I Kings 15:9-15 · Bible study
1 Kings 15:9-15 Commentary: Asa's Reforms
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Asa's reign in Judah: he removed idols, deposed his grandmother, but left the high places.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Asa’s reign brought moral and religious reform, but the high places remained; God values a heart fully devoted to Him.
- Key words: Qedeshim (male cult prostitutes), gilulim (idols), miphletseth (horror/abominable image), gevirah (queen-mother), bamot (high places), shalem (complete/perfect heart).
- Main debate: Reconciling the chronological data (twentieth year of Jeroboam vs. Abijam’s three-year reign) and the identity of Maacah (mother or grandmother).
- Theological theme: Wholehearted devotion to God can coexist with incomplete reformation; obedience is measured by direction of the heart, not by perfect performance.
- Best use: A sermon on reformation, family loyalty, and the grace of God who honors sincere but imperfect obedience.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
9In the twentieth year of Jeroboam’s reign over Israel, Asa became king of Judah,
10and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.
11And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done.
12He banished the male shrine prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
13He also removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made a detestable Asherah pole. Asa chopped down the pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley.
14The high places were not removed, but Asa’s heart was fully devoted to the LORD all his days.
15And he brought into the house of the LORD the silver and gold and other articles that he and his father had dedicated.
WEB World English Bible 2000
9In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah.
10He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.
11Asa did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes, as David his father did.
12He put away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
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.
14But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect with Yahweh all his days.
15He brought into Yahweh’s house the things that his father had dedicated, and the things that he himself had dedicated: silver, gold, and utensils.
KJV King James Version 1769
9And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah.
10And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.
11And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did David his father.
12And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
13And 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.
14But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa’s heart was perfect with the Lord all his days.
15And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which himself had dedicated, into the house of the Lord, silver, and gold, and vessels.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
9And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Asa to reign over Judah.
10And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.
11And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, as did David his father.
12And he put away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
13And also Maacah his mother he removed from being queen, because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah; and Asa cut down her image, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.
14But the high places were not taken away: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect with Jehovah all his days.
15And he brought into the house of Jehovah the things that his father had dedicated, and the things that himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
9And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned hath Asa over Judah,
10and forty and one years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother is Maachah daughter of Abishalom.
11And Asa doth that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah, like David his father,
12and removeth the whoremongers out of the land, and turneth aside all the idols that his fathers made;
13and also Maachah his mother--he turneth her aside from being mistress, in that she made a horrible thing for a shrine, and Asa cutteth down her horrible thing, and burneth it by the brook Kidron;
14and the high places have not turned aside; only, the heart of Asa hath been perfect with Jehovah all his days,
15and he bringeth in the sanctified things of his father, and his own sanctified things, to the house of Jehovah, silver, and gold, and vessels.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
9And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah;
10and he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Maachah, daughter of Abishalom.
11And Asa did what was right in the sight of Jehovah, as David his father.
12And he put away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his father had made.
13And also Maachah his mother he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol for the Asherah; and Asa cut down her idol, and burned it in the valley of Kidron.
14But the high places were not removed; only, Asa's heart was perfect with Jehovah all his days.
15And he brought into the house of Jehovah the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which he himself had dedicated, silver and gold and vessels.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
9So in the twentieth year of Jeroboam, king of Israel, reigned Asa, king of Juda,
10And he reigned one and forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacha, the daughter of Abessalom.
11And Asa did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, as did David, his father:
12And he took away the effeminate out of the land, and removed all the filth of the idols, which his fathers had made.
13Moreover, he also removed his mother, Maacha, from being the princess in the sacrifices of Priapus, and in the grove which she had consecrated to him: and he destroyed her den, and broke in pieces the filthy idol, and burnt it by the torrent Cedron:
14But the high places he did not take away. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was perfect with the Lord all his days:
15And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and he had vowed, into the house of the Lord, silver and gold, and vessels.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Kings 15:9
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Asa was a good king who carried out significant religious reforms. Matthew Henry calls his reign a turning point for Judah. Asa did what was right in Yahweh’s eyes, following the example of David (1 Kings 15:11). He banished male cult prostitutes, removed idols, and even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah. Yet the high places, local sites of worship, often to Yahweh but now improper since the temple was built, were not taken away (v.14). The repeated phrase “nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect with Yahweh all his days” (v.14) provides the key tension. Keil and Delitzsch note that the high places here refer to unlawful altars to Yahweh, not to idols. Asa’s reforms were real but incomplete. The text does not condemn him for this, but it does not hide the shortfall. Every commentator wrestles with the chronological data connecting Asa’s accession to the reigns of Jeroboam and Abijam. The twentieth year of Jeroboam seems to conflict with the three-year reign of Abijam (15:2), leading to discussion about overlapping reigns and calendar methods. But all agree that Asa’s heart was fully devoted to God, and that this is the passage’s central affirmation.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Chronological harmonization: Solutions involve co-regency or calendar differences to reconcile Jeroboam's 20th year with Abijam's 3-year reign.
- Identity of Maacah: Some read 'mother' as grandmother due to the parallel in 1 Kings 15:2 and 2 Chronicles 11:20.
- Nature of high places: Some argue they were Yahwistic worship sites tolerated under the law of the central sanctuary; others see them as syncretistic.
What is clear: Asa's heart was fully devoted to Yahweh all his days, and this devotion is commended by the biblical author even where reform was incomplete.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Asa's overall evaluation | Asa was a good king who did right in Yahweh's eyes, following David's example. | Some traditions (e.g., Reformed) emphasize that his heart was 'perfect' meaning sincere, not sinless; others (e.g., Wesleyan) may stress that he still fell short of complete obedience, showing that even the faithful have flaws. |
| Identity of Maacah | Maacah is the woman who held the position of queen mother during Asa's early reign. | Most commentators hold she was Asa's grandmother (mother of Abijam), but some earlier interpretations took 'mother' literally. The BSB translates 'grandmother.' |
| The high places | These were not removed by Asa, yet his heart was still considered perfect. | Some see this as a compromise or failure; others argue these high places were used for worshipping Yahweh, which was forbidden but not as severe as idolatry. The exact nature and location are debated. |
| Chronology of reigns | The text notes Asa began to reign in Jeroboam's twentieth year, which creates a tension with the three-year reign of Abijam. | Solutions include: (a) co-regency between Abijam and Asa, (b) different calendar systems (accession-year vs non-accession), (c) textual corruption (LXX reads 'twenty-fourth year'). |
Historical & Cultural Context
The kingdom had split for about two decades when Asa took the throne. The northern king Jeroboam had established golden calves at Dan and Bethel, leading Israel into apostasy. Judah under Rehoboam and Abijam had also fallen into idolatry, building high places, pillars, and Asherah poles (1 Kings 14:22-24). Male cult prostitutes (qedeshim, literally “holy ones”) operated in the land, connected to Canaanite fertility rites.
Asa inherited a nation compromised by compromise. His first acts were to purge the land of these abominations. The queen mother, Maacah, was a powerful figure. Barnes notes that the position of queen mother was a definite office, often held by the king’s mother or grandmother. Maacah was actually the grandmother of Asa, as she was the mother of Abijam. The Hebrew word for “mother” (em) can mean grandmother (see 1 Kings 15:2). Asa removed her from her position (gevirah, a title for queen mother), because she had made a miphletseth, a “horror” or abominable image, for the Asherah. The word appears only here and in 2 Chronicles 15:16 in the Bible, suggesting a particularly grotesque or detestable idol. Asa cut it down and burned it at the brook Kidron, east of Jerusalem, a place associated with the disposal of defiled objects (1 Kings 15:13).
The high places were not removed. These were elevated sites used for worship, often of Yahweh, but forbidden after the temple was built (Deuteronomy 12). Commentators like Gill suggest Asa may have thought them still lawful, or the people were too attached to them. The Chronicler notes that Asa did remove them in the cities of Judah but they persisted in Israel (2 Chronicles 15:17). The literary context, war with Baasha of Israel, shows the external pressures on Asa’s reign. Later he would make a serious error by relying on Syria instead of the Lord (1 Kings 15:18-19). The passage presents a ruler who was faithful but not flawless, and whose reforms were significant but not final.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no major text-critical issues for these verses. The LXX reads “twenty-fourth year” for “twentieth year” in verse 9, which some scholars (e.g., Cambridge Bible) suggest may resolve the chronological problem. Additionally, verse 13 contains the rare word miphletseth (horror), which appears only here and in 2 Chronicles 15:16; the ancient versions (LXX, Vulgate) interpret it variously as “grove” or “idol.” Otherwise, the Hebrew text is stable.
Reception History
This passage has been read across Christian traditions as a model of courageous reform. Early church fathers like Jerome saw Asa’s removal of his grandmother as a precedent for ecclesiastical discipline over family loyalty. The Reformers (Calvin, Luther) valued Asa’s wholehearted devotion as an example of faith that justifies, though imperfect. In the Wesleyan tradition, Asa’s incomplete reformation illustrates the struggle with remaining sin even in a regenerate heart. Modern scholarship has focused on the historical background, especially the role of the queen mother in ancient Judah and the nature of the high places. The passage is often used in sermons on reformation and the tension between grace and obedience.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The right direction, Asa did what was right in Yahweh’s eyes, like David. He began with decisive action: removing idols and cult prostitutes.
- The costly obedience, He removed his own grandmother from power because of her idolatry. Reform must begin in the royal family; no one is exempt.
- The incomplete work, The high places remained. Yet his heart was perfect with Yahweh. God honours wholehearted devotion even when reformation is unfinished.
Five-point outline
- Asa’s reign, A long, stable reign of 41 years that marked a turning point from the idolatry of Rehoboam and Abijam.
- Purging the land, Removal of male prostitutes and idols: a frontal attack on Canaanite religion.
- Confronting the household, Deposing Maacah shows that faithfulness costs; even family ties do not excuse sin.
- The high places, Why did he leave them? Perhaps practical limits, or a blind spot. The text neither excuses nor condemns; it simply records.
- The perfect heart, The lebav shalem (complete heart) is commended. Asa’s devotion was not perfect in extent but perfect in direction and intention.
Illustration hooks
- A homeowner who clears the garden of junk but leaves one corner overgrown, not because he loves the clutter, but because it’s hard to reach. The incomplete reform is still a reform.
- A new CEO who fires corrupt executives, removes toxic policies, but cannot immediately change the company culture that took years to form. The trajectory matters.
- Church clean-out: removing obvious idols (gossip, greed) while overlooking subtle ones (comfort, reputation). God sees the heart’s direction.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does God say Asa’s heart was perfect when he didn’t finish the job? What does “perfect” mean here?
- How do we handle family members who lead us away from God? Is it ever right to distance ourselves for the sake of faithfulness?
- If the high places were used for worshipping the true God, why were they a problem? What counts as a “high place” in my life?
Leading a Discussion
Asa stands out as a king who led reform with courage. His story invites us to consider where our devotion stands, especially when obedience costs us relationships. The text is honest: good people do not get everything right. Yet God commends Asa’s whole heart. Use these questions to explore that tension.
Discussion questions
- Read 1 Kings 15:9-15 aloud. What specific actions did Asa take? Which ones seem most challenging to you?
- Asa removed his grandmother from power. What does this tell us about where allegiance to God must rank in our lives? Does this passage ever justify cutting ties with a family member?
- “The high places were not taken away.” What do you think these high places represent? How do we decide which issues are worth “fighting” and which we may have to leave for a season?
- The text says Asa’s heart was “perfect” (shalem) with Yahweh. In what sense was his heart perfect, if some areas of worship were still unaddressed?
- How does Asa’s later failure, relying on Syria instead of God (1 Kings 15:18-19), affect your view of his earlier faithfulness? Can someone have a perfect heart and still stumble?
- What modern “idols” need to be removed from our church community? What “high places” might we tolerate because they feel familiar or safe?
- How would you define a life that is “wholehearted” toward God? What would it look like for you to take one practical step in that direction this week?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Kings 15:2 | He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. |
| II Chronicles 11:20 | After her, he took Maacah the granddaughter of Absalom; and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. |
| II Chronicles 11:21 | Rehoboam loved Maacah the granddaughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines; for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and became the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. |
| II Chronicles 13:2 | He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. |
| I Kings 15:3 | He walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; and his heart was not perfect with Yahweh his God, as the heart of David his father. |
| II Chronicles 14:2 | Asa did that which was good and right in Yahweh his God’s eyes, |
| II Chronicles 14:11 | Asa cried to Yahweh his God, and said, “Yahweh, there is no one besides you to help, between the mighty and him who has no strength. Help us, Yahweh our God; for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. Yahweh, you are our God. Don’t let man prevail against you.” |
| II Chronicles 15:17 | But the high places were not taken away out of Israel; nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke identifies the idol Maachah made in the grove as a Priapus statue, a phallic image used in sexually impure worship. He draws this conclusion by examining how ancient translations rendered the Hebrew word, noting the thing produced "wonderful ridicule" and was used daily in lewd rites.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes observes that "mother" in this passage actually means "grandmother" in Jewish usage, and points out the queen-mother was a definite court position held by only one person at a time. He also highlights the unusual Hebrew word for the idol, meaning "a fright" or "a horror," which suggests a grotesque image like the Egyptian god Ptah.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator explains that the word "mother" for Maachah likely means "grandmother," showing that Asa's own mother was less significant. Maachah was a leader of idol worship, forcing Asa to remove her from power and destroy her image. The high places remained, but Asa's heart is still called perfect because that worship had long been tolerated.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes point out that Asa removed idols, banished male shrine prostitutes, and even deposed his own mother for making an idol, yet he did not tear down the high places for worship. Still, the text calls his heart upright before the Lord his entire life, suggesting sincere devotion does not require perfect reform.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights how remarkable Asa's faithfulness was given his upbringing by an idolatrous grandmother. He credits Asa with thorough reforms: removing sodomites, destroying idols, and even deposing his grandmother Maachah from power because of her obscene idol. The one shortcoming Gill notes is that Asa left standing the high places used for worshiping the true God.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that Maachah was not Asa's natural mother but his grandmother, holding the title of queen mother by position rather than birth. Asa stripped her of that rank and influence because of her idolatry, specifically an obscene figurine. Yet even this pious king could not fully remove the high places of private worship.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argues that the high places which remained under Asa were not idolatrous shrines but unlawful altars dedicated to the Lord Himself. The text does not blame Asa for allowing them; it simply records that
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange notes that Abijam’s sin was not personal idolatry but toleration: he served Jehovah himself yet permitted other worship to continue. For Asa, “perfect heart” means unwavering devotion to the exclusive worship of Jehovah, not sinless perfection, and political motives partly drove his reforms.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Asa's heart was perfect with God even though the high places remained, but his later decision to hire the Syrian king with temple treasures reveals a tragic failure to trust the Lord fully in time of war. The king who boldly removed his own mother's idol now leans on a pagan alliance rather than on God.