The Meaning of 1 Kings 15:29 Explained

1 Kings 15:29

KJV: And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according unto the saying of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite:

YLT: And it cometh to pass, at his reigning, he hath smitten the whole house of Jeroboam, he hath not left any breathing to Jeroboam till his destroying him, according to the word of Jehovah, that He spake by the hand of His servant Ahijah the Shilonite,

Darby: And it came to pass when he was king, he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left to Jeroboam none that breathed; until he had destroyed him, according to the word of Jehovah which he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite,

ASV: And it came to pass that, as soon as he was king, he smote all the house of Jeroboam: he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him; according unto the saying of Jehovah, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it came to pass, when he reigned,  [that] he smote  all the house  of Jeroboam;  he left  not to Jeroboam  any that breathed,  until he had destroyed  him, according unto the saying  of the LORD,  which he spake  by  his servant  Ahijah  the Shilonite: 

What does 1 Kings 15:29 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 15:16-34 - Warring Brethren
We obtain a fuller view of the events described in the earlier part of this passage by reference to 2 Chronicles 16:1-6. Asa's early piety, which shone out in his drastic purging of idolatry and the corruptions which sprang up like fungi on a damp soil, cannot be questioned. Strange that such a man, who, by faith in God, had driven back Zerah's formidable invasion, should in later years succumb to the craven methods of mere expediency in his conflict with Baasha.
This league with Ben-hadad arose from unbelief. Even true believers are sometimes hard pressed to maintain their integrity, because the trials of faith tend to increase. When Peter looked at the rising billows, his heart became troubled and he began to sink. To Asa's alliance with this heathen king may be traced the beginning of the downfall of both kingdoms-of the ten tribes and of Judah. Palestine was no longer a neutral state, but became involved in the political combinations of the time. Those that honor God are honored, 1 Samuel 2:30; those that put their trust elsewhere rue it all their days. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 15:29 mean?

And it was so when he became king [that] he killed - all the house of Jeroboam not he did leave anyone that breathed to Jeroboam until He had destroyed him according to the word of Yahweh which He had spoken by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite
וַיְהִ֣י כְמָלְכ֗וֹ הִכָּה֙ אֶת־ כָּל־ בֵּ֣ית יָרָבְעָ֔ם לֹֽא־ הִשְׁאִ֧יר כָּל־ נְשָׁמָ֛ה לְיָרָבְעָ֖ם עַד־ הִשְׁמִד֑וֹ כִּדְבַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּ֔ר בְּיַד־ עַבְדּ֖וֹ אֲחִיָּ֥ה הַשִּׁילֹנִֽי

וַיְהִ֣י  And  it  was  so 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כְמָלְכ֗וֹ  when  he  became  king 
Parse: Preposition-k, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מָלַךְ 
Sense: to be or become king or queen, reign.
הִכָּה֙  [that]  he  killed 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
בֵּ֣ית  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יָרָבְעָ֔ם  of  Jeroboam 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָרָבְעָם  
Sense: the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel when the kingdom split at the death of Solomon and the 0 tribes split off from Judah and Benjamin and the kingdom under Solomon’s son Rehoboam; idolatry was introduced at the beginning of his reign.
הִשְׁאִ֧יר  he  did  leave 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁאַר  
Sense: to remain, be left over, be left behind.
כָּל־  anyone 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
נְשָׁמָ֛ה  that  breathed 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נְשָׁמָה  
Sense: breath, spirit.
לְיָרָבְעָ֖ם  to  Jeroboam 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָרָבְעָם  
Sense: the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel when the kingdom split at the death of Solomon and the 0 tribes split off from Judah and Benjamin and the kingdom under Solomon’s son Rehoboam; idolatry was introduced at the beginning of his reign.
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
הִשְׁמִד֑וֹ  He  had  destroyed  him 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַד  
Sense: to destroy, exterminate, be destroyed, be exterminated.
כִּדְבַ֣ר  according  to  the  word 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
יְהוָ֔ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
דִּבֶּ֔ר  He  had  spoken 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
עַבְדּ֖וֹ  His  servant 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
אֲחִיָּ֥ה  Ahijah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲחִיָּה 
Sense: grandson of Phinehas.
הַשִּׁילֹנִֽי  the  Shilonite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שִׁילֹנִי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Shiloh.