Bible Strands
1 Kings 15:26
And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrative describes King Nadab of Israel immediately after his accession, placing his two-year reign in the second year of King Asa of Judah.
The words — וַיַּעַשׂ (wa-ya‘aś) means “and he did” and הָרַע (hā-rā‘) means “the evil.” The phrase בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה (bə-‘ênê YHWH) literally translates to “in the eyes of Yahweh,” denoting direct divine observation.
The thread — The text explicitly ties Nadab’s conduct to Jeroboam’s prior apostasy, echoing the prophetic warning in 1 Kings 14:16 and the repeated indictment in 1 Kings 15:30. The identical “did evil... walked in the way” formula appears only in 1 Kings 15:34 regarding Baasha.
Why it lands — The verse records a historical pattern of dynastic continuity in idolatry, showing that a new ruler’s alignment with a predecessor’s sin perpetuates national rebellion. It demands recognition that political succession does not break spiritual decline without deliberate repentance.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 14:16 So He will give Israel over on account of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit.”
- 1 Kings 15:30 because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit, and because he had provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger.
- 1 Kings 15:34 And Baasha did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit.
- 1 Kings 12:28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”
- 1 Kings 13:33 Even after these events, Jeroboam did not repent of his evil ways, but again he appointed priests for the high places from every class of people. He ordained anyone who desired to be a priest of the high places.
- Genesis 20:9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and asked, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such tremendous guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done.”
- Exodus 32:21 “What did this people do to you,” Moses asked Aaron, “that you have led them into so great a sin?”
- 1 Samuel 2:24 No, my sons; it is not a good report I hear circulating among the LORD’s people.
- 1 Kings 16:7 Moreover, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha and his house, because of all the evil he had done in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger with the work of his hands and becoming like the house of Jeroboam, and also because Baasha had struck down the house of Jeroboam.
- 1 Kings 16:19 because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the sight of the LORD and following the example of Jeroboam and the sin he had committed and had caused Israel to commit.