1 Kings 15:17
New International Version
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.

New Living Translation
King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from entering or leaving King Asa’s territory in Judah.

English Standard Version
Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

Berean Standard Bible
Baasha king of Israel went to war against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.

King James Bible
And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

New King James Version
And Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

New American Standard Bible
Baasha king of Israel marched against Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.

NASB 1995
Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.

NASB 1977
And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built up Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.

Amplified Bible
Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah [north of Jerusalem], in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.

Christian Standard Bible
Israel’s King Baasha went to war against Judah. He built Ramah in order to keep anyone from leaving or coming to King Asa of Judah.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Israel’s King Baasha went to war against Judah. He built Ramah in order to deny anyone access to Judah’s King Asa.

American Standard Version
And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Then Baasha King of Israel went up against Yehuda, and he built Ramtha, and did not allow any to go out or come into Asa, King of Yehuda.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Baasa king of Israel went up against Juda, and built Rama, so that no one should go out or come in for Asa king of Juda.

Contemporary English Version
One time, Baasha invaded Judah and captured the town of Ramah. He started making the town stronger, so he could put troops there to stop people from going in and out of Judah.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Baasa king of Israel went up against Juda, and built Rama, that no man might go out or come in, of the side of Asa king of Juda.

English Revised Version
And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah to keep anyone from going to or coming from King Asa of Judah.

Good News Translation
Baasha invaded Judah and started to fortify Ramah in order to cut off all traffic in and out of Judah.

International Standard Version
King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and interdicted Ramah by building fortifications around it so no one could enter or leave to join King Asa of Judah.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Baasa king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

Literal Standard Version
and Baasha king of Israel goes up against Judah, and builds Ramah, not to permit anyone going out and coming in to Asa king of Judah.

Majority Standard Bible
Baasha king of Israel went to war against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.

New American Bible
Baasha, king of Israel, attacked Judah and fortified Ramah to blockade Asa, king of Judah.

NET Bible
King Baasha of Israel attacked Judah and established Ramah as a military outpost to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the land of King Asa of Judah.

New Revised Standard Version
King Baasha of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to King Asa of Judah.

New Heart English Bible
Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

World English Bible
Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

Young's Literal Translation
and Baasha king of Israel goeth up against Judah, and buildeth Ramah, not to permit any one going out and coming in to Asa king of Judah.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
War Between Asa and Baasha
16Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their days. 17Baasha king of Israel went to war against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah. 18So Asa withdrew all the silver and gold that remained in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the royal palace. He entrusted it to his servants and sent them with this message to Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus:…

Cross References
Joshua 18:25
Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth,

1 Kings 12:26
Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom might revert to the house of David.

1 Kings 15:21
When Baasha learned of this, he stopped fortifying Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah.

1 Kings 15:22
Then King Asa summoned all the men of Judah, with no exceptions, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had used for building. And with these materials King Asa built up Geba of Benjamin, as well as Mizpah.

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.

Jeremiah 41:9
Now the cistern into which Ishmael had thrown all the bodies of the men he had struck down along with Gedaliah was a large one that King Asa had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain.


Treasury of Scripture

And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

A.

1 Kings 15:27
And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.

2 Chronicles 16:1
In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

1 Kings 15:21
And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off building of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah.

Joshua 18:25
Gibeon, and Ramah, and Beeroth,

1 Samuel 15:34
Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

he might not suffer

1 Kings 12:27
If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.

2 Chronicles 11:13-17
And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts…

Jump to Previous
Able Allow Asa Baasa Baasha Ba'asha Buildeth Building Built Entering Fortified Israel Judah Leaving Order Permit Prevent Ramah Suffer Territory
Jump to Next
Able Allow Asa Baasa Baasha Ba'asha Buildeth Building Built Entering Fortified Israel Judah Leaving Order Permit Prevent Ramah Suffer Territory
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














(17) Built Ramah.--Ramah, or properly, the Ramah--the word signifying only "elevation"--is mentioned in Joshua 18:25 as a city of Benjamin, situated (see Jos. Ant. viii. 12, 3) about five miles north of Jerusalem. It is mentioned in Judges 4:5; Judges 19:13; Isaiah 10:29; Jeremiah 40:1, and is identified with the village known as Er-Ram at the present day.

This fortification of Ramah close to the hostile capital--like the fortification of Decelea, near Athens, in the Peloponnesian war--was a standing menace to Judah. Baasha, who was a military chief, seems to have been warned by the ill-success of former attempts to invade and subjugate Judah, and to have used this easier means of keeping the enemy in check, and provoking a conflict--if a conflict there was to be--on his own ground. The text, however, implies a further design to blockade the road between the kingdoms, perhaps explained by the statement, in 2Chronicles 15:9-10, of the falling away of many from Israel to Asa, now in the height of his prosperity. The new fortress was, no doubt, supported by all the military force of Israel, which Asa, in spite of his increased strength, dared not attack. . . .

Verse 17. - And Baasha, king of Israel, went up against Judah [This statement probably refers to the reconquest of the three cities which Abijah had taken from Jeroboam (2 Chronicles 13:19), as Ramah could hardly have been rebuilt whilst Bethel remained in the hands of Judah], and built Ramah [Heb. the Ramah, i.e., "the elevation," or "high place." Now er Ram ( = the height), in Benjamin (Joshua 18:25; Judges 19:18, 14), five miles distant from Jerusalem, near the frontier of the two territories, and also then, as now, on the great north road. It was the key, consequently, to both kingdoms. Hence the struggles to possess it, vers, 21, 22; 2 Chronicles 16:1, etc.], that he might not suffer any to go out [Heb. not to give any going out, etc.] or come in to Asa, king of Judah. [The object of Baasha in fortifying this place is evident. It was not merely to have an advanced post as a menace to Jerusalem (Rawlinson), but primarily, by its command of the high road, to prevent his subjects from falling away to the kingdom of Judah, or even from going up to Jerusalem to worship; in fact, to isolate Judah and to blockade its capital. That there was a great defection to Ass at this time we know from 2 Chronicles 15:9. This was an exodus which Baasha felt must be checked. Blunt ("Coincidences," pp. 176-8) has happily shown from 2 Chronicles 16:6, etc., how the primary object must have been to "stop the alarming drainage of all that was virtuous out of their borders." Rawlinson sees in the fortification of this place "the first step towards a conquest of the southern kingdom." But as to this the text is silent, or rather it assigns an entirely different reason.]

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Baasha
בַּעְשָׁ֤א (ba‘·šā)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1201: Baasha -- a king of Israel

king
מֶֽלֶךְ־ (me·leḵ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

went to war
וַיַּ֨עַל (way·ya·‘al)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

against
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

Judah
יְהוּדָ֔ה (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites

and fortified
וַיִּ֖בֶן (way·yi·ḇen)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1129: To build

Ramah
הָרָמָ֑ה (hā·rā·māh)
Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 7414: Ramah -- 'height', the name of several places in Israel

to prevent
לְבִלְתִּ֗י (lə·ḇil·tî)
Preposition-l
Strong's 1115: A failure of, not, except, without, unless, besides, because not, until

[anyone] from leaving
יֹצֵ֣א (yō·ṣê)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

or entering the territory of
וָבָ֔א (wā·ḇā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

Asa
לְאָסָ֖א (lə·’ā·sā)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 609: Asa -- perhaps 'healer', an Israelite name

king
מֶ֥לֶךְ (me·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Judah.
יְהוּדָֽה׃ (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites


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OT History: 1 Kings 15:17 Baasha king of Israel went up against (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 15:16
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