1 Kings 15:17

1Ki 15:17 And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

Ver. 17. That he might not suffer any.] He sought to block him up, and so to keep his own people - who had a mind to the sincere service of God - from flying away to him.

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 15:17. Baasha built Ramah — That is, repaired and fortified it. It was a city in the tribe of Benjamin, which either belonged to the kingdom of Israel, or he had taken it from Judah. That he might not suffer any to go out, &c. — That he might hinder all communication between his people and the people of Judah, and that his people might not go up to Jerusalem to worship. For this place lay in the confines of both kingdoms; and in such a strait, that a fortification being made there, none could pass to or fro without a license from Baasha.

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

15:17 Baasha’s southward thrust recaptured towns previously lost to Abijam (2 Chr 13:19), as well as Ramah in Judah, about four miles north of Jerusalem. This sealed the border, preventing the Israelites from defecting to Judah and confining Asa to his own territory. Ramah commanded the important north–south and east–west routes in Canaan (Judg 4:5; Isa 10:29; Jer 31:15; 40:1).

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

Of the same purpose that Jeroboam did, because the people should not go up to Jerusalem, lest they should follow Asa.

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

Verse 17. And Baasha - built Ramah] As the word signifies a high place, what is here termed Ramah was probably a hill, (commanding a defile through which lay the principal road to Jerusalem,) which Baasha fortified in order to prevent all intercourse with the kingdom of Judah, lest his subjects should cleave to the house of David. Ramah was about two leagues northward of Jerusalem.

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

(17) Built Ramah.—Ramah, or properly, the Ramah—the word signifying only “elevation”—is mentioned in Jos_18:25 as a city of Benjamin, situated (see Jos. Ant. viii. 12, 3) about five miles north of Jerusalem. It is mentioned in Jdg_4:5; Jdg_19:13; Isa_10:29; Jer_40:1, and is identified with the village known as Er-Ram at the present day.

This fortification of Ramah close to the hostile capital—like the fortification of Decelea, near Athens, in the Peloponnesian war—was a standing menace to Judah. Baasha, who was a military chief, seems to have been warned by the ill-success of former attempts to invade and subjugate Judah, and to have used this easier means of keeping the enemy in check, and provoking a conflict—if a conflict there was to be—on his own ground. The text, however, implies a further design to blockade the road between the kingdoms, perhaps explained by the statement, in 2Ch_15:9-10, of the falling away of many from Israel to Asa, now in the height of his prosperity. The new fortress was, no doubt, supported by all the military force of Israel, which Asa, in spite of his increased strength, dared not attack.

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

17. went up against Judah and built Ramah] This act of Baasha’s shews us that Israel must by this time have recovered some of the power and territory which had been taken from them in Jeroboam’s reign (2Ch_13:19). Ramah, though lying in the hill country of Ephraim, was among the places allotted to the tribe of Benjamin (Jos_18:25), so that it must have been very near to Jerusalem, and to make a fortress of it, as Baasha was now doing, was like making a blockade of Jerusalem, a condition which is described in the words which immediately follow.

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.

Then King Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah,.... Summoned men of all sorts, ranks, and degrees:

(none was exempted;) the Jews (z) say, not so much as a newly married man, whom the law excused from war the first year, nor the disciples of the wise men:

and they took away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; or fortified the place; these; the men of Judah, whom Asa summoned, carried off:

and King Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah; which were both in the tribe of Benjamin, and which he fortified, Jos 18:24.

(z) Jarchi & Kimchi in loc.

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

Ramah (perhaps “Er-Ram;” marginal reference) was situated halfway between Bethel and Jerusalem. Its distance from Jerusalem was no more than five miles so that its occupation was a menace to that capital. Baasha’s seizure of Ramah implies a previous recovery of the towns taken by Abijam from Jeroboam, namely, Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephrain 2Ch 13:19, and was a carrying of the war into the enemy’s country. Could his conquest have been maintained, it would have crippled Judah seriously, and have almost compelled a transfer of the capital to Hebron.

That he might not suffer any to go out or come in - Baasha, in seizing Ramah, professed to be acting on the defensive. His complaint seems to have been well founded (compare 2Ch 15:9); but it was more than a defensive measure - it was the first step toward a conquest of the southern kingdom.

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

Rama, fortifying it with a wall all round, 2 Paralipomenon xvi. (Haydock) --- Rama signifies, "a height." This fort commanded a narrow pass, between the two kingdoms, (Calmet) and cut off all communication; which Baasa dreaded, lest his subjects should return to the service of the true God, and of Juda. (Haydock) --- Josue (xviii. 25.) mentions Rama, near Gaboan, (Calmet) about five miles north of Jerusalem. (St. Jerome) --- There was another towards the south. (Menochius) --- But there the king of Israel would have no power. (Haydock)

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).

Baasha went up against Judah; perceiving Asa’s great success, of which see 2Ch 14; 2Ch 15, and the defection of many of his own subjects to him upon that occasion, 2Ch 15:9, he began to bestir himself, and commenceth a war against him.

Built, i.e. repaired and fortified, Ramah, a city of Benjamin; which either belonged to the kingdom of Israel, from the division, (as some other places of that tribe are supposed to have done; of which See Poole "1Ki 11:13",) or belonged to Judah, but was now invaded and taken by Baasha, and fortified.

That he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah; therefore he chose this place, because it was in the way from his kingdom to Jerusalem, and, as some add, in or near the straits of the mountains, where they could easily discover and hinder all passengers that way.

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

17. Built Ramah — That is, he attempted to fortify it so as to make it a fortress for his troops; and since Ramah lay midway between Beth-el and Jerusalem, it was a choice spot to serve his purpose of checking the emigration of Israelites into the kingdom of Judah.

Not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa — The conviction that Jerusalem was the proper place to worship drew multitudes there, and Jeroboam and his successors found that the calf-worship at Beth-el and Dan would not command the respect of all his people. Compare 1Ki_12:27; 2Ch_11:13-17; Tob_1:6. Baasha thought to check this going up to Jerusalem by force of arms. He would build a stronghold at Ramah and station forces there to oppose all emigration out of his realm.

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

And Baasha, king of Israel, went up against Judah This statement probably refers to the reconquest of the three cities which Abijah had taken from Jeroboam, (2Ch_13:19) as Ramah could hardly have been rebuilt whilst Bethel remained in the hands of Judah, and built Ramah Heb. the Ramah, i.e., " the elevation," or "high place." Now er Ram (=the height), in Benjamin (Jos_18:25; Jud_1:19:18, 14) five miles distant from Jerusalem, near the frontier of the two territories, and also then, as now, on the great north road. It was the key, consequently, to both kingdoms. Hence the struggles to possess it, vers, 21, 22; (2Ch_16:1, etc.) that he might not suffer any to go out Heb. not to give any going out, etc. or come in to Asa, king of Judah. The object of Baasha in fortifying this place is evident. It was not merely to have an advanced post as a menace to Jerusalem (Rawlinson), but primarily, by its command of the high road, to prevent his subjects from falling away to the kingdom of Judah, or even from going up to Jerusalem to worship; in fact, to isolate Judah and to blockade its capital. That there was a great defection to Ass at this time we know from 2Ch_15:9. This was an exodus which Baasha felt must be checked. Blunt ("Coincidences," pp. 176-8) has happily shown from 2Ch_16:6, etc., how the primary object must have been to "stop the alarming drainage of all that was virtuous out of their borders." Rawlinson sees in the fortification of this place "the first step towards a conquest of the southern kingdom." But as to this the text is silent, or rather it assigns an entirely different reason.

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

Built - That is, repaired and fortified.

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