Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Kings 15:22
Then king Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none [was] exempted: and they took away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had built; and king Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.
22. Asa made a proclamation throughout [R.V. unto ] all Judah ] Literally ‘caused all Judah to hear.’ The people, rather than the land, are spoken of, as is shewn by the next words ‘none was exempted.’ The whole labouring population was gathered on the king’s requisition that the work might be completed while the pressure of the Syrians on the north was being sharply felt.
and they took [R.V. carried ] away the stones of Ramah ] As in many previous instances R.V. takes the rendering from Chronicles, but only that the two may be made alike where the original is the same. The king of Israel had intended to make a great fortress out of Ramah. Hence there was prepared an immense quantity of stone and wood for his fortifications. This is what is meant by ‘building’ in this whole passage. Ramah was to have been ‘fortified’, and the materials sufficed to fortify Geba and Mizpah for Judah.
built with them ] R.V. built therewith. As in Chronicles.
Geba of Benjamin ] Geba (signifying ‘a hill’) was on the extreme north of the kingdom of Judah, which is described (2Ki 23:8) as extending ‘from Geba to Beersheba.’ It is mentioned among the Benjamite towns (Jos 21:17), and was one of those allotted to the priests.
Mizpah ] The word signifies ‘a pillar’ and is the name given to several places in the Holy Land. The town spoken of in this verse is the ‘Mizpah of Benjamin,’ within a mile or two of Gibeah. The LXX. translates both Geba and Mizpah, giving .
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Geba, situated opposite to Michmash 1Sa 14:5, is almost certainly Jeba, which stands picturesquely on the top of its steep terraced hill on the very edge of the Wady Suweinit. Its position was thus exceedingly strong; and, as it lay further north than Ramah, Asa may have considered that to fortify and garrison it would be a better protection to his northern frontier than fortifying Ramah.
For Mizpah see the marginal reference From Jer 41:9 we learn that Asa, besides fortifying the place, sank a deep well there to secure his garrison from want of water if the town should be besieged.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
1Ki 15:22
They took away the stones of Ramah.
Old material for new buildings
The King of Israel went up against Judah and built the strong fortress of Ramah, but the King of Judah strengthened himself by calling in, on the basis of an ancient treaty, the assistance of Benhadad, the King of Syria. Benhadad and Asa went up against the King of Israel and overthrew him and took his fortress called Ramah, and with the stones of that fortress two cities of Judah were built. Surely there is a great lesson here by which all sensible men may profit! Asa turned the old material to new uses, and said in effect, A stone is a stone, a beam is a beam: there is no harm in the material itself: it has been used against me, now it shall be used for me, and thus, in the eloquent language of Bossuet, with the fortresses of Samaria he built the cities of Judah. Thus the subject begins to reveal itself, and we see how, amid these ancient names, often unknown and sometimes uncouth, the very freshest lessons may be gathered.
1. Is it not much the same as if a man should use the materials of his old self with which to build the structure of a new and nobler manhood? Suppose a man to have come over to what is expressively termed the Lords side: we will ask, What have you done with the old material–is it to be left–is it to be utilised? Have you been so foolish as to leave all the old stuff in the enemys hands? The stuff itself is not bad: it was only put to bad uses. We want you to bring away every stone and every beam, and with the old material to build a new palace. You have come over to the Lords side, what are you now? How much of the old material have you saved and appropriated to better purposes? In some cases, we fear, the disguise is so complete that your own mother would not know you now. You have succeeded in burying every talent, powdering every stone, burning every beam–the old material is not found among the resources of your better life. Ramah has not become Mizpah. You were once musical; and now you scarcely mumble a hymn in church, much less sing. Ramah has not become Geba of Benjamin, or Mizpah. You have left the music with the enemy instead of bringing it with you and sanctifying it, by a new baptism, to higher and diviner uses.
2. What is true of the building up of the individual, is true also of the building up of the Church. It is recorded of one of the Wesleys that when he heard anybody singing a nice tune on the streets, he used to loiter about until he got the melody thoroughly into his head, and then he went away and set divine words to the prostituted music. He said, The devil has all the best tunes. Persons looking at Wesley standing listening to the street singer, would say, What, is he caught by the song? and they might have attributed wrong motives to his standing there, but he was pulling down Ramah that he might build Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah. The tune that was used to carry evil sentiments or bad language was brought over to tell the world the great gospel. Here is a man whom we have taken from the enemy who has a gift of music: what is he going to do with it in the Church? Let us employ him at once as a singing missionary; send him out to sing. He will find the voice, we find the words. Is it possible to sing the gospel? Verily so. In a recent walk I saw some little fellows about two feet and a half high–little bunches of papers on their arms, sitting on the steps, and looking at one another so coyly and nicely, with unkempt hair, and their bare feet and their tattered garments–and there was I, poor dumb priest, on my way to talk to the luxury of the age, and I felt the tears in my throat as I cursed myself. I would that some lady could have gone to those little fellows and have sung them some little hymn or sweet song. It would have been odd: it might have been useful. It would have created a laugh for the time being: it might have won a conquest. It would have been called ridiculous: in heaven it might have been termed sacrificial. What are you doing with the old material? Here is a man we have captured, who used to be quite famous for his humour. He was in very deed a wit. He saw the comical aspect of every question, he had a keen eye for the ludicrous, a happy tongue for the expression of all that he saw and felt. He is now in the Church–what is he doing? Sleeping. The Church will not have him. The Church is wrong. We should make a modern Elijah of him, and he should taunt the priests of evil on their own ground and across their own altars, till they ran away for very shame. Such a man should have a function in the Church. But is there not danger in employing such persons to do such work? Yes, there is danger in doing it; but, as we view the case, there is more danger in not doing it. We are too much afraid of danger. There was great danger in entrusting the revelation of Christianity to a few fishermen, ignorant and feeble in every aspect of social importance. We dare not have done it. We should hardly have trusted any one of those men to have posted a letter. But Jesus entrusted them with a letter for the universe. Clothe men with responsibilities if you would call up their supreme, power to its best expression, its most solid and massive and dominating attitude. We want to know what has become of the old material. You were greater on the other side than you are on this. You made more of a figure, you created a deeper impression, you were better known as an actor than ever you have been known as a preacher–how is that? You were better known as a blasphemer than you are known as a suppliant–how is that? O that we could utilise all the old forces! Jesus Christ works in the spirit of this text in building up His kingdom. Jesus Christ will overthrow the fortress of the enemy, and take every stone and beam and timber away, and rear new edifices with them. Out of the ruins of the drunkard, Jesus Christ builds the apostle of temperance. Jesus is building His great house, and some day men will say about the stones that are in it, What are these, and whence came they? and Jesus will answer with a pride of satisfaction flooding and flaming His soul, Every stone that is there is precious to Me: this is Ramah, rebuilt as Geba; this is the old fortress turned into the new sanctuary; and as He looks upon that palace, wide as the horizon, high as heaven, what wonder if, seeing the travail of His soul, He is satisfied? (J. Parker, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 22. None was exempted] Every man was obliged to go and help to dismantle the fortress at Ramah which Baasha had built. This was a general levee en masse of the people: every one was obliged to lend a helping hand, as the state was then supposed to be in danger, and all exemptions necessarily ceased. This is a maxim of civil policy, Ubi adversus hostem muniendi sent limites, omnis immunitas cessat: “Where the boundaries are to be fortified against an enemy, then all exemptions cease.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
None was exempted; all sorts of persons were obliged to come, except those who were disenabled by age, or infirmity, or absence, or by the public service of the king and kingdom in other places.
Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah, i.e. repaired and strengthened them, for they were built before. See Jer 41:9.
Quest. Why did he not rather perfect the fortifications of Ramah which Baasha had begun?
Answ. Because Baasha might have returned and recovered it afterwards; and he thought it most convenient that there should be no city nor fort in that place.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
22. Then king Asa made aproclamationThe fortifications which Baasha had erected atRamah were demolished, and with the materials were built otherdefenses, where Asa thought they were neededat Geba (now Jeba) andMizpeh (now Neby Samuil), about two hours’ travelling north ofJerusalem.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then King Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah,…. Summoned men of all sorts, ranks, and degrees:
(none was exempted;) the Jews z say, not so much as a newly married man, whom the law excused from war the first year, nor the disciples of the wise men:
and they took away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; or fortified the place; these; the men of Judah, whom Asa summoned, carried off:
and King Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah; which were both in the tribe of Benjamin, and which he fortified, Jos 18:24.
z Jarchi & Kimchi in loc.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(22) Throughout all Judah.Asa was not content to destroy or occupy the hostile fortress, but pushed his own fortifications further on. Geba, named in Jos. 21:17 as a city of the priests, in the territory of Benjamin, the scene of Jonathans victory over a Philistine garrison in the days of Samuel (1Sa. 13:3)identified with the modern Jebalies on the edge of a valley some distance to the north. It is noted in 2Ki. 23:8 as still the northern outpost of the kingdom of Judah. The Mizpah here referred tofor there were many places so calleda city of Benjamin (Jos. 18:26), famous in the earlier history (see 1Sa. 7:5-13; 1Sa. 10:17-25), seems to have been situated at the place afterwards called Scopim (the watch-tower), on the broad ridge which forms the continuation of the Mount of Olives to the north and east, from which the traveller gains his first view of Jerusalem (Dict. of the Bible: MIZPAH).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
22. Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah Rather, summoned, or called together, all Judah. He called out all the able men of his kingdom to take away the building material which Baasha had collected at Barnah, and with those stones he fortified Geba and Mizpah. On Geba, see 1Sa 13:3; and on Mizpah, see 1Sa 7:5.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Ki 15:22 Then king Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none [was] exempted: and they took away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; and king Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.
Ver. 22 And Mizpah. ] Where also he had made a great pit or trench, for fear of Baasha. Jer 41:9
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
made a proclamation: 2Ch 16:6
exempted: Heb. free
Geba: Jos 18:24, Gaba, Jos 21:17
Mizpah: Jos 18:26, 1Sa 7:5, Mizpeh, Jer 40:6, Jer 40:10
Reciprocal: Gen 31:49 – Mizpah Jos 11:3 – land 2Ki 23:8 – Geba Zec 14:10 – from Geba
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Ki 15:22. None were exempted All sorts of persons were obliged to come, except those who were disabled by age, or infirmity, or absence, or by the public service of the king and kingdom in other places. Built Geba, &c. Repaired and strengthened them, for they were built before; which he judged better than to perfect the fortifications of Ramah, which would have been a perpetual bone of contention (as we speak) between Judah and Israel.