1 Kings 15 27

1 Kings 15:27 kjv

And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.

1 Kings 15:27 nkjv

Then Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him. And Baasha killed him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.

1 Kings 15:27 niv

Baasha son of Ahijah from the tribe of Issachar plotted against him, and he struck him down at Gibbethon, a Philistine town, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging it.

1 Kings 15:27 esv

Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him. And Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.

1 Kings 15:27 nlt

Then Baasha son of Ahijah, from the tribe of Issachar, plotted against Nadab and assassinated him while he and the Israelite army were laying siege to the Philistine town of Gibbethon.

1 Kings 15 verses

1 Kings 15 27 Meaning

King Nadab of Israel was violently assassinated by Baasha, son of Ahijah, of the tribe of Issachar, at Gibbethon. This coup occurred while Nadab and the Israelite army were actively engaged in besieging Gibbethon, a city under Philistine control. The act simultaneously installed Baasha as the new king, bringing a swift and violent end to the dynasty of Jeroboam, precisely as prophesied by the prophet Ahijah.

1 Kings 15 27 Context

1 Kings chapter 15 records the parallel reigns of kings in the divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel. Verses 1-8 describe King Abijam (or Abijah) of Judah, who walked in his father Rehoboam’s sins. Then, in verse 9, King Asa, Abijam’s son, begins to reign, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. In contrast, verses 25-26 introduce Nadab, Jeroboam’s son, who began to reign over Israel and continued in the wicked ways of his father, doing "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 sin." Verse 27, therefore, recounts the abrupt and divinely ordained end of Nadab's reign and the Jeroboam dynasty. This event is a direct fulfillment of the prophecy delivered by the prophet Ahijah in 1 Kings 14:7-16, which foretold the utter destruction of Jeroboam's house due to their widespread idolatry and leading Israel astray from God's commands. The ongoing military conflict with the Philistines at Gibbethon served as the opportune moment for the coup, highlighting Israel's vulnerability and the volatile political climate of the northern kingdom which lacked the stable, divinely promised Davidic lineage of Judah.

1 Kings 15 27 Word analysis

• Baasha (בַּעְשָׁא - Baʿšāʾ): This name means "in wickedness." He was the second king of Israel's second dynasty (after Jeroboam's). His action signifies the cycle of political violence and divine judgment in the northern kingdom.
• son of Ahijah (בֶּן־אֲחִיָּה - ben-ʾăḥiyyāh): This Ahijah is not the prophet who prophesied against Jeroboam. This highlights Baasha's distinct identity and lineage from the prophet, making his act purely from his own will but serving a divine purpose. He was from the tribe of Issachar.
• of the house of Issachar (לְבֵית יִשָּׂשכָר - ləḇêt Yissāḵār): The tribe of Issachar was not a prominent tribe known for leadership, as Jacob’s blessing (Gen 49:14-15) suggests they would be content with servitude rather than seeking power. Baasha's rise indicates an unexpected usurper from outside the main political centers of power, yet he was an agent in God's plan.
• conspired (קָשַׁר - qāšar): This verb indicates a binding agreement, forming a plot or treasonous rebellion against an authority. It implies a premeditated and secretive plan to overthrow.
• against him (עָלָיו - ʿālāyw): Refers to King Nadab, the current king of Israel. The action is a direct attack on the reigning monarch.
• struck him down (וַיַּכֵּהוּ - wayyakkehu): The verb nāḵāh (נָכָה) often implies a decisive, often fatal, blow or striking. It denotes violent and direct action, in this case, assassination.
• at Gibbethon (בְּגִבְּתוֹן - bəGiḇbəṯôn): A city in the territory of Dan (Josh 19:44) but later allotted to the Levites (Josh 21:23). At this time, it was held by the Philistines. Its strategic location made it a recurring point of conflict between Israel and the Philistines, serving as a backdrop for Nadab’s downfall. Its previous identity as a Levitical city now under pagan control hints at the spiritual decline of the land.
• which belonged to the Philistines (אֲשֶׁר לַפְּלִשְׁתִּים - ʾăšer lapPəlištîm): Emphasizes that Israel was trying to reclaim territory from a historical enemy, a common military objective. This also signifies Nadab’s preoccupation with external wars, potentially making him vulnerable internally.
• while Nadab and all Israel were besieging it (וְנָדָב וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל צָרִים עָלֶיהָ - wənādāḇ wəḵāl-Yiśrāʾēl ṣārîm ʿālêhā): The phrase implies Nadab was with his army, personally leading the siege. This context provides the setting for the assassination—a military campaign often creates vulnerabilities for leaders, especially during extended sieges which demand constant presence and attention, allowing opportunities for conspiracy and attack. The fact that "all Israel" was with him means the event had national significance and wide immediate ramifications.

1 Kings 15 27 Bonus section

• Theological Irony of Location: Gibbethon was originally a Levitical city, meant to be a dwelling for those who taught God's law. Its current occupation by the Philistines, and its becoming the site of Israel's king's assassination during a failed siege, starkly highlights Israel's spiritual decline and failure to drive out its enemies, symbolic of their incomplete spiritual conquest.
• Northern Kingdom Instability: This verse introduces the concept of successive dynastic changes in the Northern Kingdom, often initiated by violence, contrasting sharply with the relative stability of the Davidic line in Judah. This instability is repeatedly linked by the biblical narrator to the apostasy initiated by Jeroboam and continued by his successors.
• Prophetic Control: The swiftness and specificity of the prophecy's fulfillment (1 Kgs 14:10-11) through an unexpected agent like Baasha, from the seemingly obscure tribe of Issachar for leadership, reinforces the reliability of God's word and His active involvement in Israel's history. God used Baasha's sinful ambition to achieve His righteous purposes.

1 Kings 15 27 Commentary

1 Kings 15:27 marks a pivotal moment in the history of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. It portrays the swift and brutal fulfillment of divine judgment against the house of Jeroboam, precisely as foretold by the prophet Ahijah. Nadab, despite being king, was engaged in military action at Gibbethon, illustrating the ongoing state of conflict with Israel's neighbors due to their disobedience. This battlefield setting made him vulnerable to Baasha's political machinations. Baasha, acting as an instrument of God's will despite his own ambition and sin, executes Nadab and subsequently exterminates Jeroboam's lineage, leaving no male heir to secure the throne. This event highlights God's absolute sovereignty over human affairs, including political power and dynastic changes. The cycle of judgment is a consistent theme: leadership that fails to adhere to God's commandments is systematically removed, often through violence, establishing a recurring pattern of instability for Israel, a stark contrast to the continuous (though not perfect) Davidic dynasty in Judah.