1 Kings 22:53 kjv
For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.
1 Kings 22:53 nkjv
for he served Baal and worshiped him, and provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger, according to all that his father had done.
1 Kings 22:53 niv
He served and worshiped Baal and aroused the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, just as his father had done.
1 Kings 22:53 esv
He served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger in every way that his father had done.
1 Kings 22:53 nlt
He served Baal and worshiped him, provoking the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, just as his father had done.
1 Kings 22 53 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 20:3-5 | "You shall have no other gods before me... You shall not bow down to them or serve them..." | Command against idolatry. |
| Deut 4:28 | "There you will serve gods of wood and stone, the work of human hands..." | Warning against serving other gods. |
| Deut 5:7-9 | "You shall have no other gods before me... You shall not bow down to them or serve them..." | Reinforcement of the first two commandments. |
| Deut 6:14 | "You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you." | Exclusivity of Yahweh worship. |
| Judges 2:13 | "They abandoned the LORD and served Baal and the Ashtaroth." | Israel's repeated cycle of serving Baal. |
| 1 Kgs 16:31-33 | "as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam... he went and served Baal and worshiped him." | Ahab's initiation of Baal worship. |
| 2 Kgs 3:2 | "He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, though not like his father and mother, for he did remove the pillar of Baal that his father had made." | Ahaziah's successor (Jehoram) slightly different. |
| 2 Kgs 10:28 | "Thus Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel." | Future eradication of Baal worship. |
| 1 Kgs 14:9 | "But you have done worse than all who were before you, and have gone and made for yourself other gods and metal images, provoking me to anger..." | Provoking God's anger through idolatry. |
| 1 Kgs 15:30 | "Because of the sins of Jeroboam... and because of the provocation with which he provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger." | Provocation through continued sin. |
| 1 Kgs 16:2 | "I exalted you from the dust and made you leader over my people Israel. But you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger..." | Warning about leading God's people astray. |
| 1 Kgs 21:22 | "I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam... because of the provocation with which you have provoked me to anger, and because you have made Israel to sin." | Divine judgment for provoking God's anger. |
| Ps 78:58 | "For they provoked him to anger with their high places; they moved him to jealousy with their carved images." | Idolatry provoking God's jealousy/anger. |
| Jer 7:18-19 | "The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire... to provoke me to anger. Is it I whom they provoke? declares the LORD. Is it not themselves, to their own confusion?" | Futility of provoking God. |
| Rom 1:18 | "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth." | Divine wrath against sin and idolatry. |
| Eph 5:6 | "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience." | Consequences of disobedience and ungodliness. |
| 1 Kgs 14:16 | "He will give Israel over because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned and which he made Israel to sin." | Legacy of sin passed on. |
| 1 Kgs 16:26 | "for all the abominations of the Amorites whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel." | Emulating pagan practices. |
| 2 Kgs 21:2 | "And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel." | Later king repeating ancestral sins. |
| Matt 23:32 | "Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' sins." | Generational culmination of sin. |
| 2 Kgs 1:16-17 | "You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die. So he died..." | Ahaziah's direct judgment and death. |
| Exod 3:15 | "The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you." | Introduction of "the LORD God of Israel". |
| 1 Kgs 18:36 | "At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, 'O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel...'" | Elijah's appeal to "God of Israel" in contrast to Baal. |
| Deut 28:15ff | "But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God... all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you." | Covenant curses for disobedience, including idolatry. |
1 Kings 22 verses
1 Kings 22 53 Meaning
This verse states that Ahaziah, king of Israel, continued the widespread idolatry of his father Ahab, serving and worshipping Baal. This act was a deliberate provocation and direct offense against the LORD, the covenant God of Israel, confirming his complete rejection of the one true God in the same manner as his father.
1 Kings 22 53 Context
This verse concludes the narrative summary of Ahaziah's brief two-year reign in Israel. Immediately following the death of his notorious father Ahab, Ahaziah continued the deeply entrenched and abhorrent Baal worship that Ahab had introduced and championed (1 Kgs 16:31-33). The chapter prior details Ahab's relentless wickedness and prophetic confrontation, and 1 Kings 22:53 clearly shows that Ahab's legacy of spiritual corruption lived on through his son, signifying no break in the idolatrous practices that plagued the Northern Kingdom. Historically, Israelite kings often formed political alliances that led to the adoption of foreign deities, blurring the strict monotheistic requirement of their covenant with the LORD. Baal was the primary Canaanite storm and fertility deity, and his worship stood in direct opposition to the sovereignty and unique role of the LORD as the true provider and God of creation. This verse, therefore, acts as a severe theological condemnation of Ahaziah, firmly placing him among the wicked kings who drew God's wrath, thus preparing the reader for the judgment recounted in the subsequent chapter (2 Kings 1).
1 Kings 22 53 Word analysis
- For he served: (וַיַּעֲבֹד, vayya'avod). From the Hebrew root עָבַד ('avad), meaning "to work, to serve, to worship." This term implies more than passive acknowledgment; it indicates active devotion, allegiance, and engagement in the rituals and practices associated with a deity. It highlights the purposeful and committed nature of Ahaziah's idolatry.
- Baal: (הַבַּעַל, haBa'al). Literally "the lord" or "the master." This term refers to the prominent Canaanite storm and fertility deity, often depicted as riding on clouds and associated with rain, thunder, and agricultural productivity. His worship was deeply antagonistic to the worship of YHWH, embodying polytheism and rival claims to divine authority and provision in the land promised to Israel.
- and worshipped him: (וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לוֹ, vayyishtachaveh lo). From the Hebrew root שָׁחָה (shachah), meaning "to bow down, prostrate oneself, do obeisance." This phrase denotes an act of physical prostration and profound reverence. When paired with "served," it paints a comprehensive picture of Ahaziah's complete and public allegiance to Baal.
- and provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger: (וַיַּכְעֵס אֶת־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, vayyakh'es et-YHWH Elohei Yisrael). The verb וַיַּכְעֵס is Hiphil of כָּעַס (ka'as), meaning "to vex, to cause anger, to provoke to anger." This is a strong expression of divine displeasure.
- LORD (YHWH): The covenant name of God, revealing His personal, self-existent, and relational nature, particularly with His chosen people Israel. To provoke YHWH is a profound violation of the exclusive covenant.
- God of Israel: (אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, Elohei Yisrael). This epithet emphasizes the unique relationship God had established with His people Israel, highlighting their special status and His exclusive claim on their worship. Ahaziah's idolatry was thus a direct betrayal of this unique identity and bond.
- in every way that his father had done: (כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אָבִיו, kekhol asher 'asah aviv).
- in every way: (כְּכֹל, ke-khol). This prepositional phrase means "according to all" or "in exactly the same manner." It signifies the completeness and thoroughness of Ahaziah's imitation of his father's wickedness, leaving no room for partial repentance or deviation from the idolatrous path.
- his father had done: Refers explicitly to King Ahab, whose reign marked a historical low point in Israel's fidelity to YHWH, specifically due to his aggressive promotion of Baal worship (1 Kgs 16:31-33). This statement confirms Ahaziah's unreserved embrace and perpetuation of a wicked family legacy.
1 Kings 22 53 Bonus section
The immediate narrative trajectory of Ahaziah's reign continues into 2 Kings 1, where his life concludes with a prophetic pronouncement from Elijah, emphasizing God's judgment directly because Ahaziah inquired of Baal-Zebub of Ekron (the god of flies, a variant or derivative of Baal) rather than the LORD God of Israel (2 Kgs 1:3-4, 6, 16). This subsequent event perfectly illustrates and serves as the practical consequence of the generalized statement in 1 Kings 22:53 regarding his full commitment to Baal and his provocation of the LORD. The polemic against Baal worship, prominently featured throughout Kings, especially in the context of Elijah's ministry, serves to remind Israel and all readers of YHWH's exclusive claim as the only true and living God, demanding singular devotion against all competing deities. Ahaziah's actions symbolize the climax of the northern kingdom's spiritual downfall before their eventual exile.
1 Kings 22 53 Commentary
1 Kings 22:53 presents a stark assessment of Ahaziah's kingship, encapsulated by his unwavering allegiance to Baal. His active "serving" and submissive "worship" of Baal were not merely political conveniences but a deep-seated spiritual rebellion, directly continuing his father Ahab's pervasive idolatry. This behavior was an open defiance of the first and second commandments given at Sinai, which unequivocally forbade the worship of other gods and the creation of idols. By dedicating himself to Baal, Ahaziah knowingly violated the exclusive covenant with the LORD, the very God who delivered Israel and sustained them. This egregious apostasy "provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger," highlighting God's righteous wrath against unfaithfulness and His zealous jealousy for His covenant people. Ahaziah's complete emulation of Ahab's sins reveals a deliberate rejection of any call to repentance, demonstrating the entrenched spiritual decay within the northern kingdom and foreshadowing the inevitable divine judgment that would come upon him and his house.