Limitless Word
He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maachah the granddaughter of Abishalom.
1 Kings 15:2 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.
  • KJV Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
  • BSB and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.
  • NASB He reigned for three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.
  • NLT He reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother was Maacah, the granddaughter of Absalom.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Abijam reigns only three years, and his mother is Maacah, daughter of Abishalom. His short reign is noted alongside his lineage.

Overview

The brief reign hints at God's disfavor, developed in the following verses. Maacah's prominence reappears later when her grandson Asa removes her for idolatry (v. 13). The genealogical note connects Abijam to the wider royal family and its spiritual struggles.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 3

  • 2 Chr 13:2He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
  • 2 Chr 11:20–22After her, he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom; and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.
  • 1 Kgs 15:13He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen, because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah. Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 1 Kings videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 1 Kings 15:2YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 1 KingsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.

How 1 Kings 15:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.