1 Kings 15:27

1Ki 15:27 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.

Ver. 27. Which belonged to the Philistines.] Sed quo iure? They had gotten it; but the right of it was in Israel. {Jos 21:23}

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 15:27-28. Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines — This was a city in the tribe of Dan, given to the Levites, (Jos 19:44; Jos 21:23,) who quitted it, as they did the rest of their cities, when Jeroboam would not suffer them to execute their office, 2Ch 11:14; and the Philistines, it is likely, seized upon it, being adjoining to their country. But it appears, Nadab was now endeavouring to recover it out of their hands, as of right belonging to him; and here, in the midst of his army, did Baasha, with others, conspire against him, and kill him: and so little interest had he in the affections of his people, that his army not only did not avenge his death, but chose his murderer his successor. Whether Baasha did this upon a personal pique against Nadab, or to be revenged on the house of Jeroboam for some affront received from them; or whether under pretence of freeing his country from the tyranny of an ill prince; or whether purely from a principle of ambition, to make way for himself to the throne, doth not appear; but having slain him, he reigned in his stead.

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

BAASHA’S REIGN, Ki_15:27 to 1Ki_16:7.

27. Baasha… house of Issachar — That is, a descendant of the fifth son of Jacob by Leah, (Gen_30:18,) whose lot in the tribe-division of the land is described Jos_19:17-23.

Conspired against him — Baasha was probably commander, or chief captain, in Nadab’s army, and wickedly laid his schemes to assassinate the king, and use the army now at his command to establish himself upon the throne.

Gibbethon — A city belonging to the territory of Dan. Jos_19:44. It was assigned, with its suburbs, to “the Levites which remained of the children of Kohath,”

(Jos_21:23,) but at the time of Nadab it was held by the Philistines, and probably they had always held it. It has not been identified with any modern town.

Laid siege to Gibbethon — What led Nadab to turn his forces against this city does not appear. We learn from chapter 1Ki_16:15 that the siege was continued in the time of Zimri.

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

15:27-29 Baasha . . . assassinated . . . Nadab and slaughtered all the descendants of . . . Jeroboam, thus terminating Israel’s first dynasty. Baasha’s father was named Ahijah, who is not to be confused with the prophet who predicted the demise of Jeroboam’s dynasty (11:29-39). Baasha’s coup d’etat was the first of several in Israel’s history (e.g., 16:9-10).

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

Baasha smote him at Gibbethon--This town, within the tribe of Dan, was given to the Levites (Jos 19:44). It lay on the Philistine borders, and having been seized by that people, Nadab laid siege to recover it.

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 27. Smote him at Gabbethon] This was a city in the tribe of Dan, and generally in the possession of the Philistines.

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

(27) Baasha, sprung from an obscure tribe, hardly at any time distinguished in the history, and himself, as it would seem (1Ki_16:2), of low origin in it, is the first of the many military chiefs who by violence or assassination seized upon the throne of Israel. The constant succession of ephemeral dynasties stands in striking contrast with the unchanged royalty of the house of David, resting on the promise of God.

Gibbethon—a Levitical town in the territory of Dan (Jos_19:44; Jos_21:23), probably, like other places in that region, still held by the Philistines till their subjugation by David. The text here implies a revolt of the Philistines against the enfeebled power of Israel, and the occupation of Gibbethon, commanding a pass from the plain of Sharon to the interior. The siege must have been fruitless, at least of any permanent result; for twenty-six years after we find Gibbethon still in the hands of the enemy. (See 1Ki_16:15.)

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

27. of the house of Issachar] Jeroboam’s family was of the tribe of Ephraim (1Ki_11:26), and it may have been some tribal jealousy which led a man of Issachar to exterminate the whole family of Jeroboam, and to found a new dynasty. From the message of the prophet Jehu to Baasha (1Ki_14:1-2) it would appear as if Baasha’s attempt had been sanctioned by some divine message. But none the more did Baasha improve upon the conduct of the two kings of the previous house.

at Gibbethon, which belongeth [R.V. belonged] to the Philistines] Scrivener’s edition of 1611 reads belongeth. This was a town allotted originally to the tribe of Dan (Jos_19:44), and was given as a Levitical city to the Kohathites (Jos_21:23), but it had been by this time taken by the Philistines, and Nadab was endeavouring to drive them out. The verb belongeth is only indicated by the preposition which is prefixed to the word Philistines, and we need not understand more by it than occupation such as conquerors take.

all Israel laid siege] R.V. were laying siege. The work was still in progress, and was not completed even in Baasha’s reign. Cf. 1Ki_16:15.

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.

Baasha ... of the house of Issachar - It is curious to find Issachar furnishing a king. Tola, its one very undistinguished Judge Jdg 10:1, on obtaining office had at once settled himself in the territory of Ephraim. The tribe was as little famous as any that could be named. The “ass crouching between two burthens” was a true symbol of the patient, plodding cultivators of the plain of Esdraelon Gen 49:14-15. Baasha probably owed his rise neither to his tribe nor to his social position, but simply to his audacity, and his known valor and skill as a soldier 1Ki 16:2.

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

Gebbethon, of the tribe of Dan, occupied by the Philistines. It was often attacked, chap. xvi. 15. (Calmet) --- The occasion of this war is not known. (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).

Of the house of Issachar, i.e. of the tribe, which is oft called a house, as Jdg 10:9; Psa 135:20; Hos 1:7. Which belonged to the Philistines; who, taking advantage of the division between Israel and Judah, had retaken this town, which belonged to the tribe of Dan, Jos 19:44, and belonged to the Levites, Jos 21:23; upon whose departure to Judah, 2Ch 11:14, the kings of Israel seized their towns and lands to their own use, as was noted before; which made them so much concerned for this town, to besiege it both now and many years after this time, 1Ki 16:15.

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

And Baasha the son of Ahijah not the prophet of that name, (1Ki_14:2) who was an Ephraimite, whereas this Ahijah was, of the house of Issachar This fact is perhaps mentioned to distinguish the father of Baasha from the prophet. Or it may owe its insertion to the insignificance of this tribe (Gen_49:14, Gen_49:15) up to this date. This change of dynasty, unlike the last, was in no way connected with tribal jealousies. Baasha owed his elevation to his own abilities or to his unscrupulous daring, conspired The word implies associates. There was a plot formed fur Nadab"s assassination against him: and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon = eminence . In the tribe of Dan (Jos_19:44) and aLevitical city: one of the four assigned to the Levites in the territory of that tribe (ib., 21:23). It has not been identified. Evidently it was on the border of Philistia. Some would connect it with the modern Mejdel, a little to the north of Ascalon. The reader will observe how large a number of the names of towns indicate their elevation. The cities of those days were set on a hill. It was dangerous to build in the plain, which belonged to the Philistines Blunt suggests ("Coincidences," p. 181) that it was because the place had been deserted by the Levites, in the general exodus to Judah, that the Philistines availed themselves of the opportunity to seize and fortify it. But the divided and consequently weakened state of the kingdom would of itself have encouraged them to throw off the yoke of Israel (Ewald); for Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.

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

conspired against Nadab

"secretly plotted to kill King Nadab"

Gibbethon

This is the name of a city. (See: How to Translate Names)

Nadab and all Israel

"The phrase "all Israel" is a generalization that represents the many soldiers of Israel. AT: "Nadab and the many soldiers of Israel" or "Nadab and the army of Israel" (See: Synecdoche and Hyperbole and Generalization)

were laying siege to Gibbethon

"were surrounding Gibbethon, so that the people of Gibbethon would surrender to them"

became king in his place

The phrase "in his place" is a metaphor meaning "instead of him." AT: "became king instead of Nadab" (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

Baasha

Ahijah

Issachar

Philistines

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.