2 Chronicles 16:9

9 For the eyes of the Lord behold all the earth, and give strength to them, that with perfect heart believe into him (and give strength to those, who with a perfect heart believe in him). Therefore thou hast done follily, and for this trust in men, yea, in this present time battles shall rise against thee.

2 Chronicles 16:9 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 16:9

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole
earth
The eyes of his omniscience are everywhere, and the eyes of his mercy and goodness, of his care and providence, are here and there, and in every place throughout the whole world at once, see ( Zechariah 4:10 ) ,

to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect
towards him;
or, as in the margin, "strongly to hold" with such, to be on their side, take their part, strengthen them, support and supply them, and to protect and defend them who are sincere and upright in heart; whose graces are sincere and unfeigned, though not complete, nor they free from sin, and who, with the heart, sincerely believe in God, in which Asa at this time failed, though otherwise his heart is said to be perfect, ( 1 Kings 15:4 ) , it was so in the general bent of it, and especially with respect to the worship of God, though there was something lacking in his faith at this time, as there often is in the best of men:

herein thou hast done foolishly;
to trust in man, and not in the Lord, to part with his money, and lose the opportunity of having the whole Syrian army fall into his hands:

therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars;
which, though we read not of, was doubtless his case; some interpret it of his posterity.

2 Chronicles 16:9 In-Context

7 In that time Hanani, the prophet (At that time the prophet Hanani), came to Asa, king of Judah, and said to him, For-thy that thou haddest trust in the king of Syria, and not in the Lord thy God, therefore the host of the king of Syria escaped from thine hand.
8 Whether (the) Ethiopians and Libyans were not many more in chariots, and knights, and in full great multitude; which, when thou haddest believed to the Lord, he betook them into thine hands? (Did not the Ethiopians and the Libyans, with such a great multitude, have many more chariots, and horsemen than thee? yet, when thou had believed in the Lord, he delivered them into thy hands.)
9 For the eyes of the Lord behold all the earth, and give strength to them, that with perfect heart believe into him (and give strength to those, who with a perfect heart believe in him). Therefore thou hast done follily, and for this trust in men, yea, in this present time battles shall rise against thee.
10 And Asa was wroth against the prophet, and commanded him to be sent into the stocks. Forsooth the Lord had indignation greatly upon this thing, and he killed full many of the people in that time (And the king had great indignation because of this word, and he killed a great many people at that time).
11 Soothly the first and [the] last works of Asa be written in the book of [the] kings of Judah and of Israel.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.