2 Chronicles 16:1-6

Asa's Treaty with Aram

1 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa, Israel's King Baasha went to war against Judah. He built Ramah in order to deny anyone's access-going or coming-to Judah's King Asa.

2 So Asa brought out the silver and gold from the treasuries of the Lord's temple and the royal palace and sent it to Aram's King Ben-hadad, who lived in Damascus, saying,

3 "There's a treaty between me and you, between my father and your father. Look, I have sent you silver and gold. Go break your treaty with Israel's King Baasha so that he will withdraw from me."

4 Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies to the cities of Israel. They attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim,^[a] and all the storage cities^[b] of Naphtali.

5 When Baasha heard [about it], he quit building Ramah and stopped his work.

6 Then King Asa brought all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had built it with. Then he built Geba and Mizpah with them.^[c]

2 Chronicles 16:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 16

Baasha coming up against Judah, and building Ramah, Asa made a league with the king of Syria, and hired him to make a diversion in his favour, and cause Baasha to leave off building, which succeeded, 2Ch 16:1-6, for which he was reproved by a prophet of the Lord, with whom he was so angry for it as to put him in prison, and oppress others, 2Ch 16:7,10, and the chapter is closed with an account of his disease and conduct under it, and of his death and burial, 2Ch 16:11-14.

Footnotes

• [a] 1 Kg 15:20 reads Abel-beth-maacah
• [b] 1 Kg 15:20 reads all [the] Chinneroth
• [c] 1 Kg 15:17-22