In brief
Baasha, son of Ahijah, of the tribe of Issachar, is the third king of the northern kingdom. He conspires against Nadab, son of Jeroboam, kills him and reigns twenty-four years at Tirzah. By wiping out the house of Jeroboam, he fulfills the word of the prophet Ahijah. But he walks in the same sins, wages war on Asa, king of Judah, and the prophet Jehu announces the end of his house. The lesson to keep is that carrying out a judgment does not make a person righteous.
What does the name Baasha mean?
The meaning of the name Baasha is uncertain, and the proposed explanations remain hypothetical. The Bible does not explain it; it only specifies that he is the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, not to be confused with the prophet Ahijah of Shiloh (1 Kings 15:27).
The story of Baasha
A plot against Nadab
1 Kings 15:25-28Nadab, son of Jeroboam, reigns two years and does evil. Baasha, son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspires against him and kills him at Gibbethon, during the siege of that Philistine city. In the third year of Asa, king of Judah, he becomes king of Israel in Nadab's place.
The end of the house of Jeroboam
1 Kings 15:29-30As soon as he is king, Baasha strikes down the whole house of Jeroboam, letting no one escape. The text specifies that this happens according to the word the LORD had spoken through his servant Ahijah of Shiloh, because of the sins Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit. Baasha becomes the instrument of the announced judgment.
In the way of Jeroboam
1 Kings 15:33-34Baasha reigns twenty-four years over all Israel at Tirzah. Yet he does evil in the sight of the LORD and walks in the way of Jeroboam, giving himself to the sins Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit. The one who overthrew an idolatrous house repeats what had caused its fall.
The war against Asa
1 Kings 15:16-22There is war between Asa and Baasha all their days. Baasha goes up against Judah and builds Ramah to block the comings and goings. Asa buys the alliance of Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, who attacks the northern cities of Israel. Baasha then stops building Ramah, and Judah carries off its materials to build Geba and Mizpah.
The word of Jehu, son of Hanani
1 Kings 16:1-7The LORD speaks to the prophet Jehu against Baasha: he raised him from the dust and made him leader of his people Israel. Because he walked in the way of Jeroboam, his house will be swept away like that of Jeroboam. Verse 7 adds that he is also judged for having struck down the house of Jeroboam.
A house swept away
1 Kings 16:6-13Baasha dies and is buried at Tirzah; his son Elah succeeds him. Two years later, Zimri, commander of half the chariots, kills Elah while he is getting drunk, then destroys the whole house of Baasha, sparing neither relative nor friend, according to the word announced by the prophet Jehu.
What Baasha teaches us
- Being the instrument of God's judgment does not make a person righteous in his eyes.
- One can condemn the sins of others and still repeat them oneself.
- God raises up leaders and holds them accountable for how they lead his people.
- Violence used to seize power ends up turning against the house of the one who uses it.
- God's words, through Ahijah as through Jehu, always come true.
Key verses
By wiping out the house of Jeroboam, Baasha fulfills the word announced by Ahijah of Shiloh. God uses him to carry out his judgment.
Even so, Baasha walks in the way of Jeroboam. The verse sadly sums up his twenty-four year reign: he does evil in the sight of the LORD.
God reminds Baasha that he raised him from the dust. Because he made the people sin, his house will suffer the same fate as that of Jeroboam.
The judgment targets both the evil Baasha did and the fact that he struck down the house of Jeroboam: the instrument of judgment is not innocent of his violence.
Bible verses to meditate on
Frequently asked questions
Who was Baasha in the Bible?
Baasha was king of Israel, the northern kingdom, for twenty-four years, in the time of Asa, king of Judah. Son of Ahijah, of the tribe of Issachar, he took power by killing Nadab, son of Jeroboam, and wiped out his house (1 Kings 15:27-29). He reigned from Tirzah.
Why did God condemn Baasha although he had fulfilled his word?
Baasha did carry out the judgment announced against Jeroboam, but he then walked in the same sins and made Israel sin (1 Kings 16:2). Verse 7 specifies that he is also judged for having struck down the house of Jeroboam. Being God's instrument does not excuse anyone from obeying him.
Where can I find the story of Baasha in the Bible?
His reign is told in 1 Kings 15:16-34 and 16:1-13. The conflict with Asa is retold in 2 Chronicles 16:1-6, and Jeremiah 41:9 still mentions the cistern Asa had built when he feared Baasha, king of Israel.