1 Kings 15:3
in 1 Kings 15And Abijam walked in all the sins that his father before him had committed, and his heart was not as fully devoted to the LORD his God as the heart of David his forefather had been.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; and his heart was not perfect with Jehovah his God, as the heart of David his father.
KJV
And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father.
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This verse in 1 Kings 15
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
He walked in all the sins of his father - Yet Abijam prepared precious offerings for the temple service 1Ki 15:15, probably to replace vessels which Shishak had carried off, and in his war with Jeroboam professed himself a faithful servant of Yahweh 2Ch 13:10-12.
This site's exposition
his heart was not perfect with the Lord
Abijam walked in all the sins of his father, and the verdict measures him against a standard already fixed in the book, the heart of David his father, not against Rehoboam's own record. Chronicles calls him Abijah, my father is the Lord, and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the shorter name Abijam here as the honor withdrawn once the son's life contradicted it. The book will apply this same measuring rod, the heart of David, to Judah's kings from here to the exile, one line always in view even where a king fails it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"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 Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
He makes a better figure, 2 Chron. xiii. , where we have an account of his war with Jeroboam, the speech which he made before the armies engaged, and the wonderful victory he obtained by the help of God. There he is called Abijah--My father is the Lord, because no wickedness is there laid to his charge.
And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him,.... Having such bad examples as both parents to copy after; it chiefly respects idolatrous practices, see 1Ki 14:23, and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God; he did profess the true God, and worshipped him, but not wholly, and only, and sincerely; he worshipped other gods besides him: and so his heart was not as the heart of David his father; who was a sole and sincere worshipper of God, never departed from him and his service.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
This phrase contains a comparative reference to David's heart. His doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord (1Ki 15:5) is frequently used in speaking of the kings of Judah, and means only that they did or did not do that which, in the general course and tendency of their government, was acceptable to God.
His heart was not perfect - He was an idolater, or did not support the worship of the true God. This appears to be the general meaning of the heart not being perfect with God.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֵּ֕לֶךְ | vaiyelekh | and he walked | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | in all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| חַטֹּ֥אות | chatot | [the] sins of | H2403 → | 295 times |
| אָבִ֖יו | ʾaviv | father his | H1 → | 1212 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָשָׂ֣ה | ʾasah | he had done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לְפָנָ֑יו | lefanav | <to> before him | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וְלֹא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הָיָ֨ה | hayah | it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לְבָב֤וֹ | levavo | heart his | H3824 → | 252 times |
| שָׁלֵם֙ | shalem | complete | H8003 → | 28 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהָ֔יו | ʾelohav | God his | H430 → | 2601 times |
| כִּלְבַ֖ב | kilvav | like [the] heart of | H3824 → | 252 times |
| דָּוִ֥ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אָבִֽיו׃ | ʾaviv | ancestor his | H1 → | 1212 times |
וַיֵּ֕לֶךְand he walked
vaiyelekhH1980 →1546 times
בְּכָל־in all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
חַטֹּ֥אות[the] sins of
chatotH2403 →295 times
אָבִ֖יוfather his
ʾavivH1 →1212 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
עָשָׂ֣הhe had done
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
לְפָנָ֑יו<to> before him
lefanavH6440 →2123 times
וְלֹא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
הָיָ֨הit was
hayahH1961 →3559 times
לְבָב֤וֹheart his
levavoH3824 →252 times
שָׁלֵם֙complete
shalemH8003 →28 times
עִם־with
ʾim-H5973 →1050 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהָ֔יוGod his
ʾelohavH430 →2601 times
כִּלְבַ֖בlike [the] heart of
kilvavH3824 →252 times
דָּוִ֥דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
אָבִֽיו׃ancestor his
ʾavivH1 →1212 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
Psalms 119:80May my heart be blameless in Your statutes, that I may not be put to shame.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 26:16
The LORD your God commands you this day to follow these statutes and ordinances. You must be careful to follow them with all your heart and with all your soul.
- 1 John 2:28
And now, little children, remain in Christ, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.
- Deuteronomy 26:16
Through
1 Kings 3:14So if you walk in My ways and keep My statutes and commandments, just as your father David did, I will prolong your days.”
it leads to
- Proverbs 3:2
for they will add length to your days, years and peace to your life.
- Psalms 91:16
With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation.”
- Zechariah 3:7
“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘If you walk in My ways and keep My instructions, then you will govern My house and will also have charge of My courts; and I…
- 1 Kings 15:5
For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not turned aside from anything the LORD commanded all the days of his life, except in the matter of…
- Proverbs 3:2
Through
1 Kings 11:4For when Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 9:4
And as for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, with a heart of integrity and uprightness, doing all I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and…
- 1 Kings 8:61
So let your heart be fully devoted to the LORD our God, as it is this day, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments.”
- 1 Kings 9:4
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); Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.