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1 Kings 15:22

in 1 Kings 15

Then King Asa summoned all the men of Judah, with no exceptions, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had used for building. And with these materials King Asa built up Geba of Benjamin, as well as Mizpah.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Then king Asa made a proclamation unto all Judah; none was exempted: and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; and king Asa built therewith Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.

KJV

Then king Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was exempted: and they took away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; and king Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.

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This verse in 1 Kings 15

Commentary

7 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

None was exempted - Every man was obliged to go and help to dismantle the fortress at Ramah which Baasha had built. This was a general levee en masse of the people: every one was obliged to lend a helping hand, as the state was then supposed to be in danger, and all exemptions necessarily ceased. This is a maxim of civil policy, Ubi adversus hostem muniendi sent limites, omnis immunitas cessat: “Where the boundaries are to be fortified against an enemy, then all exemptions cease.

This site's exposition

sent the captains of the hosts

on 1 Kings 15:20-22

Ben-hadad's strike against Naphtali and its cities buys Asa exactly what his silver purchased, forcing Baasha to abandon Ramah and withdraw to Tirzah, the town that will serve as Israel's capital until Omri builds Samaria. Asa turns the abandoned stone and timber into two fortresses of his own, Geba and Mizpah, so the very materials meant to besiege Judah end by defending it. The chapter records the tactical success without recording whether it changed the king's later trust; Chronicles supplies the rest.

This site's exposition

with no exceptions

Adam Clarke reads with no exceptions as a call for every man, the kind of levy a state makes when it stands in danger. The stones meant to shut Judah in became its own forts. Matthew Henry notes that Hanani called the whole policy foolish at 2 Chronicles 16:9.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

But, though the design prospered, we find it was displeasing to God; and though Asa valued himself upon the policy of it, and promised himself that it would effectually secure his peace, he was told by the prophet that he had done foolishly, and that thenceforth he should have wars; see 2 Chron. xvi.

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

proposed

None, &c. - All sorts of persons were obliged to come, except those who were disabled by age, or infirmity, or absence, or by the public service of the king and kingdom in other places.
Then King Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah,....

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Geba, situated opposite to Michmash 1Sa 14:5, is almost certainly “Jeba,” which stands picturesquely on the top of its steep terraced hill on the very edge of the “Wady Suweinit.” Its position was thus exceedingly strong; and, as it lay further north than Ramah, Asa may have considered that to fortify and garrison it would be a better protection to his northern frontier than fortifying Ramah. For Mizpah see the marginal reference From Jer 41:9 we learn that Asa, besides fortifying the place, sank a deep well there to secure his garrison from want of water if the town should be besieged.

The words behind it

26 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.

  • וְהַמֶּ֨לֶךְand the king

    vehamelekhH4428 →2525 times

  • אָסָ֜אAsa

    ʾasa'H609 →57 times

  • הִשְׁמִ֤יעַhe made proclamation to

    hishmia'H8085 →1159 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • כָּל־all

    kol-H3605 →5413 times

  • יְהוּדָה֙Judah

    yehudahH3063 →819 times

  • אֵ֣יןthere not

    ʾeinH369 →789 times

  • נָקִ֔י[was] an exempt [person]

    nakiH5355 →

  • וַיִּשְׂא֞וּand they carried off

    vaiyisuH5375 →656 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • אַבְנֵ֤י[the] stones of

    ʾavneiH68 →273 times

  • הָֽרָמָה֙<the> Ramah

    haramahH7414 →36 times

  • וְאֶת־and <obj.>

    veetH853 →10935 times

  • עֵצֶ֔יהָwood<s> its

    ʾetzeihaH6086 →328 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • בָּנָ֖הhe had built

    banahH1129 →376 times

  • בַּעְשָׁ֑אBaasha

    ba'sha'H1201 →28 times

  • וַיִּ֤בֶןand he built

    vaiyivenH1129 →376 times

  • בָּם֙with them

    bam

  • הַמֶּ֣לֶךְthe king

    hamelekhH4428 →2525 times

  • אָסָ֔אAsa

    ʾasa'H609 →57 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • גֶּ֥בַעGeba

    geva'H1387 →

  • בִּנְיָמִ֖ןof Benjamin

    binyaminH1144 →166 times

  • וְאֶת־and <obj.>

    veetH853 →10935 times

  • הַמִּצְפָּֽה׃<the> Mizpah

    hamitzpahH4709 →

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

Related verses

11 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Joshua 21:17And from the tribe of Benjamin they gave them Gibeon, Geba,5 works2 Kings 23:8Then Josiah brought all the priests from the cities of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He tore down the high places of the gates at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which was to the left of the city gate.5 worksJoshua 18:24Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba—twelve cities, along with their villages.4 worksZechariah 14:10All the land from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem will be turned into a plain, but Jerusalem will be raised up and will remain in her place, from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses.4 works2 Chronicles 16:6Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had used for building. And with these materials he built up Geba and Mizpah.3 worksJoshua 18:26Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah,3 works
The other 5 cross-references, with their words ▾
1 Samuel 7:5Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD on your behalf.”2 worksJeremiah 40:10As for me, I will stay in Mizpah to represent you before the Chaldeans who come to us. As for you, gather wine grapes, summer fruit, and oil, place them in your storage jars, and live in the cities you have taken.”2 worksJeremiah 40:6So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and stayed with him among the people who were left in the land.2 worksJoshua 11:3to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites at the foot of Hermon in the land of Mizpah.2 worksGenesis 31:49It was also called Mizpah, because Laban said, “May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are absent from each other.1 works

The walk

8 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 Samuel 7:5

    Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD on your behalf.”

    it leads to

    • Judges 20:1

      Then all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out, and the congregation assembled as one man before the LORD at Mizpah.

    • 1 Samuel 12:23

      As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. And I will continue to teach you the good and right way.

    • Joshua 15:38

      Dilan, Mizpeh, Joktheel,

  • Through

    2 Chronicles 16:6

    Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had used for building. And with these materials he built up Geba and…

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 10:29

      They have crossed at the ford: “We will spend the night at Geba.” Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul flees.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • 1 Chronicles 6:60

      And from the tribe of Benjamin they were given Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth, and Anathoth, together with their pasturelands. So they had thirteen cities in all among their families.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

  • Through

    Joshua 18:24

    Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba—twelve cities, along with their villages.

    it leads to

  • Through

    Joshua 21:17

    And from the tribe of Benjamin they gave them Gibeon, Geba,

    it leads to

    • Joshua 9:3

      But the people of Gibeon, having heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,

    • Joshua 18:24–25

      Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba—twelve cities, along with their villages.

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; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); F. W. Farrar, The First Book of Kings (Expositor's Bible); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in 1 Kings 15 →