1 Kings 15:2

1Ki 15:2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name [was] Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.

Ver. 2. His mother’s name was Maachah.] Called also Micalah; {2Ch 13:2} we read likewise of a woman called Abijah. {2Ch 29:1}

The daughter of Abishalom.] Or, Absalom, whose daughter or niece by his daughter Tamar this Maachah may seem to have been: her husband’s name was Uriel of Gibeah. {2Ch 13:2}

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.

15:2 Abijam’s mother was Maacah, Rehoboam’s favorite of his eighteen wives. She was the granddaughter of Absalom. Presumably this Absalom is David’s son. Maacah, an idol worshiper, was an evil spiritual influence in Judah (15:13).

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

Some think that this was Absalom Solomon’s son.

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

Three years reigned he--(compare Kg1 15:1 with Kg1 15:9). Parts of years are often counted in Scripture as whole years. The reign began in Jeroboam's eighteenth year, continued till the nineteenth, and ended in the course of the twentieth.

his mother's name was Maachah--or Michaiah (Ch2 13:2), probably altered from the one to the other on her becoming queen, as was very common under a change of circumstances. She is called the daughter of Abishalom, or Absalom (Ch2 11:21), of Uriel (Ch2 13:2). Hence, it has been thought probable that Tamar, the daughter of Absalom (Sa2 14:27; Sa2 18:18), had been married to Uriel, and that Maachah was their daughter.

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

(2) Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.—The Abishalom of this passage, called, in 2Ch_11:20, Absalom, is in all probability the rebel son of David, whose mother (2Sa_3:3) was also named Maachah. In 2Ch_11:21-22, it seems that of all the wives (“eighteen wives and threescore concubines”) whom Àehoboam, following the evil traditions of his father, took, she was the favourite, and that even in his lifetime Rehoboam exalted Abijam “to be ruler among his brethren.” In 2Ch_13:2 she is called Michaiah, and said to be the daughter of “Uriel of Gibeah.” This shows that, as indeed chronological considerations would suggest, she must have been the granddaughter of Absalom. She is mentioned below (1Ki_15:13) as prominent in the evil propensity to idolatry.

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

2. Three years reigned he] If he began his reign in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam, and was succeeded by Asa (1Ki_15:9) in the twentieth year of the same king, the three years cannot have been complete. But this must frequently be noted in the chronological records of the two kingdoms, and imports an element of uncertainty into them.

Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom] In 2Ch_13:2 Abijah’s mother is called ‘Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.’ But in 2Ch_11:20 it is said that Rehoboam married ‘Maachah the daughter of Absalom, which bare him Abijah.’ Abishalom is only another form of Absalom and the person here meant may be the well-known son of David. ‘Daughter’ is sometimes used for ‘grand-daughter. Absalom had one daughter, called Tamar (2Sa_14:27) who may have married Uriel, and have had a daughter Maachah. The מיכיהו (Michaiah) of 2Ch_13:2 must then be an error of the scribe for מעכה (Maachah), which is the name found in all other places.

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.

And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him,.... Having such bad examples as both parents to copy after; it chiefly respects idolatrous practices, see Kg1 14:23,

and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God; he did profess the true God, and worshipped him, but not wholly, and only, and sincerely; he worshipped other gods besides him: and so his heart was not

as the heart of David his father; who was a sole and sincere worshipper of God, never departed from him and his service.

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

Three years - More strictly, not much more than two years (compare 1Ki 15:1, 1Ki 15:9). Any part of a year may, however, in Jewish reckoning, be taken as a year.

His mother’s name was Maachah - Or Michaiah, according to the present reading of marginal reference.

The daughter of Abishalom - Absalom seems to have had but one daughter, Tamar 2Sa 14:27, so that Maachah must have been, not his daughter, but his grand-daughter. Her father (see the margin) was Uriel of Gibeah whom, therefore, Tamar married. Maachah took her name from her great-grandmother 2Sa 3:3.

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

Years, wanting some months. Maacha. She is called elsewhere, Michaia, daughter of Uriel; but is was a common thing, in those days, for a person to have two names. (Challoner) --- Abessalom and Absalom, the son of David are the same, 2 Paralipomenon xi. 21. (Calmet) --- St. Jerome (Trad.) is of a different opinion. (Menochius) --- Josephus ([Antiquities?] viii. 10.) intimates that Maacha was the daughter of Thamar. The eldest daughter, in the kingdom of Gessur, seems to have been usually styled Maacha, ver. 10. (Tirinus)

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).

Three years: See Poole "1Ki 15:1".

Of Abishalom, or, of Absalom, as he is called, 2Ch 11:21. And because he is here mentioned as a known person, without any addition of his kindred or quality, some conceive that this was Absalom’s daughter, called properly Tamar, 2Sa 14:27, and from her royal grandmother, 2Sa 3:3 Maachah; and that she is called Michaiah (which differs not much from Maachah) the daughter of Uriel, 2Ch 13:2, because she was first married to Uriel, as Josephus affirms, Antiq. viii. 3, and afterwards to Rehoboam. Others think this was another person, and that both she and her father had each of them several names, which was not unusual among the Hebrews.

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

Three years The Alex. LXX says dekaex, sixteen. The" three years" are not to be interpreted strictly. As he ascended the throne in the eighteenth and died in the twentieth year of Jeroboam"s reign, he cannot have completed three years. But it does not follow that "he cannot have reigned much more than two years" (Rawlinson, and similarly Keil). He may have reigned all but three reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother"s name was Maachah in 2Ch_13:2 called Michaiah, Heb. Michajahu. That the same person is meant is proved as well by the context as by 2Ch_11:21, where the name is given as here. Keil (cf. Dict. Bib. 2:162) ascribes the discrepancy to an error of the copyist; but the names are so unlike in the original as to discountenance this assumption. I venture to suggest that Michajahu was the significant form the word means "Who is like Jehovah? which the name Maachah, "oppression," borne by the Geshurite princess who married David (2Sa_3:3) assumed when she joined the Lord"s peo ple, and embraced, as no doubt she would do, the religion of Jehovah. Such a change would be quite in accordance with the genius and traditions of the Semitic races Gen_17:5, Gen_17:15. passim; Gen_32:28 Gen_41:45; Exo_6:3, etc. (Cf. 2Ki_23:34 2Ki_24:17; Hos_1:4, Hos_1:6) and there may well have been special reasons in this case, apart from the piety of David, why it should be made. For the name Maachah appears to have been taken Iron the town and district of that name near Geshur a part of Syria was called Syria Maachah (1Ch_19:6; cf. 2Sa_10:6-8) In, 2Sa_20:14, 15 we read of a district of Beth Maachah and it not improbably witnessed to unhappy memories. How natural it would be that David"s bride should take a name of better omen and of a religious import, and how natural that the grand-daughter who bore her name should be called by that name in both its forms. Since writing the above, I find that a somewhat similar idea has occurred long since to others. Both Kimchi and Jarchi hold that she had two names. It is supposed by some that she assumed the name Michaiah, as more dignified, on becoming queen. Wordsworth thinks that Michaiah was her real name, and that it was degraded into Maachah when she was deposed for idolatry. This latter view dovetails with the one suggested above. It would be quite in accordance with Jewish usages and habits of thought that the name which had been changed into Michaiah when the grandmother became a proselyte, should be changed back into Maachah when this princess apostatized the daughter rather, granddaughter. tB includes all female descendants, as (see ver. 10) all anxestresses of Abishalom. We can hardly doubt that Absalom, the son of David, is meant here. We have

(1) the express statement of 2Ch_11:21, "Rehoboam loved Maachah, the daughter of Absalom," etc.

(2) The fact that two of Rehoboam"s other wives were of the family of David, which shows that it was part of his policy to marry the daughters of that house.

(3) The mother of Absalom was named Maachah. (2Sa_3:3)

(4) The name is so uncommon in fact, it is apax leg that another person can hardly be intended. Moreover the variation in spelling is extremely slight. It has been held, however, that a different person is designated by the name, principally because Absalom had hut one daughter whose name was Tamar, (2Sa_14:27) whereas Abijah"s mother is said to have been the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. (2Ch_13:2) But this difficulty admits of an easy solution. Tamar was doubtless married to Uriel, and Maachah was the fruit of this marriage. And with this explanation agrees the account of Josephus (Ant. 8:10, 1).

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

Three years - That is, part of three years. Abishalom - Or, of Absalom, as he is called 2 Chron. xi, 21. And because he is here mentioned as a known person, without any addition of his kindred or quality, some conceive that this was Absalom's daughter, called properly Tamar, 2 Sam. xiv, 27, and from her royal grandmother, 2 Sam. iii, 3, Maacah.

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