1 Kings 15:17

Contextual Overview

⁹In the twentieth year of Israel’s King Jeroboam, Asa became king of Judah, ⁹ In the twentieth year of Yarov`am king of Yisra'el began Asa to reign over Yehudah. ⁹ And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah. ⁹ In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah, ⁹ During the twentieth year Jeroboam was king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah. ⁹ In the twentieth year of Jeroboam's reign over Israel, Asa became the king of Judah. ⁹So in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign as king over Judah. ⁹ So in the twentieth year of Jeroboam the king of Israel, Asa began to reign as king of Judah. ⁹ And in the twentie yeere of Ieroboam King of Israel reigned Asa ouer Iudah. ⁹Now in the twentieth year of Jeroboam the king of Israel, Asa began to reign as king of Judah.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

am 3074, bc 930

Baasha: 1 Kings 15:27, 2 Chronicles 16:1-6

Ramah: By building Ramah is here meant fortifying it, in order to prevent all intercourse with the kingdom of Judah, lest his subjects should cleave to the house of David: for Ramah was a city of Benjamin, situated on the confines of both kingdoms, probably on a hill, as the name imports, commanding a narrow defile between the mountains, through which lay the principal road to Jerusalem; so that a fortification being erected here, no communication could be held between the people of Israel and Judah, without Baasha's permission. 1 Kings 15:21, Joshua 18:25, 1 Samuel 15:34, Jeremiah 31:15

he might not suffer: 1 Kings 12:27, 2 Chronicles 11:13-17

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 12:25 - built 2 Chronicles 15:19 - five and thirtieth Jeremiah 41:9 - for fear

Cross-References

Genesis 15:2
Avram said, "Lord GOD, what will you give me, seeing I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eli`ezer of Dammesek?"

Genesis 15:2
And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?

Genesis 15:2
Then Abram said, "O Yahweh, my Lord, what will you give me? I continue to be childless, and my heir is Eliezer of Damascus."

Genesis 15:2
But Abram said, "Lord God , what can you give me? I have no son, so my slave Eliezer from Damascus will get everything I own after I die."

Genesis 15:2
But Abram said, "O sovereign Lord , what will you give me since I continue to be childless, and my heir is Eliezer of Damascus?"

Genesis 15:2
Abram said, "Lord GOD, what reward will You give me, since I am [leaving this world] childless, and he who will be the owner and heir of my house is this [servant] Eliezer from Damascus?"

Genesis 15:2
But Abram said, "Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?"

Genesis 15:2
And Abram said, O Lord God, what wilt thou giue me, seeing I goe childlesse, and the steward of mine house is this Eliezer of Damascus?

Genesis 15:2
And Abram said, "O Lord Yahweh, what will You give me, as I go on being childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?"

Genesis 15:2
But Abram answered, " Lord All-Powerful, you have given me everything I could ask for, except children. And when I die, Eliezer of Damascus will get all I own.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah,.... Which, in 2 Chronicles 16:1 is said to be in the thirty sixth year of Asa's reign, or rather of his kingdom; for it can never mean the year of his reign, for Baasha was dead many years before that, since his reign began in the third of Asa, and he reigned but twenty four years, and therefore must die in the twenty seventh of Asa; but it is to be understood of the kingdom of Judah, when it was divided from Israel; from that time to this were thirty six years, seventeen under Rehoboam, three under Abijam, so that this year must be the sixteenth of Asa; thus it is calculated in the Jewish chronology u, and which is followed by many of the best of our chronologers:

and built Ramah; a city in the tribe of Benjamin, Joshua 18:25, but taken by the king of Israel, which he rebuilt or fortified:

that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah; that his people might not go to and from Jerusalem, and worship at the temple there; this garrison lying on the borders of both kingdoms, he thought hereby to cut off all communication between them.

u Seder Olam Rabba, c. 16.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ramah (perhaps “Er-Ram;” marginal reference) was situated halfway between Bethel and Jerusalem. Its distance from Jerusalem was no more than five miles so that its occupation was a menace to that capital. Baasha’s seizure of Ramah implies a previous recovery of the towns taken by Abijam from Jeroboam, namely, Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephrain 2 Chronicles 13:19, and was a carrying of the war into the enemy’s country. Could his conquest have been maintained, it would have crippled Judah seriously, and have almost compelled a transfer of the capital to Hebron.

That he might not suffer any to go out or come in - Baasha, in seizing Ramah, professed to be acting on the defensive. His complaint seems to have been well founded (compare 2 Chronicles 15:9); but it was more than a defensive measure - it was the first step toward a conquest of the southern kingdom.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 15:17. And Baasha - built Ramah — As the word signifies a high place, what is here termed Ramah was probably a hill, (commanding a defile through which lay the principal road to Jerusalem,) which Baasha fortified in order to prevent all intercourse with the kingdom of Judah, lest his subjects should cleave to the house of David. Ramah was about two leagues northward of Jerusalem.