1 Kings 15:26 kjv
And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.
1 Kings 15:26 nkjv
And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin by which he had made Israel sin.
1 Kings 15:26 niv
He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the ways of his father and committing the same sin his father had caused Israel to commit.
1 Kings 15:26 esv
He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin which he made Israel to sin.
1 Kings 15:26 nlt
But he did what was evil in the LORD's sight and followed the example of his father, continuing the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit.
1 Kings 15 26 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Ki 12:30 | This thing became a sin, for the people went... even to Dan. | Jeroboam's calf worship as the national sin |
| 1 Ki 13:34 | This thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam... to destroy it. | Jeroboam's persistent sin leading to judgment |
| 1 Ki 15:34 | he walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel to sin. | Baasha continuing Nadab's pattern |
| 2 Ki 3:2 | he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as his father... | Jehoram (Israel) followed Jeroboam's sin |
| 2 Ki 10:29 | However, from the sins of Jeroboam... Jehu did not turn aside. | Jehu's partial obedience, continued sin |
| 2 Ki 13:2 | He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and followed... Jeroboam. | Jehoahaz continued Jeroboam's idolatry |
| 2 Ki 17:21 | for he tore Israel from the house of David and they made Jeroboam king... | Jeroboam initiating Israel's apostasy |
| 2 Ki 17:22 | For the people of Israel walked in all the sins that Jeroboam had done... | Israel's collective perpetuation of Jeroboam's sin |
| 2 Ki 17:23 | until the Lord removed Israel from his presence... | Exile as judgment for continued sin |
| Ex 32:21 | And Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you, that you have brought..." | Leaders responsible for people's sin |
| Num 24:16-17 | a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab... | Prophecy of Messiah's ultimate authority over evil |
| Deut 9:18 | and lay forty days and forty nights... because of all the sin... | Moses' intercession for Israel's sin |
| Judg 2:19 | as soon as the judge died, they would relapse and act more corruptly... | Cyclical pattern of sin and rebellion |
| 1 Sam 2:30 | those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. | God's standard of honor and judgment |
| Ps 106:36-39 | They served their idols... and shed innocent blood... | Israel's history of idolatry and consequences |
| Isa 3:12 | O my people, your guides mislead you and they confuse the course of your paths. | Leaders' destructive influence on the nation |
| Jer 2:8 | The priests did not say, 'Where is the Lord?' | Religious leaders failing their duty |
| Ezek 18:20 | The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father... | Personal responsibility versus inherited patterns |
| Mat 18:7 | "Woe to the world for temptations to sin!... woe to that man by whom the temptation comes!" | Severe warning against causing others to stumble |
| Rom 14:13 | do not place an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way. | Christian responsibility not to cause others to sin |
| 1 Cor 8:9 | But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block... | Warnings against causing weaker believers to sin |
| 2 Pet 2:1-3 | false prophets also arose among the people... exploiting you with false words. | Warnings against false teachers leading astray |
| Rev 2:14 | you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put... | Pergamum church's error allowing sin |
1 Kings 15 verses
1 Kings 15 26 Meaning
The verse states that Nadab, King of Israel, committed actions considered wicked by the Lord. It specifically highlights two aspects of his sin: first, he followed the sinful patterns established by his father, Jeroboam; and second, he continued the particular sin initiated by his father that caused the entire nation of Israel to fall into idolatry and disobedience against God.
1 Kings 15 26 Context
The book of 1 Kings continues the historical narrative of God's covenant people after David and Solomon. Chapter 15 specifically details the succession in both the southern kingdom of Judah (Abijam and Asa) and the northern kingdom of Israel (Nadab). Nadab was the son and successor of Jeroboam I, the first king of the Northern Kingdom, who famously established alternative worship sites at Bethel and Dan with golden calves (1 Ki 12) to prevent his subjects from going to Jerusalem for worship, thereby securing his reign politically but introducing profound idolatry. Nadab's reign was very short (two years) and ended abruptly due to a conspiracy by Baasha. This verse serves as a crucial theological assessment of Nadab's reign, placing it firmly within the negative pattern established by his father, thereby justifying his downfall in the divine narrative. It underscores the perpetual issue of idolatry and disloyalty to Yahweh that characterized almost every king of the Northern Kingdom.
1 Kings 15 26 Word analysis
- He did: Refers to Nadab. This simple verb points to decisive action and personal responsibility. There is no passive acceptance but active participation in the described behavior.
- what was evil:
Hara(רַע), meaning "bad," "wicked," "morally corrupt," or "disastrous." This is a definitive moral judgment rendered by God, not a subjective human opinion. It defines Nadab's actions as contrary to God's holiness and commandments. - in the eyes of the Lord:
B'einei YHWH(בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה). This is a consistent divine evaluative standard used throughout Kings. It indicates that God is the ultimate judge and standard of right and wrong, and His scrutiny penetrates beyond external appearances to the true nature of the heart and actions. Nadab's conduct was offensive to the sovereign Creator. - and walked:
Wa-yelek(וַיֵּלֶךְ), fromhalakh(הָלַךְ - to walk, go). This Hebrew verb often describes a consistent lifestyle, habitual conduct, or chosen course of action, not just a singular event. Nadab chose to live according to a particular pattern. - in the way:
Be-derekh(בְּדֶרֶךְ - way, path, custom, manner). Signifies the habitual course of life or the chosen pattern of behavior. Nadab adopted a specific moral and religious direction. - of his father: Jeroboam I. This phrase emphasizes continuity of ungodly tradition. Nadab did not deviate from the idolatrous practices that Jeroboam established, demonstrating a failure to learn from the consequences of his father's actions. It signifies a familial spiritual inheritance of sin.
- and in his sin: This re-emphasizes that Jeroboam's specific sin—the golden calves and the associated idolatrous worship—was the core problem. Nadab did not merely commit a sin, but the sin of his predecessor, signifying his complicity and endorsement of the primary transgression.
- which he made Israel to sin:
Asher hechti et Yisrael(אֲשֶׁר הֶחֱטִיא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל). The verbhechtiis the Hiphil causative stem ofhata(חָטָא - to miss the mark, to sin). This highlights Jeroboam's (and now Nadab's) immense leadership culpability. They were not merely sinners but were active agents in causing the entire nation to stumble into disobedience and idolatry. This points to the profound influence and responsibility of those in positions of power, especially spiritual leadership, who can lead multitudes away from God.
1 Kings 15 26 Bonus section
The evaluation given to Nadab in this verse is highly formulaic, commonly applied to many kings of Israel. This recurrent phrasing underscores a fundamental theological pattern in the books of Kings: God's judgment of leadership is absolute and rooted in adherence to, or deviation from, the covenant. While the kings of Judah were generally judged against the standard of King David ("walked in the way of David his father"), the kings of Israel were almost universally condemned by the measure of Jeroboam's idolatry ("walked in the sin of Jeroboam"). This formula serves to emphasize that Jeroboam's calves were not a minor offense but the defining national sin that alienated the Northern Kingdom from Yahweh, ultimately leading to their dispersion. This also provides a somber parallel to the concept of spiritual inheritance; while individual responsibility remains paramount (Ezek 18), the perpetuation of sinful traditions by leaders can have devastating, generation-spanning effects on a people.
1 Kings 15 26 Commentary
1 Kings 15:26 offers a concise yet damning indictment of King Nadab of Israel. It portrays him not as a reluctant participant, but an active perpetuator of the "sin of Jeroboam," which was foundational to the apostasy of the Northern Kingdom. This assessment, "he did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord," is the standard judgment passed on virtually every king of Israel and distinguishes them starkly from the ideal king of Judah, David. Nadab failed to repent or correct the idolatrous course set by his father; instead, he embraced and maintained the illicit worship system. This wasn't merely a personal transgression; it was a societal corruptor, a direct affront to God's covenant with Israel, actively leading the people astray from true worship of Yahweh. The focus is on the profound culpability of a leader who not only commits sin but causes others to stumble, illustrating the immense responsibility placed upon those who shepherd God's people.