· Translation: KJV

1 Kings 15:33In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, and reigned twenty-four years.

The setting

Northern Israel, ~909 BC. Tirzah becomes the new capital after Shechem. Baasha seizes power through military coup in a fractured kingdom near modern-day Nablus, Palestine.

The emotion here: methodical record-keeping of tragic pattern

The original word

malak (מָלַךְ) — to reign, exercise dominion as sovereign ruler

Why it matters

Tirzah was Israel's capital for 50 years before Omri built Samaria

Read with care

What most readers miss in 1 Kings 15:33

This verse records the EXACT year - ancient historians were meticulous about succession

Common misconceptionPeople think these king lists are boring filler, but they're showing God's faithfulness to preserve His people despite terrible leadership.

Bible Genome reading

1 Kings 15:33 — Bible Genome reading

EraDivided Kingdom
Primary emotionstarting
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power20%
Quotability20%
Memorability30%
Crisis relevance30%
Standalone40%
Themes:royal successionchronology

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 1 Kings 15

1 Kings 15:33 comes from the book of 1 Kings, written during the Divided Kingdom period. The dominant emotion in this verse is starting, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is conversational. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include royal succession, chronology. Notable phrases: third year of Asa; Baasha began to reign; twenty-four years.

Your reflection

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