Who was King Nadab in the Bible?

Son of Jeroboam, king of Israel. He reigned two years and was then killed by Baasha. 1 Kings 14:20; 1 Kings 15:25, 27, 31.

In order not to interrupt the account of the events of Asa's reign, Baasha's attack, though much later, had been mentioned in verse 17. The Word turns back in verse 25 and tells us of Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, who began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa. His reign lasted two years; this short period of time was sufficient to prove his iniquity. The Lord's word against Jeroboam is fulfilled with regard to his son and all his family (cf. 1 Kings 14:14). Baasha conspires against him, smites him, and slays him at Gibbethon and reigns in his stead in the third year of Asa, king of Judah. "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, because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and wherewith he made Israel to sin; by his provocation with which he provoked Jehovah the God of Israel to anger" (vv. 29-30). Baasha reigned twenty-four years and did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.

Nadab, the son of Jereboam, reigned over the ten tribes of Israel only two years (v.25). He followed his father's example of refusing the Word of God and continuing the worship of idols, thereby making Israel sin as his father did (v.26). Nothing else is said about his two year reign, so that there is no suggestion of anything that was a credit to him.

Another man, Baasha, of the tribe of Issachar, conspired against Nadab and killed him at Gibbethon, a Philistine city which Nadab was besieging (v.27). Baasha was on the side of the besiegers, but used the occasion to murder his own king! Then he took Nadab's place as king. In all of this the weakness of the people of Israelis apparent. They accept the authority of a murderer. Perhaps they thought his authority was better than that of Nadab, but both were rebellious against the authority of God.

"And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel two years. 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."

The sons of Jeroboam, together with their father, had ejected God's ordained priesthood, and had "cast them off from executing the priest's office unto the Lord" (2 Chron. 11:14). So Nadab followed in his father's ways; but God did not permit him to continue long in his wickedness. "And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon." Gibbethon was a town in Dan, allotted to the Levites of the family of Korah (Joshua 19:44; 21:23). It bordered on the land of the Philistines, and was probably seized by them on the emigration of the Levites to Judah. It means, lofty place; and it was while seeking to recover it to the crown, that Nadab was treacherously slain. But it was in fulfilment of the prophecy of Ahijah, "The Lord shall raise Him up a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day: but what? even now."

"Nadab the son of Jeroboam.reigned over Israel two years. And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin with which he made Israel sin."

Nadab reigned over Israel two years. God allotted him sufficient time to make plain whether he would follow his father Jeroboam's ways or whether he would follow the Lord. God's judgment pronounced on Jeroboam and his family fell upon Nadab as he led his people in besieging the Philistine city of Gibbethon.

Jeroboam's son Nadab reigned two years only. (1 Kings 15:5). He was then murdered by one of his captains — Baasha — while they were at war with the Philistines, and were besieging Gibbethon. Baasha occupied his bloodstained throne twenty-four years, and he became Jehovah's instrument for the extermination of Jeroboam's vile family. Baasha's son Elah succeeded his father, but was murdered two years later by an officer named Zimri. This man hoped to establish himself in Tirzah — the capital of the ten-tribe kingdom. But another captain — Omri — aspired to the throne, and within a week he captured Tirzah, Zimri perishing in the flames of the royal palace, which he himself set ablaze when he perceived that his cause was hopeless. But even this did not settle the country. Yet another aspirant to the throne appeared — Tibni the son of Ginath. "Then were the people of Israel (i.e. the ten tribes) divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath, to make him king; and half followed Omri. But the people that followed Omri prevailed against the people that followed Tibni the son of Ginath: so Tibni died, and Omri reigned." (1 Kings 15:21-22) Deplorable record! We are speaking, not of pagan nations, but of God's chosen people, for whom He had done great things from Egypt onward, and to whom He had made known His holy will. They were still dear to his heart — "beloved for the fathers' sake" (Rom. 11:28). At a much later date, Jehovah, when pronouncing judgement upon His people spoke of Israel as "the dearly beloved of My soul" (Jer. 12:7). Israel possessed the Scriptures; no other nation was so privileged. Yet what a story of lawlessness and transgression is written in the Books of the Kings! Ambitious captains — plunderers and murderers, contending for supremacy in God's inheritance, with no thought of glorifying Him, nor of doing good to His poor people. Jehovah might well have challenged those ruthless leaders as in Jer. 13:20: Where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?" Yet not a trace of exercise of conscience is discernible in the land concerning this condition of things; none crying out in the anguish of faith: "How long, O Jehovah. … Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins for Thy name's sake" (Ps. 79:5-9). A downward course is always slippery. Let us all beware of the smallest beginning of departure from the revealed will of God. "Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe, and I will have respect to Thy commandments continually" (Ps. 119:117).

Six kings of Israel are now mentioned. Asa saw them all ascending the throne of Israel. The first mentioned is Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, who followed in his father's footsteps. His reign was cut short by an uprising of one of the house of Issachar, Baasha. He smote Nadab at Gibbethon (Josh. 19:44; 21:23). Baasha then smote all the house of Jeroboam. Thus was the prediction of Ahijah, the prophet of Shiloh, fulfilled. "Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger." God's predicted judgments never fail in the end. The judgments written over against our own age, this evil age, will some day be executed by the Lord as all other judgments which were threatened against Israel.

Nadab comes to his end, and Baasha conspires against him and "smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines: for Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon. Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did Baasha slay him, and reigned in his stead. 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 to the saying of Jehovah which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite: because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked Jehovah God of Israel to anger. Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel."

So ended the first of the nine dynasties that for two hundred and fifty years ruled (or misruled) the kingdom of Israel. Nadab's name means willing; and he appears to have been too willing to continue in, and perpetuate, the sin of his iniquitous father. He is not once mentioned in the book of Chronicles, nor is there any record in that book of his father's lifting up his hand against king Solomon, as in the Kings. See Author's Introduction. The inspired record of his uninteresting reign ends with the usual formula used in Kings: "Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?"