 1n Tirzah, the host], a.nd reigned in his stead. [Prob- twenty and four years. ably Na.dab had showed himself quite un- Ver. 34.-And he did evil 1n the sight of equal to the task of governing, of which the Lord, and he walked 1n the way of Jero- ieading the army was in that age a principe.l boam, and 1n his Bill wherewith he made function (1 Sam. viii. 20). It is just pos- Israel to sin. sible that in the occupation of Gibbethon by Philistines we have a proof of his feebleness and incapacity. Anyhow, when the strong CHAPTER XVL hand of Jeroboam is removed, the fro.its of This division of chapters, immeilie.tely the rebellion at once begin to appear. The after the commencement of the narrative contempt and defiance which Jeroboam had of the reign of Bae.she., is somewhat unfor- showed towards constituted authority are now manifested towards his successor. Be.a.sha tunate, inasmuch as it obscures the close only takes a leaf out of Jeroboam's book connexion between the sin of Bae.she. and (eh. xi. 26).J the prophecy which it provoked. The idea Ver. 29.-And it came to pass, when he the historian would convey is clearly this reigned, that he smote all the house of -the analogy between the dyne.sty of Jero- Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any boam and that which supplanted it, (1) in that breathed [Same expression in Josh. xi. 14 ; cf. Dent. xx. 16. Males e.nd females their sin, (2) in the denunciation of ea.oh by alike were destroyed; see eh. xiv. 11), a prophet, and (3) in the punishments until he had destroyed him, according which followed their sins-an e.ne.logy so unto the saying or the Lord, which he close that the prophet Jehn almost employs spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite the ipsusima 11erba of his predecessor, [eh. xiv. 10. It is not implied that it was beca1J.8e of this prophecy that Bae.she. Ahije.h. exterminated the house of Jeroboam. It Ver. 1.-Then the word of the Lord came is probable that, so far from setting him- to Jehu, the son of Hanani [Ha.ne.ni is self to fulfil it, he knew nothing about it, mentioned in 2 Chron. xvi. 7-10 as having and, as he thought, merely took effectue.l admonished Asa, and as having been thrown measures for his own security. His seat into prison for so doing. Both he and his could never be safe, so long as one of J ero- son would seem to have belonged to the boam's house survived. Grotius aptly cites, kingdom of Judah. We find the latter in with reference to these wholesale murders, 2 Chron. xix. 2 a resident in Jerusalem, the ee.ying, :vq1r,o~ a, ,raripa ICTE<va,, viov, and protesting age.inst the alliance between 1:ari\t1r€]: Jehoshaphat, whose historian he became, Ver. aO.-Because of the s1ns of Jeroboam and whom, consequently, he must have Sil!• which he sinned, and wlll.ch he ms.de Israel vived (2 Chron. u. 34), an~ Ahab. He lB to sin, by his provocation wherewith he mentioned in the verse last cited as "made to provoked the Lord 004 of Israel to uger. ascend on the book of the kings of Israel " [Cf. eh. xvi. 2, 7, 13, 26, &c.] (sec Introduction, p. xiii.) His prophetie on. xv. 26-xvx. 28.] THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. 857