1 Kings 15:4

1Ki 15:4 Nevertheless for David’s sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem:

Ver. 4. Did the Lord his God give him a lamp.] That is, A royal glory in a successor.

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 15:4. And the Lord gave him a lamp — A son and successor, to perpetuate his name and memory, which otherwise had gone into obscurity. Jerusalem — That he might maintain that city, and temple, and worship, as a witness for himself in the world, against the Israelites and heathen world.

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

Meaning, a son to reign over Judah.

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

for David's sake did the Lord his God give him a lamp--"A lamp" in one's house is an Oriental phrase for continuance of family name and prosperity. Abijam was not rejected only in consequence of the divine promise to David (see on 1Ki. 11:13-36).

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 4. The Lord - give him a lamp] That is, a son to succeed him; see 1Kg 11:36.

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

(4) Give him a lamp in Jerusalem.—There is here a brief allusion to the victory recorded in the Chronicles, which obviously was the turning-point in the struggle, saving the “lamp” of the house of David from extinction, and “establishing” Jerusalem in security. “For David’s sake” is, of course, for the fulfilment of the promise to David (2Sa_7:12-16). In virtue of the continuity of human history, the Divine law always ordains that, in respect of consequences, the good deeds as well as the sins of fathers are “visited on their children.”

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

4. a lamp] Cf. above on 1Ki_11:36. The LXX. gives κατάλειμμα here = a remnant, thus expressing the sense of the original, instead of translating. Similarly in 1Ki_11:36 the rendering is θέσις = a position.

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.

Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord,.... With respect to worship: and turned not aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life; especially in matters of religion, nor even in his moral walk and conversation, deliberately, studiously, and with design:

save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite; the killing of him, and other sins which led on to it, and were in connection with it; Abarbinel thinks, because the affair of Bathsheba is not mentioned, that was not reckoned to David as a sin; but no doubt it was, and is included here.

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

To set up his son - The idolatry of Abijam deserved the same punishment as that of Jeroboam 1Ki 14:10-14, of Baasha 1Ki 16:2-4, or of Zimri 1Ki 16:19, the cutting off of his seed, and the transfer of the crown to another family. That these consequences did not follow in the kingdom of Judah, was owing to the “faithfulness” of David (see the marginal reference), which brought a blessing on his posterity. Few things are more remarkable and more difficult to account for on mere grounds of human reason, than the stability of the succession in Judah, and its excessive instability in the sister kingdom. One family in Judah holds the throne from first to last, during a space but little short of four centuries, while in Israel there are nine changes of dynasty within two hundred and fifty years.

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

Lamp, son; (chap. xi. 36.) though he deserved to have his family exterminated. (Calmet) --- He is preserved for his father’s sake. (Worthington)

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).

A lamp, i.e. a son and successor to perpetuate his name and memory, which otherwise had gone into obscurity. The same phrase is used above, 1Ki 11:36; 2Ki 8:19; 2Ch 21:7.

To establish Jerusalem, i.e. that he might maintain that city, and temple, and worship, as a witness for God in the world against the Israelites and heathen world, who should have inquired after it, and embraced the true religion there established and set up, as a beacon upon a high hill, that all men might take notice of it.

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

4. A lamp in Jerusalem — A light sacredly preserved in the person of the successive kings of Jerusalem to attract the gaze of men, and shine out a constant evidence of the promise to David, and a standing prophecy of the coming Messiah, the light of the world. See note on 1Ki_11:36.

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

Nevertheless yKi but, sed, sondern, Gesen. 393 for David"s sake did the Lord his God give him a lamp Better than margin, candle. The word is "always used figuratively of progeny." (See note on 1Ki_2:26; 2Sa_21:17; Job_18:5, Job_18:6; Psa_132:17) in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem But for David"s piety, that is to say, his family would have been dethroned, if not destroyed, as was that of Jeroboam, (1Ki_14:10) of Baasha, (1Ki_16:2) of Ahab, (2Ki_10:11) etc. Abijah was the third prince of that line who had permitted idolatrous worship, so that that dynasty had richly deserved to forfeit its position. The stability of the family of David on the throne for nearly 400 years, amid all the changes and chances of that period, and whilst in Israel there were "nine changes of dynasty within 250 years" is, as Rawlinson remarks, very "difficult to account for on mere grounds of human reason":

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

A lamp - A son and successor to perpetuate his name and memory, which otherwise had gone into obscurity. Jerusalem - That he might maintain that city, and temple, and worship, as a witness for God, in the world, against the Israelites and heathen world.

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

gave him a lamp in Jerusalem

The word "lamp" here represents a descendant who would be king as David was. AT: "gave David a descendant to rule in Jerusalem" (See: Metaphor)

by raising up his son after him

"by raising up Abijah's son after him" or "by giving Abijah a son"

what was right in his eyes

The eyes here represent seeing, and seeing represents thoughts or judgment. AT: "what Yahweh judges to be right" or "what Yahweh considers to be right" (See:Metaphor)

for all the days of his life

"the whole time that David lived" or "throughout David's whole life"

he had not turned away from anything that he commanded him

Turning away from a command represents disobeying it. AT: "David did not disobey anything that God commanded him" (See: Metaphor)

except only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite

This is a general way to refer to the situation with Uriah. It can be stated more clearly what this matter was. AT: "except for what he did to Uriah the Hittite" or "except when he caused Uriah the Hittite to be killed" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

between Rehoboam and Jeroboam

These kings represent themselves and their armies. Rehoboam was Abijah's father. AT: "between the armies of Rehoboam and Jeroboam" (See: Synecdoche)

all the days of Abijah's life

"the whole time that Abijah lived"

translationWords

lamp

raise

life

turn

command

Uriah

Hittite

Rehoboam

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