THE SECOND BOOK OF THE
CHRONICLES

2 Chronicles 16

1Asa maketh a league with Ben-hadad king of Syria against Baasha, who is thereby diverted from the building of Ramah; Asa with the stones thereof buildeth Geba and Mizpah. 7Hanani the seer, reproving him for applying to the Syrians for aid rather than to God, is imprisoned by him. 11Asa in his sickness seeketh not to God, but to the physicians. 13His death and burial.


1IN thea six and thirtieth year 1of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and 2built 3Ramah, to the intent that he might let 4none 5go out or 6come in to Asa king of Judah.

a 1 Kings 15:17.

1 See 2 Chron. 15:19.

2 That is, strengthened, fortified. Also 2 Chron. 11:5; 14:6, and below, verse 5.

3 A city situated on a high place in the tribe of Benjamin, not far from Shiloh, Joshua 18:25.

4 Namely, of the ten tribes, over which he was king; for, inasmuch as many saw that the true worship of God was set up under Asa, and that the Lord was with him, there many did go over unto Asa to Judah. Many likewise came to Jerusalem to worship God on the feasts and otherwise. This Baasha sought to hinder by this means. See 2 Chron. 15:9. Hebr. that he might not permit the goer out and the comer in, etc.

5 Namely, out of his kingdom into Judah.

6 Namely, from Judah into his land.

2Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king's house, and sent to Ben-hadad king of Syria, that dwelt at 7Damascus, saying,

7 Hebr. Darmesek.

38There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, 9break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may 10depart from me.

8 Other, Let there be a covenant, etc., as between, etc.

9 That is, break the peace, which you have with him, and make war with him, in order that he leave me in peace.

10 Hebr. march up.

4And Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote 11Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-maim, and 12all the store cities of Naphtali.

11 See of this city and the following 1 Kings 15 on verse 20.

12 That is, magazine, ammunition-cities. See 1 Kings 9 on verse 19. Hebr. treasure houses of cities.

5And it came to pass, when Baasha heard it, that he left off building of Ramah, and let his work cease.

6Then Asa the king took 13all Judah; and they carried away the stones 14of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha was building; and 15he built therewith 16Geba and 17Mizpah.

13 That is, those who pertained to the tribe of Judah. See 1 Kings 15 on verse 22.

14 Wherewith the king of Israel intended to fortify Ramah. Thus in the following the timber thereof.

15 Namely, king Asa, 1 Kings 15:22.

16 Namely, Geba of Benjamin, 1 Kings 15:22. See the annotation there.

17 See Judges 11:11.

7¶And at that time 18Hanani the 19seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria 20escaped out of thine hand.

18 This man was the father of the prophet Jehu, 2 Chron. 19:2.

19 See of this name 2 Chron. 9 on verse 29.

20 For otherwise thou wouldest have subdued the king of Syria as well as the king of Israel, as thou hast overcome the Moors. Other, got away, hath withdrawn; whereof the meaning would be: Thou hast both lost thy labor and given thee much trouble, in calling the Syrians in to thine aid; for, although for the present by their falling upon the Syrians, they have hindered king Baasha in going on in his design of fortifying and strengthening Ramah, yet when they shall be marched away, they will not help thee in the war, which Baasha will resume against thee. See the end of the 9th verse following.

8Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims 21a huge host, 22with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand.

21 Hebr. for an host, for or in a multitude.

22 See 2 Chron. 14:9.

9For the 23eyesb of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is 24perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth 25thou shalt have wars.

23 Understand His Providence, whereby He sees and knows what is done in all lands, not only in general, but also in particular, observing everyone’s actions or doings. See similar saying, Zech. 4:10.

b Job 34:21; Prov. 5:21; 15:3; Jer. 16:17; 32:19.

24 What kind of perfection this is in this life of the godly, see 1 Kings 8 on verse 61. Hence it seems to be now said that Asa’s heart was not upright or perfect towards the Lord, contrary to what we read in 1 Kings 15:14, and 2 Chron. 15:17. But see the comparison of both 1 Kings 15 on verse 14.

25 Namely, made against thee by king Baasha. See 1 Kings 15:16.

10Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in 26a prison house; for he was in a 27rage with him because of this thing. And Asa 28oppressed some of the people the same time.

26 Heb. in the house of subversion or destruction, that is, in prison, wherein those, who were shut up, were to be destroyed or put to death. He perceived that the prophet had shortchanged his royal majesty, and therefore had forfeited his life. Some translate it the house or prison of the stocks, where they locked up prisoners in the stocks, or in fetters and chains. The same words is also used Jer. 20:2; 29:26.

27 Hebr. in vexation, namely, through anger. See of the proper signification of this word Gen. 40 on verse 6.

28 The Hebrew word signifies properly to beat a thing or a man in pieces, to throw down on the ground, to tread down, to crush, to oppress.

11¶And, behold, the acts of Asa, 29first and last, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

29 The first were good and commendable; the last had great failings, and consequently were blamable. He was indeed faithful and constant in maintaining the pure worship of God, but his confidence in God was small, and his severity against some of the people was great.

12And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he 30sought not to the LORD, but to the 31physicians.

30 That is, he did not ask counsel of God by any prophet; he did not humble himself by confession of his sins; he relied not on the Lord; neither called upon Him, as he ought to have done, but relied only on the physicians and on the help of man.

31 Hebr. in or of the physicians.

13¶And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign.

14And they buried him in his own 32sepulchres, which he had made for himself in the city of David, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odours and divers kinds of spices prepared by the apothecaries' art: and they 33made a very great burning for him.

32 Or, sepulchre. Hebr. sepulchres. Compare 2 Kings 22:20 and see the annotation.

33 That is, they honored him at his burial by burning of precious and sweet-smelling spices. Compare 2 Chron. 21:19; Jer. 34:5.