1 Kings 15:17

1 Kings 15:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
• New International Version (NIV)Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

Context of 1 Kings 15:17

15And he brought into the house of the Lord the holy gifts of his father and his own holy gifts: silver, gold, and valuable utensils. 16Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. Baasha king of Israel marched against Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah. 18Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that was left in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and the treasuries of the king’s house, and handed it over to his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying, 19“Let’s make a treaty between you and me, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold; go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me.”

1 Kings 15:17 word by word

וַיַּ֨עַל בַּעְשָׁ֤א מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ עַל־יְהוּדָ֔ה וַיִּ֖בֶן אֶת־הָרָמָ֑ה לְבִלְתִּ֗י תֵּ֚ת יֹצֵ֣א וָבָ֔א לְאָסָ֖א מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָֽה׃Read the interlinear

• Baashaבַּעְשָׁאba‛shâ' · BaashaH1201
• kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• marchedעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• againstעַל‛al · uponH5921
• Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
• fortifiedבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• Ramahרָמָהrâmâh · RamahH7414
• in order to preventבִּלְתִּיbiltîy · lestH1115
• in order to preventנָתַןnâthan · to give: allowH5414
• from goingיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• or comingבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to Asaאָסָא'âsâ' · AsaH609

Cross-references for 1 Kings 15:17

• 1 Kings 15:27Then Baasha the son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against him, and Baasha struck and killed him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.
• 2 Chronicles 16:1In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.
• 1 Kings 15:21When Baasha heard about it, he stopped fortifying Ramah and remained in Tirzah.
• Joshua 18:25Gibeon, Ramah, and Beeroth,
• 1 Samuel 15:34Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul.
• Jeremiah 31:15This is what the Lord says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, Lamenting and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; She refuses to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more.”
• 1 Kings 12:27If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will return to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.”
• 2 Chronicles 11:13Moreover, the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel also stood with him from all their districts.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 15:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17And Baasha - built Ramah - As the word signifies a high place, what is here termed Ramah was probably a hill, (commanding a defile through which lay the principal road to Jerusalem), which Baasha fortified in order to prevent all intercourse with the kingdom of Judah, lest his subjects should cleave to the house of David. Ramah was about two leagues northward of Jerusalem.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Ramah (perhaps “Er-Ram;” marginal reference) was situated halfway between Bethel and Jerusalem. Its distance from Jerusalem was no more than five miles so that its occupation was a menace to that capital. Baasha‘s seizure of Ramah implies a previous recovery of the towns taken by Abijam from Jeroboam, namely, Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephrain 2 Chronicles 13:19, and was a carrying of the war into the enemy‘s country. Could his conquest have been maintained…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-24Verses 9-24 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. That is right indeed which is so in God's eyes. Asa's times were times of reformation. He removed that which was evil; there reformation begins, and a great deal he found to do. When Asa found idolatry in the court, he rooted it out thence. Reformation must begin at home. Asa honours and respects his mother; he loves her well, but he loves God better. Those that have power are happy when thus…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17Baasha moved south and recaptured towns that Abijam had lost (2 Chronicles 13:19), including Ramah in Judah, about four miles north of Jerusalem. This action closed the border, stopping Israelites from joining Judah and keeping Asa within his territory. Ramah controlled key north-south and east-west routes in Canaan (Judges 4:5; Isaiah 10:29; Jeremiah 31:15; 40:1).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 16-1716-17. there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days--Asa enjoyed a ten years' peace after Jeroboam's defeat by Abijam, and this interval was wisely and energetically spent in making internal reforms, as well as increasing the means of national defense (2Ch 14:1-7). In the fifteenth year of his reign, however, the king of Israel commenced hostilities against him, and, invading his kingdom, erected a strong fortress at Ramah, which was…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 15:17

• Asa
• Baasha
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Ramah

In the dictionaries

• Asa
• Baasha
• Israel
• Judah
• Ramah
• Proclamation
• Rama
• Abishag
• Judah, Territory of
• Palestine

Commentaries on 1 Kings 15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings