Abijam followeth his father’s sins; God however keepeth promise: he dieth, and Asa his son succeedeth him, 1Ki_15:1-8. His good reign, 1Ki_15:9-15. Baasha wareth against him: he maketh a league with Ben-hadad, 1Ki_15:16-22. He dieth, and Jehoshaphat succeedeth him, 1Ki_15:23,24. Nadab’s wicked reign: Baasha slayeth him; destroyeth his father’s house, and succeeds him: his wicked reign, 1Ki_15:25-34.
Object. How can this be, when he reigned three years, 1Ki_15:2, and Asa his successor began his reign in the twentieth year of Jeroboam, 1Ki_15:9?
Answ. Parts of years are commonly called and accounted years, both in the Old and New Testament, and in profane writers. So his reign began with Jeroboam’s eighteenth year, and continued his whole nineteenth year, and ended within his twentieth year, in which also Asa’s reign began. And thus one and the same year may well be, as it frequently is, attributed to two several persons.