I Kings 15:3
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And 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.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Abijam walked as king in the footsteps of his father. Although he made presents to the temple (Kg1 15:15), his heart was not שׁלם, wholly or undividedly given to the Lord, like the heart of David (cf., Kg1 11:4); but (כּי, after a previous negative) for David's sake Jehovah had left him a light in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him and to let Jerusalem stand, because (אשׁר) David had done right in the eyes of God, etc., i.e., so that it was only for David's sake that Jehovah did not reject him, and allowed the throne to pass to his son. For the fact itself compare Kg1 11:13, Kg1 11:36; and for the words, "except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite," see 2 Sam 11 and 12.
Open source ↗In this chapter we have an abstract of the history, I. Of two of the kings of Judah, Abijam, the days of whose reign were few and evil (Kg1 15:1-8), and Asa, who reigned well and long (v. 9-24). II. Of two of the kings of Israel, Nadab the son of Jeroboam, and Baasha the destroyer of Jeroboam's house (Kg1 15:25-34).
Open source ↗15:3-5 Despite Abijam’s unfaithfulness, God remained faithful to his covenant with David (2 Sam 7:12-16; Ps 89:19-29) and preserved David’s line on Judah’s throne. Each king that followed David was to be a lamp, dispensing the light of God’s grace (1 Kgs 11:36).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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For when Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been.
May my heart be blameless in Your statutes, that I may not be put to shame.
So if you walk in My ways and keep My statutes and commandments, just as your father David did, I will prolong your days.”
“Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
For they have forsaken Me to worship Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites. They have not walked in My ways, nor done what is right in My eyes, nor kept My statutes and judgments, as Solomon’s father David did.
And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly.