1 Kings 15:2
New International Version
and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maakah daughter of Abishalom.

New Living Translation
He reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother was Maacah, the granddaughter of Absalom.

English Standard Version
He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

Berean Standard Bible
and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.

King James Bible
Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.

New King James Version
He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maachah the granddaughter of Abishalom.

New American Standard Bible
He reigned for three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

NASB 1995
He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

NASB 1977
He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

Legacy Standard Bible
He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

Amplified Bible
He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother was Maacah [grand]daughter of Abishalom (Absalom).

Christian Standard Bible
and he reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.

American Standard Version
Three years reigned he in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

Contemporary English Version
and he ruled from Jerusalem for three years. His mother was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

English Revised Version
Three years reigned he in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. His mother was named Maacah, daughter of Abishalom.

Good News Translation
and he ruled three years in Jerusalem. His mother was Maacah, the daughter of Absalom.

International Standard Version
He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom.

Majority Standard Bible
and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.

NET Bible
He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. His mother was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom.

New Heart English Bible
He reigned three years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

Webster's Bible Translation
Three years he reigned in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.

World English Bible
He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
he has reigned three years in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother [is] Maachah daughter of Abishalom;

Young's Literal Translation
three years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother is Maachah daughter of Abishalom;

Smith's Literal Translation
Three years he reigned in Jerusalem. And the name of his mother Maachah, daughter of Abishalom.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He reigned three years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Maacha the daughter of Abessalom.

Catholic Public Domain Version
He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom.

New American Bible
he reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah, daughter of Abishalom.

New Revised Standard Version
He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maacah, the daughter of Abed-shalom.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the name of his mother was Maaka, daughter of Abedshalum.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Three years reigned he in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he reigned three years over Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Maacha, daughter of Abessalom.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Abijam Reigns in Judah
1In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam became king of Judah, 2and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. 3And Abijam walked in all the sins that his father before him had committed, and his heart was not as fully devoted to the LORD his God as the heart of David his forefather had been.…

Cross References
2 Chronicles 13:2
and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Micaiah daughter of Uriel; she was from Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

1 Kings 14:31
And Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David; his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite. And his son Abijam reigned in his place.

2 Chronicles 11:20-22
After her, he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, and she bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. / Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. / Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, intending to make him king.

1 Kings 15:9-10
In the twentieth year of Jeroboam’s reign over Israel, Asa became king of Judah, / and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.

2 Chronicles 12:16
And Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And his son Abijah reigned in his place.

2 Chronicles 15:16
King Asa also removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made a detestable Asherah pole. Asa chopped down the pole, crushed it, and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

1 Kings 11:43
And Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. And his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.

2 Chronicles 13:1
In the eighteenth year of Jeroboam’s reign, Abijah became king of Judah,

1 Kings 14:21
Meanwhile, Rehoboam son of Solomon reigned in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from all the tribes of Israel in which to put His Name. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite.

2 Chronicles 11:18-19
And Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab. / She bore sons to him: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.

1 Kings 15:8
And Abijam rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David, and his son Asa reigned in his place.

2 Chronicles 14:1
Then Abijah rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And his son Asa reigned in his place, and in his days the land was at peace for ten years.

1 Kings 22:42
Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.

2 Chronicles 16:1
In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.

Matthew 1:7-8
Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa. / Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah.


Treasury of Scripture

Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. and his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.

his mother's

1 Kings 15:13
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.

2 Chronicles 11:20-22
And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith…

Maachah

2 Chronicles 13:2
He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

Michaiah the daughter of Uriel

2 Chronicles 11:21
And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters.)

Absalom

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Abishalom Abish'alom Daughter Jerusalem Maacah Ma'acah Maachah Mother Mother's Reigned Three
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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














and he reigned
The phrase "and he reigned" indicates the commencement of a king's rule, a significant event in the biblical narrative. In Hebrew, the word for "reigned" is "מָלַךְ" (malak), which conveys the idea of ruling or having dominion. This term is often used in the context of God's sovereign rule, reminding us that earthly kingship is a reflection of divine authority. The reign of a king in Israel was not just a political event but a spiritual one, as the king was expected to lead the people in accordance with God's laws.

in Jerusalem
Jerusalem, the city of David, holds profound significance as the political and spiritual center of Israel. The Hebrew name "יְרוּשָׁלַיִם" (Yerushalayim) is often associated with peace, as it is derived from "shalom," meaning peace. Jerusalem is the city where God chose to place His name, making it the focal point of worship and the location of the Temple. The mention of Jerusalem here underscores the importance of the king's role in maintaining the city's sanctity and leading the people in worship.

three years
The duration of "three years" for a king's reign is relatively short, suggesting a period of instability or transition. In biblical numerology, the number three often signifies completeness or divine perfection, as seen in the Trinity or the resurrection of Christ on the third day. However, in this context, it may also reflect the brevity and challenges of the king's rule, reminding us of the transient nature of human authority compared to God's eternal reign.

His mother’s name was Maacah
The mention of the king's mother, Maacah, highlights the matrilineal influence in the royal lineage. In Hebrew, "מַעֲכָה" (Maacah) can mean "oppression" or "depression," which may reflect her character or the circumstances surrounding her. The role of the queen mother was significant in the royal court, often wielding considerable influence over the king and his decisions. This detail invites reflection on the impact of family and upbringing on leadership and governance.

daughter of Abishalom
The identification of Maacah as the "daughter of Abishalom" connects her to a broader familial and historical context. "Abishalom" is another name for Absalom, the rebellious son of King David. In Hebrew, "אֲבִישָׁלוֹם" (Abishalom) means "father of peace," which is ironic given Absalom's tumultuous life. This connection to Absalom may imply a legacy of conflict and ambition, influencing the king's reign. It serves as a reminder of the complex interplay of family dynamics and divine providence in the unfolding of biblical history.

(2) Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.--The Abishalom of this passage, called, in 2Chronicles 11:20, Absalom, is in all probability the rebel son of David, whose mother (2Samuel 3:3) was also named Maachah. In 2Chronicles 11:21-22, it seems that of all the wives ("eighteen wives and threescore concubines") whom ?ehoboam, following the evil traditions of his father, took, she was the favourite, and that even in his lifetime Rehoboam exalted Abijam "to be ruler among his brethren." In 2Chronicles 13:2 she is called Michaiah, and said to be the daughter of "Uriel of Gibeah." This shows that, as indeed chronological considerations would suggest, she must have been the granddaughter of Absalom. She is mentioned below (1Kings 15:13) as prominent in the evil propensity to idolatry.

Verse 2. - Three years [The Alex. LXX. says δεκὰεξ, sixteen. The" three years" are not to be interpreted strictly. As he ascended the throne in the eighteenth and died in the twentieth year of Jeroboam's reign, he cannot have completed three years. But it does not follow that "he cannot have reigned much more than two years" (Rawlinson, and similarly Keil). He may have reigned all but three] reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah [in 2 Chronicles 13:2 called Michaiah, Heb. Michajahu. That the same person is meant is proved as well by the context as by 2 Chronicles 11:21, where the name is given as here. Keil (cf. Dict. Bib. 2:162) ascribes the discrepancy to an error of the copyist; but the names are so unlike in the original as to discountenance this assumption. I venture to suggest that Michajahu was the significant form - the word means "Who is like Jehovah?" - which the name Maachah, "oppression," borne by the Geshurite princess who married David (2 Samuel 3:3) assumed when she joined the Lord's people, and embraced, as no doubt she would do, the religion of Jehovah. Such a change would be quite in accordance with the genius and traditions of the Semitic races (Genesis 17:5, 15; Genesis 30. passim; 32:28; 41:45; Exodus 6:3, etc. Cf. 2 Kings 23:34; 2 Kings 24:17; Hosea 1:4, 6), and there may well have been special reasons in this case, apart from the piety of David, why it should be made. For the name Maachah appears to have been taken Iron the town and district of that name near Geshur - a part of Syria was called Syria Maachah (1 Chronicles 19:6; cf. 2 Samuel 10:6-8). In 2 Samuel 20:14, 15 we read of a district of Beth Maachah - and it not improbably witnessed to unhappy memories. How natural it would be that David's bride should take a name of better omen and of a religious import, and how natural that the grand-daughter who bore her name should be called by that name in both its forms. Since writing the above, I find that a somewhat similar idea has occurred long since to others. Both Kimchi and Jarchi hold that she had two names. It is supposed by some that she assumed the name Michaiah, as more dignified, on becoming queen. Wordsworth thinks that Michaiah was her real name, and that it was degraded into Maachah when she was deposed for idolatry. This latter view dovetails with the one suggested above. It would be quite in accordance with Jewish usages and habits of thought that the name which had been changed into Michaiah when the grandmother became a proselyte, should be changed back into Maachah when this princess apostatized], the daughter [rather, grand-daughter. בַּת includes all female descendants, as אֵם (see ver. 10) all anxestresses] of Abishalom. We can hardly doubt that Absalom, the son of David, is meant here. We have

(1) the express statement of 2 Chronicles 11:21, "Rehoboam loved Maachah, the daughter of Absalom," etc.

(2) The fact that two of Rehoboam's other wives were of the family of David, which shows that it was part of his policy to marry the daughters of that house.

(3) The mother of Absalom was named Maachah (2 Samuel 3:3). . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
and he reigned
מָלַ֖ךְ (mā·laḵ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4427: To reign, inceptively, to ascend the throne, to induct into royalty, to take counsel

in Jerusalem
בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם (bî·rū·šā·lim)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel

three
שָׁלֹ֣שׁ (šā·lōš)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 7969: Three, third, thrice

years.
שָׁנִ֔ים (šā·nîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 8141: A year

His mother’s
אִמּ֔וֹ (’im·mōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 517: A mother, )

name
וְשֵׁ֣ם (wə·šêm)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8034: A name

was Maacah
מַעֲכָ֖ה (ma·‘ă·ḵāh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4601: Maacah -- an Israelite name, also a non-Israelite name, also a region in Syria

daughter
בַּת־ (baṯ-)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 1323: A daughter

of Abishalom.
אֲבִישָׁלֽוֹם׃ (’ă·ḇî·šā·lō·wm)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 53: Absalom -- 'my father is peace', two Israelites


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OT History: 1 Kings 15:2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem: (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 15:1
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