1 Kings 15:10
in 1 Kings 15and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.
KJV
And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
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This verse in 1 Kings 15
Commentary
9 notes on this verseAnd forty one years reigned he in Jerusalem,.... Being a good king, had the blessing of a long reign, and reached, and even exceeded, the years of the reigns of David and Solomon: and his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom; that is the name of his grandmother, see 1Ki 15:2 she is called his mother, not because she brought him forth, but because she brought him up; and this is observed to his commendation, that though he was educated by an idolatrous woman, yet was not corrupted by her as his father was.
This site's exposition
the twentieth year of Jeroboam’s reign over Israel
on 1 Kings 15:9-10
Asa becomes king and reigns forty-one years, the longest reign so far recorded in either kingdom. Verse 10 repeats the formula of verse 2, “Maacah daughter of Abishalom”, though Asa is Abijam's son. The older commentators take her as the queen mother keeping that office under her grandson.
This site's exposition
reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years
John Gill notes that forty-one years passes the forty of David and the forty of Solomon. Matthew Henry observes that the good kings of Judah tended to reign long and the bad ones briefly. Maacah is named again, as at verse 2.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
In the meantime, Asa devoted himself to the reconstruction of the ruins of religion. He destroyed the temples of the idols, smashed the statues, set the sacred woods on fire and removed the ignominy of the effeminate priests. He also drove away Maacah, the mother …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
In the account we have of the kings of Judah we find the number of the good kings and the bad ones nearly equal; but then we may observe, to our comfort, that the reign of the good kings was generally long, but that of the bad kings short, the consideration of which will make the state of God's church not altogether so bad within that period as it appears at first sight.
Mother's - That is, his grandmother's, as appears from ver. 2, who is called his mother, as David is called Abijam's father, ver. 3.
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The Nineteenth Century2 voices
His mother’s name - Our translators thought that grandmother was likely to be the meaning, and therefore have put it in the margin. The daughter of Abishalom - She is called, says Calmet, the daughter of Absalom, according to the custom of the Scriptures, which give the name of daughter indifferently to the niece, the grand-daughter, and great grand-daughter.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
his mother's name was Maachah--She was properly his grandmother, and she is here called "the king's mother," from the post of dignity which at the beginning of his reign she possessed.
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1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Mother’s name - Rather, “grandmother’s.” The Jews cal any male ancestor, however remote, a father, and any female ancestor a mother (compare 1Ki 15:2; Gen 3:20). This Maachah was the favorite wife of Rehoboam 2Ch 11:21, and the mother of Abijam. The way in which she is here mentioned strongly favors the notion that the position of queen-mother was a definite one at the court, and could only be held by one person at a time.
The words behind it
10 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאַרְבָּעִ֤ים | vearbaim | and forty | H705 → | 136 times |
| וְאַחַת֙ | veachat | and one | H259 → | 971 times |
| שָׁנָ֔ה | shanah | year[s] | H8141 → | 877 times |
| מָלַ֖ךְ | malakh | he reigned | H4427 → | 348 times |
| בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם | birushalim | in Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| וְשֵׁ֣ם | veshem | and [the] name of | H8034 → | 864 times |
| אִמּ֔וֹ | ʾimo | mother his | H517 → | 220 times |
| מַעֲכָ֖ה | maakhah | [was] Maacah | H4601 → | 23 times |
| בַּת־ | bat- | [the] daughter of | H1323 → | 588 times |
| אֲבִישָׁלֽוֹם׃ | ʾavishalom | Abishalom | H53 → | 110 times |
וְאַרְבָּעִ֤יםand forty
vearbaimH705 →136 times
וְאַחַת֙and one
veachatH259 →971 times
שָׁנָ֔הyear[s]
shanahH8141 →877 times
מָלַ֖ךְhe reigned
malakhH4427 →348 times
בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑םin Jerusalem
birushalimH3389 →643 times
וְשֵׁ֣םand [the] name of
veshemH8034 →864 times
אִמּ֔וֹmother his
ʾimoH517 →220 times
מַעֲכָ֖ה[was] Maacah
maakhahH4601 →23 times
בַּת־[the] daughter of
bat-H1323 →588 times
אֲבִישָׁלֽוֹם׃Abishalom
ʾavishalomH53 →110 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Kings 15:13He also removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made a detestable Asherah pole. Asa chopped down the pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley.
it leads to
- Exodus 32:20
Then he took the calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, and scattered the powder over the face of the water. Then he forced the Israelites to drink…
- Joshua 6:24
Then the Israelites burned up the city and everything in it. However, they put the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house.
- 2 Corinthians 5:16
So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
- Deuteronomy 13:6–11
If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (which neither you nor…
- Deuteronomy 9:21
And I took that sinful thing, the calf you had made, and burned it in the fire. Then I crushed it and ground it to powder as fine as dust, and I cast it…
- Exodus 32:20
Through
2 Chronicles 13:2and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Micaiah daughter of Uriel; she was from Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 11:20
After her, he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, and she bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
- 1 Kings 15:6–7
And there was war between the houses of Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of Abijam’s life.
- 2 Chronicles 11:20
Through
1 Kings 15:2and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 13:2
and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Micaiah daughter of Uriel; she was from Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
- 2 Chronicles 13:2
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS 15:1; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.