The Meaning of 1 Kings 15:27 Explained

1 Kings 15:27

KJV: 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.

YLT: And conspire against him doth Baasha son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, and Baasha smiteth him in Gibbethon, which is to the Philistines -- and Nadab and all Israel are laying siege against Gibbethon --

Darby: 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, when Nadab and all Israel were besieging Gibbethon.

ASV: 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 were laying siege to Gibbethon.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 1 Kings 15:27 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 15:16-34 - Warring Brethren
We obtain a fuller view of the events described in the earlier part of this passage by reference to 2 Chronicles 16:1-6. Asa's early piety, which shone out in his drastic purging of idolatry and the corruptions which sprang up like fungi on a damp soil, cannot be questioned. Strange that such a man, who, by faith in God, had driven back Zerah's formidable invasion, should in later years succumb to the craven methods of mere expediency in his conflict with Baasha.
This league with Ben-hadad arose from unbelief. Even true believers are sometimes hard pressed to maintain their integrity, because the trials of faith tend to increase. When Peter looked at the rising billows, his heart became troubled and he began to sink. To Asa's alliance with this heathen king may be traced the beginning of the downfall of both kingdoms-of the ten tribes and of Judah. Palestine was no longer a neutral state, but became involved in the political combinations of the time. Those that honor God are honored, 1 Samuel 2:30; those that put their trust elsewhere rue it all their days. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 15

1  Abijam's wicked reign
7  Asa succeeds him
9  Asa's good reign
16  The war between Baasha and him causes him to make a league with Ben-Hadad
23  Jehoshaphat succeeds Asa
25  Nadab's wicked reign
27  Baasha conspiring against him, executes Ahijah's prophecy
31  Nadab's acts and death
33  Baasha's wicked reign

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 15:27 mean?

And conspired against him Baasha son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar and killed him Baasha at Gibbethon which [belonged] to the Philistines and while Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon
וַיִּקְשֹׁ֨ר עָלָ֜יו בַּעְשָׁ֤א בֶן־ אֲחִיָּה֙ לְבֵ֣ית יִשָּׂשכָ֔ר וַיַּכֵּ֣הוּ בַעְשָׁ֔א בְּגִבְּת֖וֹן אֲשֶׁ֣ר לַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וְנָדָב֙ וְכָל־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל צָרִ֖ים עַֽל־ גִּבְּתֽוֹן

וַיִּקְשֹׁ֨ר  And  conspired 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָשַׁר  
Sense: to bind, tie, bind together, league together, conspire.
עָלָ֜יו  against  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
בַּעְשָׁ֤א  Baasha 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּעְשָׁא  
Sense: third king of the northern kingdom of Israel and the founder of its second dynasty having killed the second king, Nadab.
בֶן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אֲחִיָּה֙  of  Ahijah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲחִיָּה 
Sense: grandson of Phinehas.
לְבֵ֣ית  of  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יִשָּׂשכָ֔ר  of  Issachar 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשָּׂשׂכָר  
Sense: the 9th son of Jacob and the 5th by Leah his first wife and the progenitor of a tribe by his name.
וַיַּכֵּ֣הוּ  and  killed  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
בַעְשָׁ֔א  Baasha 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּעְשָׁא  
Sense: third king of the northern kingdom of Israel and the founder of its second dynasty having killed the second king, Nadab.
בְּגִבְּת֖וֹן  at  Gibbethon 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גִּבְּתֹון  
Sense: a Philistine town in Dan allocated to the Kohathite Levites.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  which  [belonged] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים  to  the  Philistines 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
וְנָדָב֙  and  while  Nadab 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָדָב  
Sense: eldest son of Aaron by Elisheba; struck dead before the sanctuary in the wilderness for kindling the censers with strange fire.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
צָרִ֖ים  laid  siege 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: צוּר 
Sense: to bind, besiege, confine, cramp.
גִּבְּתֽוֹן  Gibbethon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: גִּבְּתֹון  
Sense: a Philistine town in Dan allocated to the Kohathite Levites.