The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 352

oareer must he.ve extended over e.t least xvii. 2, 19; xxi. 9) nee.r to Gibbethon, where be.If a century] against Baasha, saying, Bae.she. was proclaimed king.] Ver. 2. -Forasmuch as I exalted thee out Ver. 7.-And also by the hand of the of the dust [of. oh. xiv. 7; 2 Sam.vii. 8; Paa.. prophet Jehu, the aon of Banani, came the h:xviii. 70. These words assuredly point to word of the Lord against Baasha [This e. lowly origin. Ha may well have risen does not refer, e.s som<i have thought, to e. from the ranks], and made thee prince [The second prophecy on Jehu's part, but is original word is used of leaders of various rather explice.tive of ver. 2. Re.wlinson degrees, comprehending even the king : eh. thinks the object of the historian herein i. 35; 1 Sam. ix. 16 ; x. 1 ; cf. Dan. ix. 25] was to point out that Baa.aha was punished over my people Israel [There is no approval for the "mUJ"der of Jeroboam [?] e.nd his implied here of the means by which family," e.s well e.s for the calf-worship. E'aasha had raised himself to the throne. Keil and Bahr hold that it is designed to All that is said is that he had been an guard against e. perversion of ver. 2, " I instrument in God's hands, and owed his made thee prince," &c., from which it might throne to God's sanction and ordering. be inferred the.t he we.a commissioned of Even his conspiracy and cruelties had been God to murder N11.da.b. But it is simpler overruled to the furtherance of the Divine to suppose that his primary idea was to pm-pose], and thou hast walked 1ll the way convey, by this repetition, which no doubt of Jeroboam,and hast made my people Israel is derived from e. different source from the to slll, to provoke me to anger [better vez, statement of ver. 2, that Be.a.aha. was visited one word] with their sllls; by God for his various sins. It we.s no Ver. 3.-Behold, I will take away [Heb. cha.nee that happened to him. The exci- exterminate; same word as in cha. xiv. 10 sion of his house, like that of Jeroboam, (where see note); xxi. 21 ; xxii. 47, &c.] the was distinctly foretold] , and against his posterity of [Heb. after] Baasha, and the house, even for all the evU that he did 1n posterity of [after] his house, and will the sight of the Lord, tn provoldng him to make thy house like the house of Jeroboam anger with the work of his hands [ver. 2; the son of Nebat. [Cf. eh. xv. 29; xxi. 22, &c.] note the coincidence with eh. xv. 30, in con- Ver. 4.-Bim that dieth of [Heb. to; nexion with the next words. Bahr explains see note on eh. xiv. 11] Baasha 1ll the city " the works of his hands " as idols, Dii shall the dogs eat ; and him that dieth of factitii, after Deut. iv. 28, but this appears his 1ll the fields shall the fowls of the aJr somewhat far-fetched], fn being like the eat. [It may be these words, like those of house of Jeroboam, and because he killed the next two verses. were e.lmost e. formula, him [i.e., Na.dab]. but if so, it is noticeable that precisely the same formula was used of Jeroboam e. few The Reign of Elah. years before, and Be.a.she. knew well how it Ver. 8.-In the twenty and sixth year of had been accomplished. 11 All the prophets Asa, king of Judah, began Elah, son of in succession have the same message from Baashe., to reign over Israel, two years [cf. God for the so.me sins" (Wordsworth).] eh. xv. and see note on eh. xv. 28]. Ver. 5.-Now the rest of the acts of Ver. 9.-And his servant [Not only" sub- Baasha, and what he did, and his might ject," e.s Rawlinson, but officer. The same [o.s to which see oh. xv. 17-21. He could word is used of Jeroboo.m; oh. xi. 26, note. ho.rdly have given e. stronger proof of his We may e.lmost trace here e. le,i; talionis. might tho.n by fortifying o. post but five Bae.she. was Nade.b'a "servant," e.s Jeroboe.m miles disto.nt from Jerusalem. Keil, how- we.a Solomon's] Z1mr1 [From the occurrence ever, would interpret the word, both here of this ne.me among those of the descend- and in eh. xv. 23, of his energy and strength ants of Jone.than (1 Chron. viii. 36), it has in government. Better Biihr, tap/er~ been supposed (Stanley) tho.t this was e. Thaten. Ewald henoe infers that Bae.she. last effort of the house of So.ul to raga.in was " e. man of distinguished bra.very "], the throne], captaJn of haJf his chariots are they not written in the book of the [::i;i;i as in oh. ix. 19 ; x. 26. The violation chronicles of the ldngs of Israel 7 of the law of Deut. xvii. 16 brings its own Ver. 6.-So Bae.she. slept with his retribution], conspired against him [pre- fathers, and was burted fn Tirzah [cf. oh. xv. cisely as Elah's father had" conspired" (eh. 21, 33. This pie.ea is twice mentioned ae xv. 27)against No.dab], as he was fn Tirzah, his residence] , and E1ah his son reigned 1n dr1nldng himself drunk fn the house of hie stead. [It is perhe.ps more than e. mere Arza, steward of [Heb. which was o-ver ; cf. coincidence that this uncommon no.me, cha. iv. 6 ; xviii. 3; 2 Kings x. 5 ; xviii 37] his Elah ("terebinth," see note on oh. x.iii. 14), is • house fn Tirzah. [Several points present also the name of the gree.t valley (1 Sa.m. themselves for notice here. First, the ~x- 858 THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. [OB. XV. 25-XVI. 2!i