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Amplified Bible

1 Kings 15:17

Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah [north of Jerusalem], in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Asa;   Baasha;   Israel, Prophecies Concerning;   Ramah;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Kings;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ramah;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Artaxerxes;   Baasha;   Ben-hadad;   Syria;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Rama;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Asa;   Baasha;   Fenced Cities;   Israel;   Kings, the Books of;   Rama;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Asa;   Ben-Hadad;   Damascus;   Kings, 1 and 2;   Ramah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ben-Hadad;   Damascus;   Ramah;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Baasha ;   Damascus;   Ramah ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Baasha;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Grecia;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Israel;   Kingdom of Judah;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Asa;   Criticism (the Graf-Wellhausen Hypothesis);   Judah, Territory of;   Ramah;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Alliances;   Asa;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Israel’s King Baasha went to war against Judah. He built Ramah in order to keep anyone from leaving or coming to King Asa of Judah.
Hebrew Names Version
Ba`sha king of Yisra'el went up against Yehudah, and built Ramah, that he might not allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa king of Yehudah.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
New Century Version
Baasha attacked Judah, and he made the town of Ramah strong so he could keep people from leaving or entering Judah, Asa's country.
New English Translation
King Baasha of Israel attacked Judah and established Ramah as a military outpost to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the land of King Asa of Judah.
New American Standard Bible
Baasha king of Israel marched against Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Baasha king of Israel went vp against Iudah, and buylt Ramah, so that he woulde let none go out or in to Asa King of Iudah.
Legacy Standard Bible
And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built up Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.
Contemporary English Version
One time, Baasha invaded Judah and captured the town of Ramah. He started making the town stronger, so he could put troops there to stop people from going in and out of Judah.
Complete Jewish Bible
Ba‘sha attacked Y'hudah, and he fortified Ramah to prevent anyone's leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Y'hudah.
Darby Translation
And Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, in order to let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
Easy-to-Read Version
Once Baasha attacked Judah and then built up the city of Ramah to keep Asa from leaving Judah on any kind of military campaign.
George Lamsa Translation
And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramtha, and did not permit any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
Good News Translation
Baasha invaded Judah and started to fortify Ramah in order to cut off all traffic in and out of Judah.
Lexham English Bible
Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and he built Ramah to hinder the coming and going of anyone to Asa king of Judah.
Literal Translation
And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, to keep anyone from going out and coming in to Asa the king of Judah.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Baesa the kynge of Israel wente vp agaynst Iuda, and buylded Rama, that no man shulde go out and in of Asas syde the kynge of Iuda.
American Standard Version
And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
Bible in Basic English
And Baasha, king of Israel, went up against Judah, building Ramah, so that no one was able to go out or in to Asa, king of Judah.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Baasa king of Israel went vp against Iuda, and built Rama, so that he woulde let none go out or in to Asa king of Iuda.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Baasa 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.
King James Version (1611)
And Baasha king of Israel went vp against Iudah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to goe out or come in to Asa king of Iudah.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Baasa king of Israel went up against Juda, and built Rama, so that no one should go out or come in for Asa king of Juda.
English Revised Version
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.
Berean Standard Bible
Baasha king of Israel went to war against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Baasa, kyng of Israel, stiede in to Juda, and bildide Rama, that no man of the part of Aza, kyng of Juda, myyte go out, ether go yn.
Young's Literal Translation
and Baasha king of Israel goeth up against Judah, and buildeth Ramah, not to permit any one going out and coming in to Asa king of Judah.
Update Bible Version
And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not allow any one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
World English Bible
Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
New King James Version
And Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
New Living Translation
King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from entering or leaving King Asa's territory in Judah.
New Life Bible
Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah. He built walls around Ramah to stop anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.
New Revised Standard
King Baasha of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to King Asa of Judah.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, - so as not to suffer any one to come out or go in unto Asa king of Judah.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Baasa, king of Israel, went up against Juda, and built Rama, that no man might go out or come in of the side of Asa, king of Juda.
Revised Standard Version
Ba'asha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.

Contextual Overview

9So in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign as king over Judah. 10He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His [great-grand]mother was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom (Absalom). 11Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did his father (forefather) David. 12He expelled the male cult prostitutes (sodomites) from the land and removed all the idols that his fathers [Solomon, Rehoboam, and Abijam] had made. 13He also deposed his [great-grand]mother Maacah from being queen mother, because she had made a horrid (obscene, vulgar) image for [the goddess] Asherah. Asa cut down her horrid image, and burned it by the Brook Kidron. 14But the high places [of idol worship] were not removed. Nevertheless, Asa's heart was entirely devoted to the LORD all his days. 15He brought the things which his father had dedicated and the things which he had dedicated into the house of the LORD—silver, gold, and utensils and accessories. 16Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. 17Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah [north of Jerusalem], in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.18Then Asa took all the silver and gold left in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the treasuries of the palace of the king and handed them over to his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Aram (Syria), who lived in Damascus, saying,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

am 3074, bc 930

Baasha: 1 Kings 15:27, 2 Chronicles 16:1-6

Ramah: By building Ramah is here meant fortifying it, in order to prevent all intercourse with the kingdom of Judah, lest his subjects should cleave to the house of David: for Ramah was a city of Benjamin, situated on the confines of both kingdoms, probably on a hill, as the name imports, commanding a narrow defile between the mountains, through which lay the principal road to Jerusalem; so that a fortification being erected here, no communication could be held between the people of Israel and Judah, without Baasha's permission. 1 Kings 15:21, Joshua 18:25, 1 Samuel 15:34, Jeremiah 31:15

he might not suffer: 1 Kings 12:27, 2 Chronicles 11:13-17

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 12:25 - built 2 Chronicles 15:19 - five and thirtieth Jeremiah 41:9 - for fear

Cross-References

Genesis 15:2
Abram said, "Lord GOD, what reward will You give me, since I am [leaving this world] childless, and he who will be the owner and heir of my house is this [servant] Eliezer from Damascus?"
Genesis 15:3
And Abram continued, "Since You have given no child to me, one (a servant) born in my house is my heir."
Genesis 15:18
On the same day the LORD made a covenant (promise, pledge) with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates—
Genesis 15:19
[the land of] the Kenites and the Kenizzites and the Kadmonites
Deuteronomy 4:20
"But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron [smelting] furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people for His own possession, as [you are] this day.
Judges 6:21
Then the Angel of the LORD put out the end of the staff that was in His hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire flared up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the Angel of the LORD vanished from his sight.
Judges 13:20
For when the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the Angel of the LORD ascended in the altar flame. When Manoah and his wife saw this they fell on their faces to the ground.
2 Samuel 22:9
"Smoke went up out of His nostrils, And devouring fire from His mouth; Coals were kindled by it.
1 Chronicles 21:26
Then David built an altar to the LORD there and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings. And he called on the LORD, and He answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.
Isaiah 62:1
For Zion's sake I (Isaiah) will not be silent, And for Jerusalem's sake I will not keep quiet, Until her righteousness and vindication go forth as brightness, And her salvation goes forth like a burning torch.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah,.... Which, in 2 Chronicles 16:1 is said to be in the thirty sixth year of Asa's reign, or rather of his kingdom; for it can never mean the year of his reign, for Baasha was dead many years before that, since his reign began in the third of Asa, and he reigned but twenty four years, and therefore must die in the twenty seventh of Asa; but it is to be understood of the kingdom of Judah, when it was divided from Israel; from that time to this were thirty six years, seventeen under Rehoboam, three under Abijam, so that this year must be the sixteenth of Asa; thus it is calculated in the Jewish chronology u, and which is followed by many of the best of our chronologers:

and built Ramah; a city in the tribe of Benjamin, Joshua 18:25, but taken by the king of Israel, which he rebuilt or fortified:

that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah; that his people might not go to and from Jerusalem, and worship at the temple there; this garrison lying on the borders of both kingdoms, he thought hereby to cut off all communication between them.

u Seder Olam Rabba, c. 16.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ramah (perhaps “Er-Ram;” marginal reference) was situated halfway between Bethel and Jerusalem. Its distance from Jerusalem was no more than five miles so that its occupation was a menace to that capital. Baasha’s seizure of Ramah implies a previous recovery of the towns taken by Abijam from Jeroboam, namely, Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephrain 2 Chronicles 13:19, and was a carrying of the war into the enemy’s country. Could his conquest have been maintained, it would have crippled Judah seriously, and have almost compelled a transfer of the capital to Hebron.

That he might not suffer any to go out or come in - Baasha, in seizing Ramah, professed to be acting on the defensive. His complaint seems to have been well founded (compare 2 Chronicles 15:9); but it was more than a defensive measure - it was the first step toward a conquest of the southern kingdom.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 15:17. And Baasha - built Ramah — As the word signifies a high place, what is here termed Ramah was probably a hill, (commanding a defile through which lay the principal road to Jerusalem,) which Baasha fortified in order to prevent all intercourse with the kingdom of Judah, lest his subjects should cleave to the house of David. Ramah was about two leagues northward of Jerusalem.


 
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