and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.
We have here a short account of the short reign of Abijam the son of Rehoboam king of Judah. He makes a better figure, 2 Chr. 13, where we have an account of his war with Jeroboam, the speech which he made before the armies engaged, and the wonderful victory he obtained by the help of God.
Commenting on 1 Kings 15:1-8
And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him,.... Having such bad examples as both parents to copy after; it chiefly respects idolatrous practices, see Kg1 14:23, and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God; he did profess the true God, and worshipped him, but not wholly, and only, and sincerely; he worshipped other gods...
Three years reigned he--(compare Kg1 15:1 with Kg1 15:9). Parts of years are often counted in Scripture as whole years. The reign began in Jeroboam's eighteenth year, continued till the nineteenth, and ended in the course of the twentieth. his mother's name was Maachah--or Michaiah (Ch2 13:2), probably altered from the one to the other on her becoming queen, as was very common under a change of circumstances.