1 Kings 15:10

1Ki 15:10 And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name [was] Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.

Ver. 10. And forty and one years reigned he.] His father Abijam was soon cut off for his wickedness: Asa, that he might reform a state so far out of order, had a long reign granted him. Think the same of Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. Asa reigned in Judah, in the times of the reigns of eight kings in Israel.

And his mother’s name was Maachah.] That is, His grandmother’s, who was a most wicked woman, nec tamen Asa mores eius retinuit, saith Vatablus, yet Asa kept himself uncorrupted by her, which was no small commendation. Pliny {a} praiseth young Quadratus, quod in deliciis aviae degens viveret tamen severisime, for that he lived strictly under the government of a loose grandmother.

{a} Epist., lib. vii.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ki 15:10-11. His mother’s name — That is, his grandmother’s, as appears from 1Ki 15:2. She is called his mother in the same sense in which David is called Abijam’s father, 1Ki 15:3; that is, his progenitor. And his grandmother’s name may be here mentioned, rather than his mother’s, because his mother was either an obscure person, or was dead, or unwilling to take care of the education of her son, and so he was educated by the grandmother, who, though she poisoned his father Abijam with her idolatrous principles, (1Ki 15:12,) yet could not infect Asa, nor withhold him from prosecuting his good purposes of reforming religion. Asa did that which was right — As to the government of his kingdom, and the reformation and establishment of God’s worship; in the eyes of the Lord — That is right indeed which is so in God’s eyes. Those are approved whom he commendeth. As did David his father — Whom he made his pattern; worshipping the Lord alone, and taking away all idols, as it here follows.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

15:10 forty-one years: The first ten years of Asa’s long reign were peaceful (2 Chr 14:1-7), perhaps due to his father’s decisive victory over Jeroboam.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

That is, his grandmother, as David is oft times called father of them, whose grandfather he was.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

ASA'S GOOD REIGN. (Kg1 15:9-22)

his mother's name was Maachah--She was properly his grandmother, and she is here called "the king's mother," from the post of dignity which at the beginning of his reign she possessed. Asa, as a constitutional monarch, acted like the pious David, laboring to abolish the traces and polluting practices of idolatry, and in pursuance of his impartial conduct, he did not spare delinquents even of the highest rank.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 10. His mother's name] Our translators thought that grandmother was likely to be the meaning, and therefore have put it in the margin.

The daughter of Abishalom.] She is called, says Calmet, the daughter of Absalom, according to the custom of the Scriptures, which give the name of daughter indifferently to the niece, the grand-daughter, and great grand-daughter.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(10) His mother’s name was Maachah.—Maachah was (see 1Ki_15:2) the wife of Rehoboam, and, therefore, grandmother of Asa. She appears, however, still to have retained the place of “queen-mother,” to the exclusion of the real mother of the king.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10. And his mother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom] The most probable explanation of this clause, which is the same as in 1Ki_15:2 above, is that the word ‘mother’ is here used for ‘grandmother,’ and that Asa’s own mother sank into small importance in comparison with her mother-in-law. Clearly Maachah was a leader of the idol worship in the land, which made it necessary for Asa to deprive her of her influence. On the power wielded in the East by a queen-mother, see 1Ki_2:19 note. The LXX. (Vat.) gives ‘Ana’ as the name of Asa’s mother, and not ‘Maachah,’ but this is not supported by any other evidence.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But the high places were not removed,.... That is, such as had been used for the worship of God, before the temple was built, which yet now should have been removed, since sacrifice was now only to be offered there; but he might think they were still lawful, or the people had such an opinion of them, that it was difficult and dangerous to attempt to remove them; otherwise high places for idolatry were removed by him, Ch2 14:3,

nevertheless, Asa's heart was perfect all his days; he was sincere in the worship of God, and did everything to the best of his knowledge and capacity for restoring true religion, and destroying idolatry.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mother’s name - Rather, “grandmother’s.” The Jews cal any male ancestor, however remote, a father, and any female ancestor a mother (compare 1Ki 15:2; Gen 3:20). This Maachah was the favorite wife of Rehoboam 2Ch 11:21, and the mother of Abijam. The way in which she is here mentioned strongly favors the notion that the position of queen-mother was a definite one at the court, and could only be held by one person at a time.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

His mother’s, &c. That is, his grandmother; unless we suppose, which is not improbable, that the Maacha here named is different from the Maacha mentioned [in] ver. 2. (Challoner) --- She was probably another grand-daughter of David’s son, (Calmet) as such are frequently styled simply daughters. So David is called the father of Asa, (ver. 11.; Haydock) though he was really his great-grandfather. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

i. e. His grandmother’s, as appears from 1Ki 15:2, who is called his mother, as David is called Abijam’s father, 1Ki 15:3, and this Asa’s father, 1Ki 15:11. And so the names of father, and mother, and sons, and daughters are oft taken, both in sacred and profane authors, for grandparents and grandchildren. And his grandmother’s name may be here mentioned rather than his mother’s, because his mother was either an obscure person, or was long since dead, or indisposed or unwilling to take care of the education of her son, and so he was educated by the grandmother, who, though she did poison his father Abijam with her idolatrous principles, 1Ki 15:12, yet could not infect Asa, nor withhold him from prosecuting his good purposes of reforming religion; which is here remembered to his praise.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

ASA’S REIGN, 1Ki_15:9-24.

10. His mother’s name was Maachah — She was his father’s mother, (see on 1Ki_15:2,) and therefore, properly speaking, his grandmother, as the margin rightly explains. The word אם, mother, like בן, son, and בת, daughter, is capable of such indefinite usage. Asa’s grandmother is mentioned here because of her prominent position as queen-mother, (compare 1Ki_15:13,) and as such she probably exercised the regal functions during the earlier years of his reign, while he was yet too young.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem Corn. a Lapide points out that Ass saw eight kings of Israel on the throne, Jeroboam, Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Tibni, Omri, and Ahab. And his mother"s or grandmother"s, as margin name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom. The same words as in ver. 2, and the reference can hardly be to a different person. Bahr indeed questions whether can here stand for grandmother,

(1) because in every other case it designates the king"s mother,

(2) Because the mother of the king, and not the grandmother, enjoyed the dignity and position of Gebirah (ver. 13; 2Ch_15:16) Some would read for Abishalom, Uriel of Gibeah; others, strengthened by the Michaiah of 2Ch_13:2, think the historian mistaken in mentioning the name of Abijam"s mother (ver. 2; 2Ch_11:21) as Maachah. The difficulty by no means admits of a ready solution, but perhaps the best explanation is that the grandmother, Maachah, Rehoboam"s favourite wife, retained her position, possibly by force of character, or because Asa"s mother was dead. It is not certain, however, that if the latter had lived she would have displaced Maashah, of whose influence and imperious temper we have several indications; e.g., in the appointment of her son, though not the firstborn, to succeed his father, and in her open maintenance of idol worship, and above all in the fact that she was publicly deposed by Asa.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mother's - That is, his grandmother's, as appears from ver. 2, who is called his mother, as David is called Abijam's father, ver. 3. And his grand-mother's name may be here mentioned, rather than his mother's, because his mother was either an obscure person, or was dead, or unwilling to take care of the education of her son, and so he was educated by the grand-mother, who, though she poisoned his father Abijam with her idolatrous principles, ver. 12, yet could not infect Asa, nor withhold him from prosecuting his good purposes of reforming religion.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.