1 Kings 15:3

1Ki 15:3 And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.

Ver. 3. And he walked in all the sins.] Though at first he seemed to be somewhat good, {2Ch 13:12} yet soon after he showed himself in his colours.

Which he had done before him.] That is, In his sight, whereby he became an ill precedent 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.

15:3-5 Despite Abijam’s unfaithfulness, God remained faithful to his covenant with David (2 Sam 7:12-16; Ps 89:19-29) and preserved David’s line on Judah’s throne. Each king that followed David was to be a lamp, dispensing the light of God’s grace (1 Kgs 11:36).

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

his heart was not perfect with the Lord . . . , as the heart of David his father--(Compare Kg1 11:4; Kg1 14:22). He was not positively bad at first, for it appears that he had done something to restore the pillaged treasures of the temple (Kg1 15:15). This phrase contains a comparative reference to David's heart. His doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord (Kg1 15:5) is frequently used in speaking of the kings of Judah, and means only that they did or did not do that which, in the general course and tendency of their government, was acceptable to God. It furnishes no evidence as to the lawfulness or piety of one specific act.

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 3. His heart was not perfect] He was an idolater, or did not support the worship of the true God. This appears to be the general meaning of the heart not being perfect with God.

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

(3) Walked in all the sins of his father.—This adoption of the idolatries of Rehoboam did not prevent Abijam (see 2Ch_13:4-12) from representing himself as the champion of the Temple and the priesthood against the rival worship of Jeroboam, and dedicating treasures—perhaps the spoils of his victory—in the house of the Lord. From the qualified phrase “his heart was not perfect before God,” however, it may be inferred that, like Solomon and Rehoboam, he professed to worship Jehovah only as the supreme God of his Pantheon; and it is a curious irony of circumstance that he should be recorded as inveighing against the degradation of His worship in Israel, while he himself countenanced or connived at the worse sin of the worship of rival gods in Judah.

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

3. And he walked in all the sins of his father] The LXX. omits ‘all.’ For an account of the sins of Rehoboam see above 1Ki_14:22-24.

as the heart of David his father] The LXX. omits ‘David.’ The word ‘perfect’ as here applied to David, does not mean that he did not offend, but that he aimed at keeping the law of God, and was deeply penitent for his sin when he fell into it. It was this prompt repentance, and return to what was right, which made David to differ from most of the kings who came after him.

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.

Nevertheless, for David's sake did the Lord his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem,.... A kingdom there, as the Targum, splendid and glorious, to be continued in his posterity: to set up his son after him; in it:

and to establish Jerusalem: to continue that in which the temple was, for the sake of which, and the worship of God in it, there was a succession of David's posterity on the throne of Judah.

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

He walked in all the sins of his father - Yet Abijam prepared precious offerings for the temple service 1Ki 15:15, probably to replace vessels which Shishak had carried off, and in his war with Jeroboam professed himself a faithful servant of Yahweh 2Ch 13:10-12.

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

In all the sins of his father; which his father lived in; either, first, Before his humiliation. Or rather, secondly, After his deliverance from Shishak, when, though he did not openly renounce the worship of God, he seems to have relapsed into his former sins; which otherwise would not have been remembered against him; as David’s name and memory is never loaded with the shame of his sins, because he truly repented of them.

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

3. In all the sins of his father — The writer of Chronicles makes no mention of Abijah’s sins, though he dwells on other facts of his history in far greater detail than the writer of Kings.

Not perfect — See note at 1Ki_11:4.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — 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 sins, i.e. , from the theocratic standpoint. See 1Ki_14:22, 1Ki_14:25. It does not appear that either Abijah or Rehoboam was a vicious man, and from his pious language on Mount Zemaraim (2Ch_13:10-12) we should certainly have thought that Abijah was a god-fearing prince. But ver. 13 proves that he had sanctioned idolatry, and this was no doubt his principal sin, as the next words explain: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord and his God, as the heart of David his father the words used of Solomon. (1Ki_2:4)

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

Abijam walked as king in the footsteps of his father. Although he made presents to the temple (Kg1 15:15), his heart was not שׁלם, wholly or undividedly given to the Lord, like the heart of David (cf., Kg1 11:4); but (כּי, after a previous negative) for David's sake Jehovah had left him a light in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him and to let Jerusalem stand, because (אשׁר) David had done right in the eyes of God, etc., i.e., so that it was only for David's sake that Jehovah did not reject him, and allowed the throne to pass to his son. For the fact itself compare Kg1 11:13, Kg1 11:36; and for the words, "except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite," see 2 Sam 11 and 12.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)