1201. Basha
Lexical Summary
Basha: Basha

Original Word: בַּעְשָׁא
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Ba`sha'
Pronunciation: bah-SHAH
Phonetic Spelling: (bah-shaw')
KJV: Baasha
NASB: Baasha
Word Origin: [from an unused root meaning to stink]

1. offensiveness
2. Basha, a king of Israel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Baasha

From an unused root meaning to stink; offensiveness; Basha, a king of Israel -- Baasha.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a king of Isr.
NASB Translation
Baasha (28).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
בַּעְשָׁא proper name, masculine a king of Israel 1 Kings 15:16,17,19 18t. 1 Kings 15-16 + 1 Kings 21:22; 2 Kings 9:9; 2Chronicles 16:1,3,5,6; Jeremiah 41:9.

Topical Lexicon
Name and General Scope

Baasha (Hebrew בַּעְשָׁא, Strong H1201) appears about twenty-eight times in the Old Testament, nearly all of them referring to the third king of the northern kingdom of Israel. One additional occurrence names a minor Benjaminite in a genealogy (1 Chronicles 9:6), but every narrative text concerns Baasha son of Ahijah.

Baasha Son of Ahijah, King of Israel

• Rise to Power

Baasha came from the tribe of Issachar (1 Kings 15:27,34). While serving as a military commander under King Nadab (Jeroboam’s son), he assassinated Nadab at Gibbethon during a prolonged Philistine siege and “struck down the entire house of Jeroboam” (15:29). His accession fulfilled Ahijah’s earlier prophecy of judgment on Jeroboam’s dynasty (14:10-14).

• Length and Seat of Reign

He reigned twenty-four years (c. 909–886 BC) and made Tirzah his capital (15:33). His rule overlaps with the reign of King Asa of Judah, and their protracted hostility frames most of Baasha’s public activity (15:16).

• Religious Policy

Although he had executed Jeroboam’s family, Baasha imitated Jeroboam’s sin: “But he did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the ways of Jeroboam” (15:34). He preserved the golden-calf cult centers at Bethel and Dan, thereby consolidating political control at the cost of covenant fidelity.

• Military Conflict with Judah

Baasha fortified Ramah, a border town only five miles north of Jerusalem, “to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah” (2 Chronicles 16:1). Asa countered by bribing Ben-Hadad I of Aram with temple and palace treasures, inducing him to attack Israel’s northern sectors (16:2-4). When Aram seized Dan, Ijon, and Abel Beth Maacah, Baasha abandoned Ramah, and Asa repurposed its stones and timber to build Geba and Mizpah (1 Kings 15:22; 2 Chronicles 16:5-6).

• Prophetic Indictment

Jehu son of Hanani confronted Baasha with a message that echoed Ahijah’s words to Jeroboam:

“I lifted you up out of the dust and appointed you ruler over My people Israel, but you have walked in the way of Jeroboam… So now I will consume Baasha and his house” (1 Kings 16:2-3).

Because Baasha had “provoked the LORD to anger with the work of his hands” (16:7), the same doom he had inflicted on Jeroboam would fall on him.

• Death and Succession

Baasha “slept with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah, and his son Elah reigned in his place” (16:6). Two years later the captain Zimri assassinated Elah at Tirzah, annihilated every male relative and friend (16:11-13), and thereby fulfilled Jehu’s oracle. The phrase “house of Baasha” becomes a solemn byword for complete dynastic eradication (1 Kings 21:22; 2 Kings 9:9).

Baasha in Later Biblical Memory

The narrative books repeatedly place Baasha alongside Jeroboam as an exemplar of covenant violation and consequent judgment (1 Kings 21:22; 2 Kings 9:9). Prophets and historians alike stress that political success—“I lifted you up out of the dust” (16:2)—does not excuse idolatry. The Chronicler records Hanani’s rebuke of Asa for relying on Ben-Hadad rather than on the LORD (2 Chronicles 16:7-9), implicitly contrasting Baasha’s external threat with Asa’s internal unbelief; in both cases divine dependence, not human stratagems, determines security.

Other Bearer of the Name

1 Chronicles 9:6 lists “Baasha” among the returned Benjaminites settling in Jerusalem after the exile. Scripture offers no further data on this man, and he plays no role in the narrative record.

Theological and Ministry Observations

1. Providence and Accountability: Baasha’s elevation “out of the dust” underscores God’s sovereign freedom in choosing rulers. Yet privilege magnifies responsibility; when Baasha replicated Jeroboam’s idolatry, the judgment that once served him became the judgment against him.

2. The Cycle of Violence: Baasha’s regicide inaugurated a precedent of bloody coups in Israel (compare Zimri, Omri, Jehu, Pekah). Human schemes to secure power apart from obedience ultimately unravel under God’s righteous governance.

3. Fulfilled Prophecy: The meticulous correspondence between Jehu’s oracle (1 Kings 16:3-4) and Zimri’s actions (16:11-13) affirms the reliability of the prophetic word. Later prophets employ Baasha as proof that “the word of the LORD endures forever.”

4. Border Fortifications vs. Covenant Faithfulness: Ramah’s blockade demonstrates how political obsessions—trade control, migration control, military leverage—can eclipse spiritual priorities. Contemporary ministry may draw cautionary parallels: defensive projects cannot substitute for wholehearted devotion.

5. Lasting Memorial: Baasha left fortified cities, but Scripture measures his legacy by covenant fidelity. “The eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9). Baasha’s name endures chiefly as a warning to seek that devotion.

Forms and Transliterations
בַּעְשָׁ֑א בַּעְשָׁ֔א בַּעְשָׁ֖א בַּעְשָׁ֣א בַּעְשָׁ֤א בַּעְשָׁ֥א בַּעְשָׁ֧א בַּעְשָׁ֨א בַּעְשָׁא֙ בַעְשָׁ֔א בַעְשָׁ֖א בַעְשָׁ֛א בעשא לְבַעְשָׁא֙ לבעשא ba‘·šā ḇa‘·šā ba‘šā ḇa‘šā baSha lə·ḇa‘·šā ləḇa‘šā levaSha vaSha
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
1 Kings 15:16
HEB: אָסָ֗א וּבֵ֛ין בַּעְשָׁ֥א מֶֽלֶךְ־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל
NAS: between Asa and Baasha king of Israel
KJV: between Asa and Baasha king
INT: Asa between and Baasha king of Israel

1 Kings 15:17
HEB: וַיַּ֨עַל בַּעְשָׁ֤א מֶֽלֶךְ־ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙
NAS: Baasha king of Israel
KJV: And Baasha king of Israel
INT: went Baasha king of Israel

1 Kings 15:19
HEB: בְּרִֽיתְךָ֙ אֶת־ בַּעְשָׁ֣א מֶֽלֶךְ־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל
NAS: your treaty with Baasha king
KJV: thy league with Baasha king
INT: your treaty with Baasha king of Israel

1 Kings 15:21
HEB: וַֽיְהִי֙ כִּשְׁמֹ֣עַ בַּעְשָׁ֔א וַיֶּחְדַּ֕ל מִבְּנ֖וֹת
NAS: When Baasha heard [of it], he ceased
KJV: And it came to pass, when Baasha heard
INT: become heard Baasha ceased fortifying

1 Kings 15:22
HEB: אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּנָ֖ה בַּעְשָׁ֑א וַיִּ֤בֶן בָּם֙
NAS: with which Baasha had built.
KJV: and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded;
INT: which had built Baasha built and King

1 Kings 15:27
HEB: וַיִּקְשֹׁ֨ר עָלָ֜יו בַּעְשָׁ֤א בֶן־ אֲחִיָּה֙
NAS: Then Baasha the son of Ahijah
KJV: And Baasha the son of Ahijah,
INT: conspired against Baasha the son of Ahijah

1 Kings 15:27
HEB: יִשָּׂשכָ֔ר וַיַּכֵּ֣הוּ בַעְשָׁ֔א בְּגִבְּת֖וֹן אֲשֶׁ֣ר
NAS: against him, and Baasha struck him down
KJV: conspired against him; and Baasha smote
INT: of Issachar struck and Baasha Gibbethon which

1 Kings 15:28
HEB: וַיְמִתֵ֣הוּ בַעְשָׁ֔א בִּשְׁנַ֣ת שָׁלֹ֔שׁ
NAS: So Baasha killed him in the third
KJV: of Judah did Baasha slay
INT: killed Baasha year the third

1 Kings 15:32
HEB: אָסָ֗א וּבֵ֛ין בַּעְשָׁ֥א מֶֽלֶךְ־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל
NAS: between Asa and Baasha king of Israel
KJV: between Asa and Baasha king
INT: Asa between and Baasha king of Israel

1 Kings 15:33
HEB: יְהוּדָ֑ה מָ֠לַךְ בַּעְשָׁ֨א בֶן־ אֲחִיָּ֤ה
NAS: of Judah, Baasha the son
KJV: of Judah began Baasha the son
INT: of Judah became Baasha the son of Ahijah

1 Kings 16:1
HEB: חֲנָ֔נִי עַל־ בַּעְשָׁ֖א לֵאמֹֽר׃
NAS: of Hanani against Baasha, saying,
KJV: of Hanani against Baasha, saying,
INT: of Hanani against Baasha saying

1 Kings 16:3
HEB: מַבְעִ֛יר אַחֲרֵ֥י בַעְשָׁ֖א וְאַחֲרֵ֣י בֵית֑וֹ
NAS: I will consume Baasha and his house,
KJV: the posterity of Baasha, and the posterity
INT: will consume the posterity Baasha and the posterity and his house

1 Kings 16:4
HEB: הַמֵּ֤ת לְבַעְשָׁא֙ בָּעִ֔יר יֹֽאכְל֖וּ
NAS: Anyone of Baasha who dies in the city
KJV: Him that dieth of Baasha in the city
INT: dies of Baasha the city will eat

1 Kings 16:5
HEB: וְיֶ֨תֶר דִּבְרֵ֥י בַעְשָׁ֛א וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֖ה
NAS: of the acts of Baasha and what
KJV: of the acts of Baasha, and what he did,
INT: now the rest of the acts of Baasha and what did

1 Kings 16:6
HEB: וַיִּשְׁכַּ֤ב בַּעְשָׁא֙ עִם־ אֲבֹתָ֔יו
NAS: And Baasha slept with his fathers
KJV: So Baasha slept with his fathers,
INT: slept and Baasha with his fathers

1 Kings 16:7
HEB: הָיָה֩ אֶל־ בַּעְשָׁ֨א וְאֶל־ בֵּית֜וֹ
NAS: against Baasha and his household,
KJV: of the LORD against Baasha, and against his house,
INT: came against Baasha against and his household

1 Kings 16:8
HEB: אֵלָ֨ה בֶן־ בַּעְשָׁ֧א עַל־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל
NAS: the son of Baasha became king
KJV: the son of Baasha to reign
INT: Elah the son of Baasha over Israel

1 Kings 16:11
HEB: כָּל־ בֵּ֣ית בַּעְשָׁ֔א לֹֽא־ הִשְׁאִ֥יר
NAS: the household of Baasha; he did not leave
KJV: all the house of Baasha: he left
INT: all the household of Baasha did not leave

1 Kings 16:12
HEB: כָּל־ בֵּ֣ית בַּעְשָׁ֑א כִּדְבַ֤ר יְהוָה֙
NAS: the household of Baasha, according to the word
KJV: all the house of Baasha, according to the word
INT: all the household of Baasha to the word God

1 Kings 16:12
HEB: דִּבֶּ֣ר אֶל־ בַּעְשָׁ֔א בְּיַ֖ד יֵה֥וּא
NAS: He spoke against Baasha through Jehu
KJV: which he spake against Baasha by
INT: spoke against Baasha through Jehu

1 Kings 16:13
HEB: כָּל־ חַטֹּ֣אות בַּעְשָׁ֔א וְחַטֹּ֖אות אֵלָ֣ה
NAS: the sins of Baasha and the sins
KJV: For all the sins of Baasha, and the sins
INT: all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah

1 Kings 21:22
HEB: נְבָ֔ט וּכְבֵ֖ית בַּעְשָׁ֣א בֶן־ אֲחִיָּ֑ה
NAS: and like the house of Baasha the son
KJV: and like the house of Baasha the son
INT: of Nebat the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah

2 Kings 9:9
HEB: נְבָ֑ט וּכְבֵ֖ית בַּעְשָׁ֥א בֶן־ אֲחִיָּֽה׃
NAS: and like the house of Baasha the son
KJV: and like the house of Baasha the son
INT: of Nebat the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah

2 Chronicles 16:1
HEB: אָסָ֔א עָלָ֞ה בַּעְשָׁ֤א מֶֽלֶךְ־ יִשְׂרָאֵל֙
NAS: of Asa's reign Baasha king of Israel
KJV: of Asa Baasha king
INT: of Asa's came Baasha king of Israel

2 Chronicles 16:3
HEB: בְּרִֽיתְךָ֗ אֶת־ בַּעְשָׁא֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל
NAS: your treaty with Baasha king
KJV: thy league with Baasha king
INT: your treaty with Baasha king of Israel

28 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 1201
28 Occurrences


ba‘·šā — 23 Occ.
lə·ḇa‘·šā — 1 Occ.
ḇa‘·šā — 4 Occ.

1200
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