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In this chapter we have an abstract of the history, I. Of two of the kings of Judah, Abijam, the days of whose reign were few and evil (1Ki 15:1-8), and Asa, who reigned well and long, 1Ki 15:9-24. II. Of two of the kings of Israel, Nadab the son of Jeroboam, and Baasha the destroyer of Jeroboam's house, 1Ki 15:25-34.
1-8
Abijam's Reign (958 BC)
繁體中文
亞比央的作王（主前958年）
¹ 尼八的兒子耶羅波安王第十八年，亞比央登基作猶大王。
² 他在耶路撒冷作王三年。他母親名叫瑪迦，是押沙龍的女兒。
³ 他在一切事上效法他父親所行的惡；他的心不像他祖大衛那樣，誠誠實實地順服耶和華他的神。
⁴ 然而耶和華他的神因大衛的緣故，仍使他在耶路撒冷有燈光，叫他的兒子接續他作王，並堅立耶路撒冷；
⁵ 因為大衛除了赫人烏利亞那件事，行耶和華眼中看為正的事，一生不偏離耶和華所吩咐他的一切。
⁶ 羅波安在世的日子，與耶羅波安之間常有爭戰。
⁷ 亞比央其餘的事，凡他所行的，豈不都寫在猶大列王記上嗎？亞比央和耶羅波安之間常有爭戰。
⁸ 亞比央與他列祖同睡，葬在大衛城裏；他兒子亞撒接續他作王。
此處我們看到猶大王羅波安的兒子亞比央短暫作王的簡略記載。他在代下十三1-22顯得更為出色——那裏記載了他與耶羅波安的戰爭、在兩軍交戰前所作的演說，並藉著神的幫助所得著的奇妙勝利。在那裏他被稱為「亞比雅」——意即「耶和華是我的父」——因為那裏沒有控告他有任何邪惡。但此處我們被告知他的過失，「雅」（神的名）便從他的名字中被取去，以示不齒，他便被稱為「亞比央」。參耶二十二24。
一、關於他，僅有少數細節被記述。1. 他在耶羅波安第十八年初登基；因為羅波安只作了十七年王（王上十四21）。耶羅波安雖然比羅波安活得久，但羅波安的亞比雅活著接續他，並成為耶羅波安的恐怖；而耶羅波安的亞比雅（我們在王上十四1所讀到的那個）卻死在他以前。2. 他作王不到三年，因為他在耶羅波安第二十年結束之前便死了（王上十五9）。他因戰勝耶羅波安的大捷（代下十三21）而驕傲自恃，神便把他剪除，為他兒子亞撒——一個更好的人——讓路。3. 「他母親名叫瑪迦，是押沙龍的女兒」——就是大衛的兒子押沙龍；我寧願這樣認為，因為羅波安另外兩個妻子也是他的近親（代下十一18）：一個是大衛兒子耶利摩的女兒，另一個是大衛哥哥以利押的女兒。他從父親得了教訓，不娶外邦女子；卻又以為娶自己的臣民有失身分，除非她們屬於王族。4. 他延續父親與耶羅波安的戰爭。正如羅波安與耶羅波安之間常有爭戰——不是正式的會戰（這是被禁止的，王上十二24），而是頻繁的衝突，特別在邊境，互相侵犯報復；亞比央與耶羅波安之間也是如此（王上十五7），直到耶羅波安率大軍侵犯他，那時亞比央既未被禁止自衛，便擊潰了他、削弱了他，使他被迫在亞比央其餘的日子裏安靜下來（代下十三20）。
二、但總的來說，我們被告知：1. 他不像大衛，對神的典章沒有真誠的愛；雖然為著對付耶羅波安的目的，他自誇擁有聖殿和祭司職任，並以此為他自傲的根據（代下十三10-12）。許多人以敬虔的表白自誇，卻是敬虔能力的門外漢；以自己宗教的真實性為理由，自己卻不真誠對待它。「他的心不像他祖大衛那樣，誠誠實實地順服耶和華他的神」。他似乎有熱心，卻缺乏真誠；他開頭相當不錯，後來卻退步了，「效法他父親所行的一切罪」——跟從了他的壞榜樣，雖然他曾見過其惡果。他一生在爭戰之中，本當有智慧與神和睦並保持和睦，不與神為敵，特別是他在與耶羅波安的戰爭中已經歷過神是何等好的朋友（代下十三18）。「以恩惠待惡人，他仍不學公義」（賽二十六10）。2. 然而正是為大衛的緣故，他被高舉，並繼續在寶座上；「為他的緣故」（王上十五4、5），神如此「叫他的兒子接續他作王」——不是為他自己的緣故，也不是為他所效法的父親的緣故，而是「為大衛的緣故」——他所不願效法的大衛。請注意：這加重了墮落後裔的罪——他們因祖先的敬虔而得好處，又因之得福，卻不肯效法。他們站在那根基上，卻輕看它、踐踏它，並且不合理地嘲弄、反對那使他們得享利益的事。猶大國得以維持：（1）為使大衛有燈光，照著神所定的「為他的受膏者預備燈光」（詩一三二17）。（2）為使耶路撒冷得以堅立——不僅使大衛和所羅門時代加在它身上的尊榮得以保留，更使它被保留到日後為它所定的尊榮。此處所給大衛的品格極高——「他行耶和華眼中看為正的事」；但那例外也十分值得留意——「除了赫人烏利亞那件事」，包括了謀害烏利亞和玷污他的妻子。那是一件惡事；是他名字上一個未抹去的污點，是他盾牌上的一道缺痕，其羞辱雖然得了潔淨，罪債也蒙了赦免，卻仍未被抹去。大衛犯了別的過失，但與此相比便算不得甚麼；然而連這件事既已悔改，雖然為警告別人而提及，卻不能把他從約中趕出去，也不能切斷應許在他後裔身上的繼承。
英文原文
Abijam's Reign (958 BC)
¹ Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah.
² Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
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.
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:
⁵ Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
⁶ And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.
⁷ Now the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.
⁸ And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.
We have here a short account of the short reign of Abijam the son of Rehoboam king of Judah. He makes a better figure, 2Ch 13:1-22, where we have an account of his war with Jeroboam, the speech which he made before the armies engaged, and the wonderful victory he obtained by the help of God. There he is called Abijah—My father is the Lord, because no wickedness is there laid to his charge. But here, where we are told of his faults, Jah, the name of God, is, in disgrace to him, taken away from his name, and he is called Abijam. See Jer 22:24.
I. Few particulars are related concerning him. 1. Here began his reign in the beginning of Jeroboam's eighteenth year; for Rehoboam reigned but seventeen, 1Ki 14:21. Jeroboam indeed survived Rehoboam, but Rehoboam's Abijah lived to succeed him and to be a terror to Jeroboam, while Jeroboam's Abijah (whom we read of 1Ki 14:1) died before him. 2. He reigned scarcely three years, for he died before the end of Jeroboam's twentieth year, 1Ki 15:9. Being made proud and secure by his great victory over Jeroboam (2Ch 13:21), God cut him off, to make way for his son Asa, who would be a better man. 3. His mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom, that is, Absalom, David's son, as I am the rather inclined to think because two other of Rehoboam's wives were his near relations (2Ch 11:18), one the daughter of Jerimoth, David's son, and another the daughter of Eliab, David's brother. He took warning by his father not to marry strangers; yet thought it below him to marry his subjects, except they were of the royal family. 4. He carried on his father's wars with Jeroboam. As there was continual war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam, not set battles (these were forbidden, 1Ki 12:24), but frequent encounters, especially upon the borders, one making incursions and reprisals on the other, so there was between Abijam and Jeroboam (1Ki 15:7), till Jeroboam, with a great army, invaded him, and then Abijam, not being forbidden to act in his own defence, routed him, and weakened him, so that he compelled him to be quiet during the rest of his reign, 2Ch 13:20.
II. But, in general, we are told, 1. That he was not like David, had no hearty affection for the ordinances of God, though, to serve his purpose against Jeroboam, he pleaded his possession of the temple and priesthood, as that upon which he valued himself, 2Ch 13:10-12. Many boast of their profession of godliness who are strangers to the power of it, and plead the truth of their religion who yet are not true to it. His heart was not perfect with the Lord his God. He seemed to have zeal, but he wanted sincerity; he began pretty well, but he fell off, and walked in all the sins of his father, followed his bad example, though he had seen the bad consequences of it. He that was all his days in war ought to have been so wise as to make and keep his peace with God, and not to make him his enemy, especially having found him so good a friend in his war with Jeroboam, 2Ch 13:18. Let favour be shown to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness, Isa 26:10. 2. That yet it was for David's sake that he was advanced, and continued upon the throne; it was for his sake (1Ki 15:4,5) that God thus set up his son after him; not for his own sake, nor for the sake of his father, in whose steps he trod, but for the sake of David, whose example he would not follow. Note, It aggravates the sin of a degenerate seed that they fare the better for the piety of their ancestors and owe their blessings to it, and yet will not imitate it. They stand upon that ground, and yet despise it, and trample upon it, and unreasonably ridicule and oppose that which they enjoy the benefit of. The kingdom of Judah was supported, (1.) That David might have a lamp, pursuant to the divine ordination of a lamp for his anointed, Ps 132:17. (2.) That Jerusalem might be established, not only that the honours put upon it in David's and Solomon's time might be preserved to it, but that it might be reserved to the honours designed for it in after-times. The character here given of David is very great—that he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord; but the exception is very remarkable—save only in the matter of Uriah, including both his murder and the debauching of his wife. That was a bad matter; it was a remaining blot upon his name, a bar in his escutcheon, and the reproach of it was not wiped away, though the guilt was. David was guilty of other faults, but they were nothing in comparison of that; yet even that being repented of, though it be mentioned for warning to others, did not prevail to throw him out of the covenant, nor to cut off the entail of the promise upon his seed.
9-24
Asa's Reign (914 BC)
繁體中文
亞撒的治期（主前914年）
⁹ 以色列王耶羅波安二十年，亞撒登基作猶大王， ¹⁰ 在耶路撒冷作王四十一年。他母親（原文作祖母）名叫瑪迦，是押沙龍的女兒。 ¹¹ 亞撒效法他祖大衛，行耶和華眼中看為正的事， ¹² 從國中除掉孌童，又除掉他列祖所造的一切偶像； ¹³ 並貶了他祖母瑪迦太后的位，因她造了可憎的木偶亞舍拉。亞撒砍下她的偶像，燒在汲淪溪邊。 ¹⁴ 只是邱壇還沒有廢去。然而亞撒一生向耶和華存純全的心。 ¹⁵ 亞撒將他父親所分別為聖的物，和自己所分別為聖的金銀器皿，都奉到耶和華的殿裡。 ¹⁶ 亞撒和以色列王巴沙在世的日子，常常爭戰。 ¹⁷ 以色列王巴沙上來攻擊猶大，修築拉瑪，不容人從猶大王亞撒那裡出入。 ¹⁸ 於是亞撒將耶和華殿裡和王宮府庫裡所剩下的金銀，都交在他臣僕手中。亞撒王打發他們往大馬色去，見亞蘭王希旬的兒子、他伯利們的兒子便哈達，說： ¹⁹ 「你父與我父之間原有盟約；如今我送你金銀為禮物；求你廢掉你與以色列王巴沙的盟約，使他離開我。」 ²⁰ 便哈達聽從了亞撒王的話，就派軍長去攻擊以色列的城邑。他們就攻破以雲、但、亞伯伯瑪迦、基尼烈全境，以及拿弗他利全地。 ²¹ 巴沙聽見這事，就停止修築拉瑪，仍住在得撒。 ²² 於是亞撒王宣告猶大眾人，一個也不豁免；他們就將巴沙修築拉瑪所用的石頭、木頭都運走；亞撒王用以建造便雅憫的迦巴和米斯巴。 ²³ 亞撒其餘的事蹟，凡他所行的，和他的勇力，並他所建造的城邑，豈不都寫在猶大列王記上嗎？只是他年老的時候，腳上有病。 ²⁴ 亞撒與他列祖同睡，葬在他列祖的墳墓裡，在他祖大衛城裡。他兒子約沙法接續他作王。
本章是亞撒作王的簡短記述；我們將在代下十四1–十六14看到更詳盡的歷史。此處有，
一、他在位的長度：「他在耶路撒冷作王四十一年」（王上十五10）。在我們對猶大列王的記述中，我們看到好王和壞王的人數幾乎相等；但我們可以留意，作為安慰：好王的在位年數通常很長，壞王的則很短；想到這一點，便可使那時期神教會的光景不至看起來像初看時那樣壞。長壽在智慧的右手之中。「當孝敬父母」—更何況你的天父—「使你的日子得以長久」。
二、他在位時的良好總評（王上十五11）：「亞撒行耶和華眼中看為正的事」；在神眼中看為正的，才是真正的正；祂所稱許的，才是蒙悅納的。「他效法他祖大衛」，緊緊跟從神和祂所設立的敬拜，對此存心誠懇、熱心；這使他得了這榮譽的稱號—他像大衛，雖然他不像大衛那樣是先知或詩人。我們若能達到前人恩典的程度，雖在恩賜上不及他們，這在神面前便是我們的讚美。亞撒雖然不是那樣的征服者，也不是那樣的作者，卻像大衛；因為「他一生向耶和華存純全的心」（王上十五14），就是說，他在信仰上既誠懇又恆久。他為神所作的，都是出於真誠，穩定而一致，是出於良好的原則，單單仰望神的榮耀。
三、亞撒敬虔的具體實例。他的時代是改革的時代。因為，
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他除掉那邪惡的。改革從此開始；他的手發現這方面有許多工可作。因為他登基之時，距所羅門去世不過二十年，極其粗鄙的敗壞卻已蔓延廣遠、根深蒂固。他首先打擊不道德的事：「他從國中除掉孌童」，關閉了妓館；因為這些不潔污穢之鳥的囚籠—比瘟疫之家更危險—若被容許存留，君王和百姓怎能亨通？然後他著手對付偶像崇拜：「他除掉一切偶像」，甚至「他父親所造的」（王上十五12）。他父親既造了這些，他便更有責任除掉它們，好切斷咒詛的延續，防止那罪孽追討到他和他後裔身上。不僅如此（這大大增添他的尊榮，表明他的心向神是純全的）：當他在宮廷中發現偶像崇拜之時，他便從那裡連根拔除（王上十五13）。當查明他的母親（原文作祖母）瑪迦—但稱為他的「母親」，因為她在他幼年時負責教育他—在木偶中有一個偶像之時，雖然她是他的母親、他的祖母—雖然她很可能對這偶像特別鍾愛—雖然她已年老，不能長久庇護它—雖然她不過留為己用，他卻決不姑息她的偶像崇拜。改革必須從家中開始。宮廷中所支持的惡習，在國中決不能被壓制。亞撒在別的一切事上都尊榮和敬重他的母親；他愛她，但他更愛神，並且（像那利未人，申三十三9）當親情與他的本分相爭之時，他情願忘記這層關係。她若是拜偶像的人，（1）她的偶像必被毀壞，公開受辱，被褻瀆，被焚燒成灰，倒在「汲淪溪邊」—他或許在那裡將灰撒散，效法摩西（出三十二20），表明他對偶像崇拜的憎惡，以及他對此在何處發現都心生義憤。宮廷偶像的任何殘餘都不可存留。（2）她必被廢黜：「他貶了她太后的位」，或說使她與王后隔絕；他將她逐出宮廷，使她度過隱蔽而私人的生活。掌權的人若有心善用權柄，便是幸福。
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他重新建立那良善的（王上十五15）：他「將他父親所分別為聖的物，和自己所分別為聖的金銀器皿，都奉到耶和華的殿裡」—他自己從他所征服的古實人所得的擄物中許願獻上的，以及他父親所許願卻生前未能奉入的。我們不僅當止息作惡，更要學習行善；不僅當丟棄我們罪中的偶像，更要將我們自己和我們一切所有獻給神為聖，歸榮耀與祂。那些在嬰孩時期藉洗禮獻歸神的人，當自己決心歸向祂，並奮力事奉祂之時，便是奉入他們和他們列祖所獻為聖的物：這是當盡的本分—將神所當得的歸給祂。
四、他在位時的施政方針。他自己建造城邑，以鼓勵百姓增多（王上十五23），又以居住的便利吸引別人歸向他；他又極力阻止巴沙建造拉瑪，因為巴沙定意藉此切斷他的百姓與耶路撒冷之間的交通，並攔阻那些願意順服神而來敬拜的人。決不容讓敵人在邊境城邑築壘。
五、他在位時的過失。在他受稱讚的兩件事上，他都有缺欠。再美的品格也少不了一個「但是」。1. 他除掉了偶像嗎？那是好的；「只是邱壇還沒有廢去」（王上十五14）；在這事上他的改革有所不足。他除掉了一切與真神爭競、或對神有錯誤描繪的形象；但那些設在邱壇上、本當獻在聖殿壇上的祭物被帶到那裡的祭壇，他卻任憑它們存留，以為它們害處不大—因為在聖殿建成之前，好人也曾使用它們；又不願得罪百姓，百姓對它們因習慣和方便而依戀；然而在猶大和便雅憫—亞撒所治理的惟一支派，他們離耶路撒冷和那裡的祭壇如此之近—保留邱壇的藉口，比那些住在遠方的支派更少。它們違背律法，因律法要求他們「在一處」敬拜（申十二11）。它們使人對聖殿和那裡的祭壇少了尊重，又為偶像崇拜開了一個大門，任憑百姓如此沉迷於其中。亞撒既已動手，卻不除掉這些，實在不好。「然而他一生向耶和華存純全的心。」這給我們一個安慰的教訓：有些人雖然在某些方面沒有達到他們所能、所當行的善，卻可能在神面前被看為誠實正直，並蒙悅納。新約之所以以純全為不可或缺的條件，不是指無罪（若是如此，我們便全都滅亡了），而是指真誠。2. 他奉入了所獻為聖的物嗎？那是好的；但他後來卻將所獻為聖的物挪用，從神的殿中取出金銀，當作賄賂送給便哈達，雇他撕毀與巴沙的盟約，並藉著侵犯巴沙的國境，使他從建造拉瑪的事上分心（王上十五18–19）。他在此犯罪：（1）引誘便哈達背約，如此破壞了公共的信義。便哈達如此行若是錯的（無疑是錯的），亞撒勸誘他如此行也是錯的。（2）他不能信靠那為他行了大事的神，不倚靠神救他脫離這困境，而要使用這等曲折的方法自救。（3）從聖殿的庫中取出金子，那本是只在特殊場合方可使用的。這計謀成功了。便哈達攻入以色列地，迫使巴沙率全軍從拉瑪撤退（王上十五20–21），這給亞撒一個好機會拆毀他在那裡的工程，那些木石也供他建造自己的幾座城邑（王上十五22）。然而，雖然這計謀亨通，我們卻發現它不討神的喜悅；亞撒雖然以自己的策略自負，並以為這計謀必能有效保障他的平安，先知卻告訴他，他行事愚昧，「此後他必有爭戰之事」；見代下十六7–9。
六、他在位時的艱難。他大體上是亨通的；但：1. 以色列王巴沙是個極其麻煩的鄰舍。他作王二十四年，在世的日子與亞撒或多或少常常爭戰（王上十五16）。這是王國分裂的結果：兩國彼此不斷困擾，互相削弱，使自己都更容易成為共同仇敵的獵物。2. 他年老之時自己患了痛風：他「腳上有病」，使他更不適合辦事，也使他對身邊的人暴躁易怒。
七、他在位的結束。他在位的事蹟在普通歷史中（此處也提到，王上十五23）比在這神聖的歷史中記載得更詳盡。他作王年日長久，最後卻光榮地結束，將寶座留給了一位毫不遜色於他的繼承人。
英文原文
Asa's Reign (914 BC)
⁹ And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah.
¹⁰ And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
¹¹ And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father.
¹² And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
¹³ And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.
¹⁴ But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.
¹⁵ And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which himself had dedicated, into the house of the LORD, silver, and gold, and vessels.
¹⁶ And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
¹⁷ And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
¹⁸ Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants: and king Asa sent them to Benhadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,
¹⁹ There is a league between me and thee, and between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold; come and break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.
²⁰ So Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of the hosts which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-beth-maachah, and all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.
²¹ And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off building of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah.
²² Then king Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was exempted: and they took away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; and king Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.
²³ The rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? Nevertheless in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet.
²⁴ And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead.
We have here a short account of the reign of Asa; we shall find a more copious history of it 2Ch 14:1-16:14 Here is,
I. The length of it: He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem, 1Ki 15:10. In the account we have of the kings of Judah we find the number of the good kings and the bad ones nearly equal; but then we may observe, to our comfort, that the reign of the good kings was generally long, but that of the bad kings short, the consideration of which will make the state of God's church not altogether so bad within that period as it appears at first sight. Length of days is in Wisdom's right hand. Honour thy father, much more thy heavenly Father, that thy days may be long.
II. The general good character of it (1Ki 15:11): Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, and that is right indeed which is so in God's eyes; those are approved whom he commends. He did as did David his father, kept close to God, and to his instituted worship, was hearty and zealous for that, which gave him this honourable character, that he was like David, though he was not a prophet, or psalmist, as David was. If we come up to the graces of those that have gone before us it will be our praise with God, though we come short of their gifts. Asa was like David, though he was neither such a conqueror nor such an author; for his heart was perfect with the Lord all his days (1Ki 15:14), that is, he was both cordial and constant in his religion. What he did for God he was sincere in, steady and uniform, and did it from a good principle, with a single eye to the glory of God.
III. The particular instances of Asa's piety. His times were times of reformation. For,
1. He removed that which was evil. There reformation begins; and a great deal of work of that kind his hand found to do. For, though it was but twenty years after the death of Solomon that he began to reign, yet very gross corruption had spread far and taken deep root. Immorality he first struck at: He took away the sodomites out of the land, suppressed the brothels; for how can either prince or people prosper while those cages of unclean and filthy birds, more dangerous than pest-houses, are suffered to remain? Then he proceeded against idolatry: He removed all the idols, even those that his father had made, 1Ki 15:12. His father having made them, he was the more concerned to remove them, that he might cut off the entail of the curse, and prevent the visiting of that iniquity upon him and his. Nay (which redounds much to his honour, and shows his heart was perfect with God), when he found idolatry in the court, he rooted it out thence, 1Ki 15:13. When it appeared that Maachah his mother, or rather his grandmother (but called his mother because she had the educating of him in his childhood), had an idol in a grove, though she was his mother, his grandmother,—though, it is likely, she had a particular fondness for it,—though, being old, she could not live long to patronise it,—though she kept it for her own use only, yet he would by no means connive at her idolatry. Reformation must begin at home. Bad practices will never be suppressed in the country while they are supported in the court. Asa, in every thing else, will honour and respect his mother; he loves her well, but he loves God better, and (like the Levite, De 33:9) readily forgets the relation when it comes in competition with his duty. If she be an idolater, (1.) Her idol shall be destroyed, publicly exposed to contempt, defaced, and burnt to ashes by the brook Kidron, on which, it is probable, he strewed the ashes, in imitation of Moses (Ex 32:20) and in token of his detestation of idolatry and his indignation at it wherever he found it. Let no remains of a court-idol appear. (2.) She shall be deposed, He removed her from being queen, or from the queen, that is, from conversing with his wife; he banished her from the court, and confined her to an obscure and private life. Those that have power are happy when thus they have hearts to use it well.
2. He re-established that which was good (1Ki 15:15): He brought into the house of God the dedicated things which he himself had vowed out of the spoils of the Ethiopians he had conquered, and which his father had vowed, but lived not to bring in pursuant to his vow. We must not only cease to do evil, but learn to do well, not only cast away the idols of our iniquity, but dedicate ourselves and our all to God's honour and glory. When those who, in their infancy, were by baptism devoted to God, make it their own act and deed to join themselves to him and vigorously employ themselves in his service, this is bringing in the dedicated things which they and their fathers have dedicated: it is necessary justice—rendering to God the things that are his.
VI. The policy of his reign. He built cities himself, to encourage the increase of his people (1Ki 15:23) and to invite others to him by the conveniences of habitation; and he was very zealous to hinder Baasha from building Ramah, because he designed it for the cutting off of communication between his people and Jerusalem and to hinder those who in obedience to God would come to worship there. An enemy must by no means be suffered to fortify a frontier town.
V. The faults of his reign. In both the things for which he was praised he was found defective. The fairest characters are not without some but or other in them. 1. Did he take away the idols? That was well; but the high places were not removed (1Ki 15:14); therein his reformation fell short. He removed all images which were rivals with the true God or false representations of him; but the altars which were set up in high places, and to which those sacrifices were brought which should have been offered on the altar in the temple, those he suffered to stand, thinking there was no great harm in them, they having been used by good men before the temple was built, and being loth to disoblige the people, who had a kindness to them and were wedded to them both by custom and convenience; whereas in Judah and Benjamin, the only tribes under Asa's government which lay so near Jerusalem and the altars there, there was less pretence for them than in those tribes which lay more remote. They were against the law, which obliged them to worship at one place, De 12:11. They lessened men's esteem of the temple and the altars there, and were an open gap for idolatry to enter in at, while the people were so much addicted to it. It was not well that Asa, when his hand was in, did not remove these. Nevertheless his heart was perfect with the Lord. This affords us a comfortable note, That those may be found honest and upright with God, and be accepted of him, who yet, in some instances, come short of doing the good they might and should do. The perfection which is made the indispensable condition of the new covenant is not to be understood of sinlessness (then we were all undone), but sincerity. 2. Did he bring in the dedicated things? That was well; but he afterwards alienated the dedicated things, when he took the gold and silver out of the house of God and sent them as a bribe to Benhadad, to hire him to break his league with Baasha, and, by making an inroad upon his country, to give him a diversion from the building of Ramah, 1Ki 15:18,19. Here he sinned, (1.) In tempting Benhadad to break his league, and so to violate the public faith. If he did wrong in doing it, as certainly he did, Asa did wrong in persuading him to do it. (2.) In that he could not trust God, who had done so much for him, to free him out of this strait, without using such indirect means to help himself. (3.) In taking the gold out of the treasury of the temple, which was not to be made use of but on extraordinary occasions. The project succeeded. Benhadad made a descent upon the land of Israel, which obliged Baasha to retire with his whole force from Ramah (1Ki 15:20,21), which gave Asa a fair opportunity to demolish his works there, and the timber and stones served him for the building of some cities of his own, 1Ki 15:22. But, though the design prospered, we find it was displeasing to God; and though Asa valued himself upon the policy of it, and promised himself that it would effectually secure his peace, he was told by the prophet that he had done foolishly, and that thenceforth he should have wars; see 2Ch 16:7-9.
VI. The troubles of his reign. For the most part he prospered; but, 1. Baasha king of Israel was a very troublesome neighbour to him. He reigned twenty-four years, and all his days had war, more or less, with Asa, 1Ki 15:16. This was the effect of the division of the kingdoms, that they were continually vexing one another, and so weakened one another, which made them both an easier prey to the common enemy. 2. In his old age he was himself afflicted with the gout: He was diseased in his feet, which made him less fit for business and peevish towards those about him.
VII. The conclusion of his reign. The acts of it were more largely recorded in the common history (to which reference is here had, 1Ki 15:23) than in this sacred one. He reigned long, but finished at last with honour, and left his throne to a successor no way inferior to him.
25-34
The Reign of Nadab and Baasha (954 BC)
繁體中文
拿答與巴沙的治期（主前954年）
²⁵ 猶大王亞撒第二年，耶羅波安的兒子拿答登基作以色列王，作王二年。 ²⁶ 拿答行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，行他父親所行的道，犯他父親使以色列人陷在罪裡的那罪。 ²⁷ 以薩迦人亞希雅的兒子巴沙背叛他，在非利士人的基比頓擊殺他；因拿答和以色列眾人正圍攻基比頓。 ²⁸ 猶大王亞撒第三年，巴沙殺了他，篡了他的位。 ²⁹ 巴沙一作王，就殺了耶羅波安的全家；凡有氣息的，沒有留下一個，都滅盡了，正應驗耶和華藉他僕人示羅人亞希雅所說的話。 ³⁰ 這是因耶羅波安所犯使以色列人陷在罪裡的罪，惹耶和華以色列的神發怒。 ³¹ 拿答其餘的事，凡他所行的，豈不都寫在以色列諸王記上嗎？ ³² 亞撒和以色列王巴沙在世的日子，常常爭戰。 ³³ 猶大王亞撒第三年，亞希雅的兒子巴沙在得撒登基，作以色列眾人的王，共二十四年。 ³⁴ 他行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，行耶羅波安所行的道，犯他使以色列人陷在罪裡的那罪。
我們如今要看看以色列在猶大因亞撒善政而得福之時的悲慘光景。經上曾預告他們必如「水中搖動的蘆葦」（王上十四15），如今果然如此；因為在亞撒一人在位期間，以色列國的政權竟先後落在六七個不同的人手中，正如我們在本章和下一章所見。亞撒在位之初，耶羅波安坐在寶座上；亞撒在位之末，亞哈坐在寶座上；二者之間有拿答、巴沙、以拉、心利、提比尼、暗利，彼此傾覆消滅。這是他們離棄神的家和大衛家的下場。本章記述：1. 耶羅波安家族的傾覆和被除滅，正如耶和華藉亞希雅所說的話。他兒子拿答接續他。若他兄弟亞比雅的死對他有正當的影響，使他成為敬虔之人，並且在他死時所行的尊榮促使他效法他的好榜樣，他的在位本可長久而輝煌；但他「行他父親所行的道」（王上十五26），維持了他牛犢的敬拜，禁止百姓上耶路撒冷去敬拜，「犯罪，又使以色列人犯罪」；因此神很快將毀滅臨到他，在他作王第二年。他當時正圍攻基比頓—一座非利士人從但人手中奪去的城—企圖收復它；就在那裡，在他的軍隊之中，巴沙與其他人陰謀背叛他，將他殺了（王上十五27）；他在百姓的愛戴上如此無份，以致他的軍隊不僅不為他報仇，反倒揀選了他的兇手作他的繼承人。巴沙如此行，是出於對拿答個人的私怨，還是為耶羅波安家所加的某種侮辱報仇，或是假意要將國家從暴君的手中解救出來，還是純粹出於野心、為自己登上寶座開路，並未說明；但他「殺了他」，「篡了他的位」（王上十五28）。他登基之後所作的第一件事，就是「剪除耶羅波安全家」，好更穩固自己和自己的篡位政權。他以為囚禁或放逐他們還不夠，竟將他們盡行除滅，不僅不留一個男丁（如所預言的，王上十四10），更不留一個有氣息的。在此他是殘忍的，但神是公義的。耶羅波安的罪受了刑罰（王上十五30）；因為惹動神的人，乃是「自取混亂」；見耶七19。亞希雅的預言應驗了（王上十五29）；因為神的話一句也不落空。神的威嚇不是虛言。2. 巴沙的高升。他要像耶羅波安一樣暫受試驗。他作王二十四年（王上十五33），卻表明他毀滅耶羅波安家，並非因為不喜歡耶羅波安的罪，而是出於惡意和野心；因為當他除掉了犯罪的人之後，自己卻仍依附那罪，「行耶羅波安所行的道」（王上十五34），雖然他已看見那條路的結局；如此他的心被罪的欺瞞所硬化，實在令人驚奇。
英文原文
The Reign of Nadab and Baasha (954 BC)
²⁵ And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel two years.
²⁶ And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.
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.
²⁸ Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did Baasha slay him, and reigned in his stead.
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:
³⁰ Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.
³¹ Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
³² And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
³³ In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, twenty and four years.
³⁴ And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.
We are now to take a view of the miserable state of Israel, while the kingdom of Judah was happy under Asa's good government. It was threatened that they should be as a reed shaken in the water (1Ki 14:15), and so they were, when, during the single reign of Asa, the government of their kingdom was in six or seven different hands, as we find in this and the following chapter. Jeroboam was upon the throne in the beginning of his reign and Ahab at the end of it, and between them were Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Tibni, and Omri, undermining and destroying one another. This they got by deserting the house both of God and of David. Here we have, 1. The ruin and extirpation of the family of Jeroboam, according to the word of the Lord by Ahijah. His son Nadab succeeded him. If the death of his brother Abijah had had a due influence upon him to make him religious, and the honour done him at his death had engaged him to follow his good example, his reign might have been long and glorious; but he walked in the way of his father (1Ki 15:26), kept up the worship of his calves, and forbade his subjects to go up to Jerusalem to worship, sinned and made Israel to sin, and therefore God brought ruin upon him quickly, in the second year of his reign. He was besieging Gibbethon, a city which the Philistines had taken from the Danites, and was endeavouring to re-take it; and there, in the midst of his army, did Baasha, with others, conspire against him and kill him, (1Ki 15:27), and so little interest had he in the affections of his people that his army did not only not avenge his death, but chose his murderer for his successor. Whether Baasha did it upon a personal pique against Nadab, or to be avenged on the house of Jeroboam for some affront received from them, or whether under pretence of freeing his country from the tyranny of a bad prince, or whether merely from a principle of ambition, to make way for himself to the throne, does not appear; but he slew him and reigned in his stead, 1Ki 15:28. And the first thing he did when he came to the crown was to cut off all the house of Jeroboam, that he might the better secure himself and his own usurped government. He thought it not enough to imprison or banish them, but he destroyed them, left not only no males (as was foretold, 1Ki 14:10), but none that breathed. Herein he was barbarous, but God was righteous. Jeroboam's sin was punished (1Ki 15:30); for those that provoke God do it to their own confusion; see Jer 7:19. Ahijah's prophecy was accomplished (1Ki 15:29); for no word of God shall fall to the ground. Divine threatenings are not bugbears. 2. The elevation of Baasha. He shall be tried awhile, as Jeroboam was. Twenty-four years he reigned (1Ki 15:33), but showed that it was not from any dislike to Jeroboam's sin that he destroyed his family, but from malice and ambition; for, when he had rooted out the sinner, he himself clave to the sin, and walked in the way of Jeroboam (1Ki 15:34), though he had seen the end of that way; so strangely was his heart hardened with the deceitfulness of sin.
在本章我們看見兩方面歷史的摘要：I. 猶大的兩位君王——亞比央，他作王的日子少而多難（1Ki 15:1-8）；以及亞撒，他作王又善又久（1Ki 15:9-24）。II. 以色列的兩位君王——耶羅波安的兒子拿答，以及耶羅波安家族的毀滅者巴沙（1Ki 15:25-34）。