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1 Kings 15:1

in 1 Kings 15

In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam became king of Judah,

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat began Abijam to reign over Judah.

KJV

Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah.

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This verse in 1 Kings 15

Commentary

5 notes on this verse
Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah. That is, began to reign; and by this it appears that Rehoboam was in the eighteenth year of his reign when he died, for he and Jeroboam began their reign at the same time.

This site's exposition

reigned Abijam over Judah

on 1 Kings 15:1-2

Kings dates Judah's king by the regnal year of Israel's king, in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam, and will date Israel's kings by Judah's in turn, a double synchronism that runs through both books and lets a reader check the chronology at every accession. Abijam reigns three years, and his mother is named Maachah the daughter of Abishalom, the same maternal formula that returns unchanged at Asa's own accession in verse 10.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

Ephrem the Syrian

ON THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS 15:1 · Written before 373.

proposed

"Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah," and under his rule the Jews obtained a magnificent victory over the Israelites in a battle, which was greater than all those fought before in their civil wars. …

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Abijam--His name was at first Abijah (2Ch 12:16); "Jah," the name of God, according to an ancient fashion, being conjoined with it. But afterwards, when he was found "walking in all the sins of his father" [1Ki 15:3], that honorable addition was withdrawn, and his name in sacred history changed into Abijam [LIGHTFOOT].

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Reigned Abijam over Judah - Of this son of Rehoboam, of his brethren, and of Rehoboam’s family in general, see 2 Chronicles 12, where many particulars are added.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

In the eighteenth year [of the reign] of King Yerovom. One year after Rechovom’s death, in the twentieth year of Yerovom, Asa reigned. The third year of Nodov (Aviyam) is counted for King Asa as a year, and for him it is also counted.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on I Kings 15:1:1, via Sefaria, The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

11 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וּבִשְׁנַת֙and in year

    uvishnatH8141 →877 times

  • שְׁמֹנֶ֣הeight-

    shemonehH8083 →109 times

  • עֶשְׂרֵ֔הteen

    ʾesrehH6240 →338 times

  • לַמֶּ֖לֶךְof the king

    lamelekhH4428 →2525 times

  • יָרָבְעָ֣םJeroboam

    yaraveamH3379 →104 times

  • בֶּן־[the] son of

    ben-H1121 →4930 times

  • נְבָ֑טNebat

    nevatH5028 →25 times

  • מָלַ֥ךְhe became king

    malakhH4427 →348 times

  • אֲבִיָּ֖םAbijam

    ʾaviyamH38 →5 times

  • עַל־over

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • יְהוּדָֽה׃Judah

    yehudahH3063 →819 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

2 in all, six open

The walk

5 stops

Each 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 14:31

    And Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David; his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite. And his son Abijam reigned in his place.

    it leads to

    • 2 Chronicles 12:16

      And Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And his son Abijah reigned in his place.

    • Matthew 1:7

      Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa.

    • 1 Kings 11:43

      And Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. And his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.

    • 1 Kings 15:24

      And Asa rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his father David, and his son Jehoshaphat reigned in his place.

    • 1 Kings 22:50

      And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And his son Jehoram reigned in his place.

About 1 Kings

The Judgment of Solomon, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Judgment of Solomon, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
1 Kings: the study guide →Read 1 Kings 15 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; 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 and Keil, The Books of the Kings.

Read on in 1 Kings 15 →