וּבִשְׁנַת שְׁמֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה לַמֶּלֶךְ יָרָבְעָם בֶּן־נְבָט מָלַךְ אֲבִיָּם עַל־יְהוּדָה

In the eighteenth year of King Yorovam son of Nevat, Aviyam son of Rehavam reigned over Judah in his father’s place.

שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ מַעֲכָה בַּת־אֲבִישָׁלוֹם

He reigned three years in Jerusalem, and his mother’s name was Maakha daughter of Avishalom. She was possibly the daughter, or granddaughter, of David’s son Avshalom. Perhaps this is the same daughter of Avshalom who is mentioned in II Samuel 14:27.

וַיֵּלֶךְ בְּכָל־חַטֹּאות אָבִיו אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה לְפָנָיו וְלֹא־הָיָה לְבָבוֹ שָׁלֵם עִם־ה' אֱלֹהָיו כִּלְבַב דָּוִד אָבִיו

He followed all the sins of his father who had performed them before him. Rehavam did not initiate evil deeds, but he also did not contest the rites performed at the private altars, neither the unlawful forms of service of God nor the actual idol worship. His, Aviyam’s, heart was not whole with the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.

כִּי לְמַעַן דָּוִד נָתַן ה' אֱלֹהָיו לוֹ נִיר בִּירוּשָׁלִָם לְהָקִים אֶת־בְּנוֹ אַחֲרָיו וּלְהַעֲמִיד אֶת יְרוּשָׁלִָם

For it was for the sake of David that the Lord his God gave him a continuity of rule in Jerusalem, to establish his son after him and to uphold Jerusalem as the holy capital city,

אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה דָוִד אֶת־הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי ה' וְלֹא־סָר מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר צִוָּהוּ כֹּל יְמֵי חַיָּיו רַק בִּדְבַר אוּרִיָּה הַחִתִּי

because David had done that which is right in the eyes of the Lord, and he had not turned away from all that He had commanded him all the days of his life, except for the matter of Uriya the Hitite. Although David committed one grave sin, the rest of his life and deeds were in accordance with God’s will. This verse is emphasizing that the strength of the kings of Judah stemmed from their devotion to the will of God, and that they were punished for abandoning His path, as God had conveyed to David and Solomon (see 9:2–9).

וּמִלְחָמָה הָיְתָה בֵין־רְחַבְעָם וּבֵין יָרָבְעָם כָּל־יְמֵי חַיָּיו

There was war between Rehavam and Yorovam all the days of his, Rehavam’s, life.

וְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי אֲבִיָּם וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הֲלוֹא־הֵם כְּתוּבִים עַל־סֵפֶר דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים לְמַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה וּמִלְחָמָה הָיְתָה בֵּין אֲבִיָּם וּבֵין יָרָבְעָם

The rest of the matters concerning Aviyam, and everything that he did as king in Jerusalem, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? There was also war, recurring raids and border attacks, between Aviyam and Yorovam.

וַיִּשְׁכַּב אֲבִיָּם עִם־אֲבֹתָיו וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אֹתוֹ בְּעִיר דָּוִד וַיִּמְלֹךְ אָסָא בְנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו

Aviyam lay with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David, alongside his royal ancestors. Asa his son reigned in his place.

וּבִשְׁנַת עֶשְׂרִים לְיָרָבְעָם מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל מָלַךְ אָסָא עַל־יְהוּדָה

In the twentieth year of Yorovam king of Israel, Asa king of Judah became king. Although it is stated above that Aviyam’s rule began in the eighteenth year of Yorovam’s reign and lasted for three years, these were not full years, which is why the verse states that Asa became king in Yorovam’s twentieth year.

וְאַרְבָּעִים וְאַחַת שָׁנָה מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ מַעֲכָה בַּת־אֲבִישָׁלוֹם

He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem, and his father’s mother’s name was Maakha daughter of Avishalom (see verse 2). Asa was young when he ascended to the throne, as his father had been king for only a short period of time. Therefore, the queen mother during Asa’s rule was his grandmother. The verse below (15:13) likewise indicates that she had special status.

וַיַּעַשׂ אָסָא הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי ה' כְּדָוִד אָבִיו

Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, like David his father.

וַיַּעֲבֵר הַקְּדֵשִׁים מִן־הָאָרֶץ וַיָּסַר אֶת־כָּל־הַגִּלֻּלִים אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ אֲבֹתָיו

Accordingly, he removed the cult prostitutes, men who performed sodomy as part of ritualistic idol worship, from the land, and he removed all the idols [gillulim] that his fathers had made or allowed to be made. Gillulim, literally “excrement,” is a derogatory term for idols.

וְגַם אֶת־מַעֲכָה אִמּוֹ וַיְסִרֶהָ מִגְּבִירָה אֲשֶׁר־עָשְׂתָה מִפְלֶצֶת לַאֲשֵׁרָה וַיִּכְרֹת אָסָא אֶת־מִפְלַצְתָּהּ וַיִּשְׂרֹף בְּנַחַל קִדְרוֹן

He, Asa, also deposed Maakha his mother from being queen mother. It is evident from elsewhere in the Bible as well that the king’s mother had a unique status. Certainly, then, the king’s grandmother was a distinguished figure. Nevertheless, Asa removed Maakha from her royal position due to her wicked deeds, as she had made a monstrosity, a horrific idol, to a sacred tree [ashera]. Asa chopped down her monstrosity, which was apparently made of wood, and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

וְהַבָּמוֹת לֹא־סָרוּ רַק לְבַב־אָסָא הָיָה שָׁלֵם עִם־ה' כָּל־יָמָיו

But the shrines were not removed; nevertheless, Asa’s heart was whole with the Lord all his days.

וַיָּבֵא אֶת־קָדְשֵׁי אָבִיו וְ קָדְשֵׁי בֵּית ה'כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב וְכֵלִים

He brought the consecrated items of his father and his own consecrated items to the House of the Lord, including silver, gold, and vessels. This valuable collection consisted not merely of items dedicated for the Temple service but also the reserve of the royal treasury itself, which was stored in the Temple.

וּמִלְחָמָה הָיְתָה בֵּין אָסָא וּבֵין בַּעְשָׁא מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּל־יְמֵיהֶם

The chapter interrupts its account of the consecrated valuables to provide background information: There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel, who had in the meantime established a new dynasty in the Kingdom of Israel, all their days. This was not a personal war but a continuation of the persistent tension and friction between the two kingdoms.

וַיַּעַל בַּעְשָׁא מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל־יְהוּדָה וַיִּבֶן אֶת־הָרָמָה לְבִלְתִּי תֵּת יֹצֵא וָבָא לְאָסָא מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה

At one point, when tensions were high, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah. He advanced his troops but did not yet attack. And he, Baasha, built the Rama, the city where Samuel the prophet had lived, which was currently on the southern border of the Kingdom of Israel, and he constructed a well-fortified fortress there, so as not to allow going and coming for Asa king of Judah. He blocked the main roads that linked Judah with Israel to prevent Asa from launching any significant military operation in the future. In general, the kings of Israel did not attempt to overthrow the kings of Judah, and even Baasha probably did not intend to launch a direct military attack, but Asa found himself in a tactically inferior situation and decided to act.

וַיִּקַּח אָסָא אֶת־כָּל־הַכֶּסֶף וְהַזָּהָב הַנּוֹתָרִים בְּאוֹצְרוֹת בֵּית־ה' וְאֶת־אוֹצְרוֹת בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיִּתְּנֵם בְּיַד עֲבָדָיו וַיִּשְׁלָחֵם הַמֶּלֶךְ אָסָא אֶל־בֶּן־הֲדַד בֶּן־טַבְרִמֹּן בֶּן־חֶזְיוֹן מֶלֶךְ אֲרָם הַיֹּשֵׁב בְּדַמֶּשֶׂק לֵאמֹר

Since Asa and his army were not powerful enough to confront Baasha, he adopted a solution that was used by several later kings as well: Asa took all the remaining silver and the gold in the treasuries of the House of the Lord and the treasuries of the king’s house, and he gave them into the hand of his servants. King Asa sent them to Ben Hadad, son of Tavrimon, son of Hezyon, king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying:

בְּרִית בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶךָ בֵּין אָבִי וּבֵין אָבִיךָ הִנֵּה שָׁלַחְתִּי לְךָ שֹׁחַד כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב לֵךְ הָפֵרָה אֶת־בְּרִיתְךָ אֶת בַּעְשָׁא מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיַעֲלֶה מֵעָלָי

There is a covenant between me and you, between my father and your father. We have enjoyed a positive relationship for years. Although we do not have an official accord, there have been no conflicts between us, since we do not share a common border. Therefore, behold, I have sent to you an inducement of silver and gold; go, breach your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, in favor of a covenant with me, for which I will reward you. Protect my interests over those of the king of Israel, and he will withdraw from upon me. I cannot do anything against him myself, but you can attack him from the north and thereby stop him from harassing me.

וַיִּשְׁמַע בֶּן־הֲדַד אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ אָסָא וַיִּשְׁלַח אֶת־שָׂרֵי הַחֲיָלִים אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ עַל־עָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּךְ אֶת־עִיּוֹן וְאֶת־דָּן וְאֵת אָבֵל בֵּית־מַעֲכָה וְאֵת כָּל־כִּנְרוֹת עַל כָּל־אֶרֶץ נַפְתָּלִי

Ben Hadad heeded King Asa. He accepted Asa’s offer. Apparently, Ben Hadad was not eager to remain loyal to the Kingdom of Israel, and once he received a monetary incentive and a promise of cooperation from the south, he sent the commanders of his soldiers, together with military units, against the cities of Israel, and he smote Iyon, Dan, Avel Beit Maakha, and all Kinerot, with all the land of Naphtali. He invaded the Kingdom of Israel, raided cities near its northern border, and took captives and plunder. The phrase “all Kinerot,” the plural form of Kineret, refers to the entire area of the city of Kineret. Alternatively, Kinerot is the name of a group of cities on the coast of the Sea of Galilee, which is known as the Kinneret.

וַיְהִי כִּשְׁמֹעַ בַּעְשָׁא וַיֶּחְדַּל מִבְּנוֹת אֶת־הָרָמָה וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּתִרְצָה

It was when Baasha heard of the invasion from the north that he ceased building the Rama. As expected, he halted his military campaign against the Kingdom of Judah and focused on stabilizing his borders instead of taking belligerent action. And he stayed in Tirtza, a city renowned for its beauty, built by Yorovam as the new capital of Israel.

וְהַמֶּלֶךְ אָסָא הִשְׁמִיעַ אֶת־כָּל יְהוּדָה אֵין נָקִי וַיִּשְׂאוּ אֶת־אַבְנֵי רָמָה וְאֶת־עֵצֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר בָּנָה בַּעְשָׁא וַיִּבֶן בָּם הַמֶּלֶךְ אָסָא אֶת־גֶּבַע בִּנְיָמִן וְאֶת־הַמִּצְפָּה

King Asa mustered all the men of Judah, and no one was exempt, even those who were usually not drafted to the military; and they carried away the stones of the fortress in the Rama and its wood that Baasha had built. Asa ordered his men to dismantle the structure and remove all the building materials from the area, in order to eliminate the potential threat. King Asa built with them, with those same stones and timber, his border cities of Geva of Benjamin and the Mitzpa.

וְיֶתֶר כָּל־דִּבְרֵי אָסָא וְכָל־גְּבוּרָתוֹ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וְהֶעָרִים אֲשֶׁר בָּנָה הֲלֹא־הֵמָּה כְתוּבִים עַל־סֵפֶר דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים לְמַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה רַק לְעֵת זִקְנָתוֹ חָלָה אֶת־רַגְלָיו

The book provides only a general outline of Asa’s reign, as well as certain important particulars. The rest of all the matters concerning Asa, all his might, everything that he did, and the cities that he built, are they not written in detail in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? The verse adds one further comment about Asa: However, in his old age he ailed in his feet. According to the book of Chronicles, rather than praying to God to remove his illness, Asa turned to doctors, whose treatment was apparently ineffective.

וַיִּשְׁכַּב אָסָא עִם־אֲבֹתָיו וַיִּקָּבֵר עִם־אֲבֹתָיו בְּעִיר דָּוִד אָבִיו וַיִּמְלֹךְ יְהוֹשָׁפָט בְּנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו

Asa lay with his fathers, and he was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father. Yehoshafat his son reigned in his place.

וְנָדָב בֶּן־יָרָבְעָם מָלַךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּשְׁנַת שְׁתַּיִם לְאָסָא מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וַיִּמְלֹךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁנָתָיִם

Nadav son of Yorovam became king over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, as Asa’s reign began in the twentieth year of Yorovam’s rule (verse 9), and Yorovam ruled for twenty-two years (14:20). And he reigned over Israel for two years.

וַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי ה' וַיֵּלֶךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ אָבִיו וּבְחַטָּאתוֹ אֲשֶׁר הֶחֱטִיא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל

He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and he followed the way of his father and his sin that he had caused Israel to sin. The golden calves and foreign rituals continued throughout Nadav’s reign.

וַיִּקְשֹׁר עָלָיו בַּעְשָׁא בֶן־אֲחִיָּה לְבֵית יִשָּׂשכָר וַיַּכֵּהוּ בַעְשָׁא בּגִבְּתוֹן אֲשֶׁר לַפְּלִשְׁתִּים וְנָדָב וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל צָרִים עַל־גִּבְּתוֹן

Baasha son of Ahiya of the house of Issachar conspired against him, and Baasha smote him at Gibeton, the city of the Philistines, as Nadav and all Israel were besieging Gibeton. Since the Philistines threatened his western border, Nadav lay siege to Gibeton in an effort to fortify the border. Only soldiers were present during the siege, and Baasha apparently managed to convince some of them to join his rebellious plot.

וַיְמִתֵהוּ בַעְשָׁא בִּשְׁנַת שָׁלֹשׁ לְאָסָא מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וַיִּמְלֹךְ תַּחְתָּיו

Baasha put him to death in the third year of Asa king of Judah and reigned in his place. Nadav’s reign did not last a full two years.

וַיְהִי כְמָלְכוֹ הִכָּה אֶת־כָּל־בֵּית יָרָבְעָם לֹא־הִשְׁאִיר כָּל־נְשָׁמָה לְיָרָבְעָם עַד־הִשְׁמִדוֹ כִּדְבַר ה' אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּיַד־עַבְדּוֹ אֲחִיָּה הַשִּׁילֹנִי

When he, Baasha, became king, he smote the entire house of Yorovam; he did not leave a soul of Yorovam until he had destroyed it, in accordance with the word of the Lord that He spoke by means of His servant, Ahiya the Shilonite. Baasha did not act in order to fulfill God’s word; rather, he wished to ensure that no member of Yorovam’s family could claim the throne in the future.

עַל־חַטֹּאות יָרָבְעָם אֲשֶׁר חָטָא וַאֲשֶׁר הֶחֱטִיא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכַעְסוֹ אֲשֶׁר הִכְעִיס אֶת־ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

God decreed this upon the house of Yorovam for the sins of Yorovam that he sinned and that he caused Israel to sin, with his provocations with which he angered the Lord, God of Israel.

וְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי נָדָב וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הֲלֹא־ הֵם כְּתוּבִים עַל־סֵפֶר דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים לְמַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

The rest of the matters concerning Nadav and everything that he did, are they not written in greater detail in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

וּמִלְחָמָה הָיְתָה בֵּין אָסָא וּבֵין בַּעְשָׁא מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּל־יְמֵיהֶם

There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

בִּשְׁנַת שָׁלֹשׁ לְאָסָא מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה מָלַךְ בַּעְשָׁא בֶן־אֲחִיָּה עַל־כָּל־ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּתִרְצָה עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע שָׁנָה

Beginning in the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahiya reigned over all Israel in Tirtza, and his reign lasted twenty-four years.

וַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי ה' וַיֵּלֶךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ יָרָבְעָם וּבְחַטָּאתוֹ אֲשֶׁר הֶחֱטִיא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל

He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and he followed the way of Yorovam and his sin that he had caused Israel to sin.