1 Kings 15:11 kjv
And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father.
1 Kings 15:11 nkjv
Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did his father David.
1 Kings 15:11 niv
Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done.
1 Kings 15:11 esv
And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as David his father had done.
1 Kings 15:11 nlt
Asa did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight, as his ancestor David had done.
1 Kings 15 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Kgs 11:4 | For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away... his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. | David's devotion as a benchmark. |
| 1 Kgs 11:38 | If you will obey all that I command you... as my servant David did... | David's obedience as an example. |
| Acts 13:22 | After removing Saul, he raised up David to be their king... a man after my heart. | David's deep commitment to God. |
| Psa 89:30-32 | If his children forsake my law... I will punish their transgression with a rod... | Davidic covenant with consequences for disobedience. |
| Dt 6:18 | And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord... | General command to obey God's law. |
| Dt 12:28 | Be careful to obey all these words that I command you... do what is right. | Obeying God's statutes is doing right. |
| Judg 2:11 | The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord... | Contrast of doing evil vs. doing right. |
| 2 Kgs 18:3 | He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. | Hezekiah also compared to David. |
| 2 Chr 29:2 | And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. | Hezekiah's righteousness like David's. |
| 2 Kgs 22:2 | And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord... he did not turn aside. | Josiah's righteous reign. |
| 1 Kgs 15:3 | He walked in all the sins of his father... his heart was not wholly true... | Abijam, Asa's predecessor, was not like David. |
| 1 Kgs 14:22-24 | Judah did what was evil in the sight of the Lord... | Rehoboam's reign marked by idolatry. |
| 1 Kgs 15:12-13 | He put away the male cult prostitutes from the land... even his mother... he removed. | Asa's immediate actions confirming righteousness. |
| 2 Chr 14:2-5 | Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. He removed... | Chronicler's parallel account of Asa's good deeds. |
| 2 Chr 15:8-15 | He gathered all Judah and Benjamin... they entered into a covenant. | Asa's further reforms and covenant renewal. |
| 1 Kgs 15:14 | The high places were not taken away. | Asa's incompleteness, hinting at a limit to 'as David'. |
| 2 Chr 16:7-10 | Asa relied on the king of Syria and did not rely on the Lord his God. | Asa's later error in trusting human alliances. |
| 2 Chr 16:12 | In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased... yet he did not seek the Lord. | Asa's failure to seek God in illness. |
| Prov 3:4 | So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. | Principles of living right before God. |
| Mic 6:8 | He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you. | Defines what God requires: justice, kindness, humility. |
| Heb 11:6 | Without faith it is impossible to please him. | Obedience and doing right stem from faith. |
| Jer 32:19 | Your eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, giving to each according to his ways. | God sees all and judges actions. |
1 Kings 15 verses
1 Kings 15 11 Meaning
King Asa's reign began with a strong affirmation of his obedience to God. He conducted himself according to divine standards, indicating genuine fidelity to the Mosaic covenant. This assessment highly praises Asa by likening his actions to those of King David, establishing David as the benchmark for righteous leadership in Judah and signifying a period of spiritual revival and commitment to YHWH.
1 Kings 15 11 Context
1 Kings chapter 15 records the reigns of Abijam and Asa over Judah, and Nadab and Baasha over Israel. This specific verse introduces Asa's reign. It stands in stark contrast to the preceding descriptions of unfaithfulness by Abijam, his father (1 Kgs 15:3), and his grandfather Rehoboam (1 Kgs 14:22-24), who provoked the Lord with their sins and idolatry. The historical setting is the period of the divided monarchy, where the northern kingdom of Israel frequently falls into deep idolatry, and the southern kingdom of Judah, though holding the Davidic line and the Jerusalem temple, experiences alternating periods of faithfulness and apostasy. This verse signals a significant and positive spiritual turning point for Judah under Asa's leadership, establishing him as a rare king who sought to align Judah with divine will, similar to the revered King David.
1 Kings 15 11 Word analysis
- And Asa: Hebrew:
wa-ya'as Asa(וַיַּעַשׂ אָסָא). The conjunction "and" links Asa's rule directly to the succession, marking the transition. "Asa" is the king of Judah, whose name (אֲסָא - Asa) potentially means "physician" or "healer," an interesting nuance given his role in spiritually cleansing Judah, and later his reliance on physicians without seeking God (2 Chr 16:12). - did what was right: Hebrew:
ha-yashar(הַיָּשָׁר). This phrase signifies actions and a general character aligned with God's law and will. "Yashar" means "straight," "upright," or "proper." It's not merely subjective "good," but that which is objectively correct by God's standard, often implying the removal of idolatry and restoration of true worship. This is a crucial assessment often applied to faithful kings. - in the eyes of the Lord: Hebrew:
be-ʿeyney YHWH(בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה). This is a consistent theological metric in the books of Kings and Chronicles. It means God's divine perspective is the ultimate standard for evaluating human actions and kingship. It signifies divine approval, demonstrating that God sees and discerns truly, valuing sincere obedience over outward appearances or human opinions. YHWH is the covenant name for God, emphasizing His relationship with Israel. - as David: Hebrew:
ke-David(כְּדָוִיד). The prepositionke-means "like," "as," or "in the manner of." This comparison immediately elevates Asa above his recent predecessors. David is established as the ideal king, not for perfect moral conduct in every instance, but for his genuine devotion to God, his overall commitment to the covenant, and his role in establishing true worship. His "heart" was fundamentally loyal to YHWH, even through personal failures. - his father: Hebrew:
ab-i(אָבִיו). While Asa was the son of Abijam and great-great-grandson of David, "father" here means ancestor, emphasizing David as the dynastic progenitor and spiritual archetype. This lineage underscores the continued significance of the Davidic covenant and the hope associated with it.
1 Kings 15 11 Bonus section
- The Chronicler, in 2 Chronicles 14-16, provides a much more detailed account of Asa's reign, emphasizing his religious reforms, military victories enabled by reliance on God, and a subsequent covenant renewal in Judah. This expanded narrative reinforces the positive evaluation given in 1 Kings 15:11 and highlights the immediate impact of his righteous leadership.
- The phrase "as David his father had done" should be understood as a reference to David's overall life and direction—his heart for God and general adherence to the covenant—rather than every specific action. Even David himself faced rebuke for his own significant sins (2 Sam 11-12). It underscores a pattern of spiritual sincerity and loyalty to YHWH's ways.
- Asa's failure to remove the "high places" entirely (1 Kgs 15:14), despite his overall righteousness, indicates the persistent challenge of complete religious purity in Judah. It also serves as a subtle qualification to the high praise, showing that even genuinely good kings had limitations or missed opportunities for reform.
- The re-establishment of a righteous king linked to the Davidic line held prophetic significance, pointing towards the ultimate righteous King, Jesus Christ, who perfectly fulfills the standard of "doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord" (e.g., Isa 9:7; Lk 1:32-33; Jn 8:29).
1 Kings 15 11 Commentary
1 Kings 15:11 provides a crucial initial assessment of King Asa, declaring his reign righteous in God's sight and directly comparing his actions to those of King David. This commendation is paramount, particularly given the spiritual decline under preceding monarchs like Rehoboam and Abijam. It suggests a decisive shift from apostasy back to covenant faithfulness. "Doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord" implies a deep commitment to adhering to God's commandments, typically encompassing the eradication of idolatry, promotion of exclusive worship of YHWH, and upholding justice according to the Torah. The explicit comparison to "David his father" signifies that Asa embodied the core qualities of David's devotion to God—a heart genuinely inclined towards obedience and an overarching commitment to God's kingdom and law, rather than seeking personal glory or embracing foreign gods. This established David as the enduring ideal for Israelite kingship. While Asa's reign, as later detailed, would not be entirely without fault, this opening assessment provides a powerful statement about his initial dedication and God's approval.