And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah
Which, in ( 2 Chronicles 16:1 ) is said to be in the thirty sixth year of Asa's reign, or rather of his kingdom; for it can never mean the year of his reign, for Baasha was dead many years before that, since his reign began in the third of Asa, and he reigned but twenty four years, and therefore must die in the twenty seventh of Asa; but it is to be understood of the kingdom of Judah, when it was divided from Israel; from that time to this were thirty six years, seventeen under Rehoboam, three under Abijam, so that this year must be the sixteenth of Asa; thus it is calculated in the Jewish chronology F21, and which is followed by many of the best of our chronologers:
and built Ramah;
a city in the tribe of Benjamin, ( Joshua 18:25 ) , but taken by the king of Israel, which he rebuilt or fortified:
that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah;
that his people might not go to and from Jerusalem, and worship at the temple there; this garrison lying on the borders of both kingdoms, he thought hereby to cut off all communication between them.
FOOTNOTES:
F21 Seder Olam Rabba, c. 16.
