1 Kings 15:29

1Ki 15:29 And it came to pass, when he reigned, [that] he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according unto the saying of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite:

Ver. 29. According to the saying of the Lord.] The fulfilling whereof Baasha aimed not at; but the wise God effected it. The devil and his imps do God’s will, though oft against their own will.

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 15:29. He smote all the house of Jeroboam — The first thing he did when he came to the crown was, to cut off all that had any title to it, that he might secure himself in his usurped government. He did not think it enough to imprison or banish them, but he destroyed them; and carried his vengeance so far, that he left not only no males, as was foretold 1Ki 14:10, but not any that breathed. Herein he was barbarous; but God was righteous; and Jeroboam’s sin was punished: for they that provoke God do it to their own confusion, Jer 7:19. According to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Ahijah — Baasha had no thought about fulfilling Ahijah’s prophecy, but God overruled his ambition and cruelty to that end, and thereby executed, on the house of Jeroboam, the judgments he had threatened, and that as speedily as Ahijah had foretold, (1Ki 14:14,) for no word of God shall fall to the ground.

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

So God stirred up one tyrant to punish the wickedness of another.

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

when he reigned, he smote all the house of Jeroboam--It was according to a barbarous practice too common in the East, for a usurper to extirpate all rival candidates for the throne; but it was an accomplishment of Ahijah's prophecy concerning Jeroboam (Kg1 14:10-11).

Next: 1 Kings Chapter 16

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 29. He smote all the house of Jeroboam] This was according to Ahijah's prophetic declaration; see 1Kg 14:10; 1Kg 14:14. Thus God made use of one wicked man to destroy another.

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

(29) According unto the saying of the Lord.—See 1Ki_14:10-14. There seems no reason to suppose that Baasha had any formal mission of vengeance, or that his conspiracy and assassination were due to any motive but his own ambition. The contrary, indeed, may be inferred from the declaration of 1Ki_16:7, that the judgment on Baasha was in part “because he killed” Nadab and his house. Sin which works out God’s purpose is not the less truly sin. Of Baasha we know nothing, except his attempt on the independence of Judah, and its failure (1Ki_15:16-22).

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

29. when he reigned, that he smote] R.V. that as soon as he was king he smote. Being an usurper he would desire to make his power secure by removing at once everyone who might become a rival. This is expressed in the original, and the R.V. seems to bring it out fully. Thus God used the policy of Baasha to fulfil the prophecy against Jeroboam.

by his servant] The Hebrew says by the hand of his servant, and as this mode of expression is not uncommon in the Old Testament, the R.V. has given the full form. For the threat against Jeroboam and the reason, see 1Ki_14:9-11.

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.

Jeroboam. The author of schism is punished in his posterity. (Worthington) --- The body of Nadab was left unburied, chap. xiv. 11. (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).

Any that breathed, i.e. any of the males of that family. See Deu 20:16; Jos 10:40. According unto the saying of the Lord: so God overruled Baasha’s ambition and cruelty, to fulfil his own counsel and prediction.

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

29. He smote all the house of Jeroboam — Thus signally fulfilling the prophecy of Ahijah. 1Ki_14:10-14. But this slaughter was not, on the part of Baasha, a design or desire to fulfil the word of the Lord; it was his policy, and the bloody policy of most ancient sovereigns and of all usurpers, to rid themselves of every heir or claimant of the usurped possession.

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

And it cams to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed Same expression in Jos_11:14; cf. Deu_20:16. Males and females alike were destroyed; (see 1Ki_14:11) until he had destroyed him according unto the saying of the Lord, which he spake by his servant AhiJah the Shilonite 1Ki_14:10. It is not implied that it was because of this prophecy that Baasha exterminated the house of Jeroboam. It is probable that, so far from setting himself to fulfil it, he knew nothing about it, and, as he thought, merely took effectual measures for his own security. His seat could never be safe, so long as one of Jeroboam"s house survived. Grotius aptly cites, with reference to these wholesale murders, the saying, orav pate kteinav uiJoulipe:

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

Any - Any of the males of that family. According, &c. - So God overruled Baasha's ambition and cruelty, to fulfil his own prediction.

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

Baasha killed all the family of Jeroboam. He left none of Jeroboam's descendants breathing.

These two sentences mean the same thing and are combined to emphasize his descendents were all killed. (See: Parallelism)

all the family of Jeroboam

Jeroboam was King Nadab's father.

He left none of Jeroboam's descendants breathing

Breathing represents being alive. AT: "He left none of Jeroboam's descendants living" (See: Metonymy)

his royal line

"Jeroboam's royal line"

just as Yahweh had spoken by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite

In 1 Kings 14:10-11 Yahweh spoke through his prophet Ahijah and told Jeroboam that he would destroy his family.

Ahijah the Shilonite

"Ahijah, who was from Shiloh"

for the sins of Jeroboam which he committed and by which he led Israel to sin

The abstract noun "sins" can be expressed with the verb "sin." AT: "because Jeroboam sinned and led Israel to sin in the same ways" (See: Abstract Nouns)

by which he led Israel to sin

Leading people to do something represents influencing them to do something. AT: "by which he influenced Israel to sin" (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

descend

royal

servant

Ahijah

God

Israel

anger

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