2 Chronicles 16

1 Forsooth in the six and thirtieth year of his realm, Baasha, king of Israel, went up into Judah, and (en)compassed Ramah with a wall, that no man of the realm of Asa might go out, either enter in securely. (But in the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign, Baasha, the king of Israel, went up into Judah, and surrounded Ramah with a wall, so that no man in Asa's kingdom could safely come in, or go out.)
2 And Asa brought forth gold and silver from the treasur[i]es of the house of the Lord, and from the king's treasuries; and sent (it) to Benhadad, king of Syria, that dwelled in Damascus (who lived in Damascus), and said,
3 (A) Bond of peace is betwixt me and thee, and my father and thy father had accord together; wherefore I have sent to thee silver and gold, that when thou hast broken the bond of peace, which thou hast with Baasha, king of Israel, thou make him to go away from me. (There is a covenant between me and thee, and my father and thy father had an accord together; and so I have sent to thee my silver and gold, so that when thou hast broken the covenant which thou hast with Baasha, the king of Israel, then thou shalt make him go away from me.)
4 And when this was found (acceptable), Benhadad sent the princes of his hosts to the cities of Israel, which smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the walled cities of Naphtali. (And when this was found acceptable, Benhadad sent the leaders of his armies against the cities of Israel, who struck Ijon, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the walled cities of Naphtali.)
5 And when Baasha had heard this, he ceased to build (up) Ramah, and left [off] his work.
6 And king Asa took all Judah, and they took from Ramah the stones, and [the] wood, which Baasha had made ready to building; and he builded of those Geba, and Mizpah. (And King Asa commanded to all Judah, and they took away the stones, and the timber from Ramah, with which Baasha had fortified it; and Asa used them to fortify Geba and Mizpah.)
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.
12 And Asa was sick full greatly in the aching of his feet, in the nine and thirtieth year of his realm; and neither in his sickness he sought the Lord, but he trusted more in the craft of leeches. (And Asa was greatly sick, or pained, with aching feet, in the thirty-ninth year of his kingdom; yet even in his sickness he did not seek the Lord, but he trusted more in the craft of physicians.)
13 And Asa slept with his fathers, and was dead in the one and fortieth year of his realm. (And Asa went to be with his ancestors, and died in the forty-first year of his reign.)
14 And they buried him in his sepulchre, which he had made to himself in the city of David; and they put him, or laid him, on his bed full of sweet smelling spices and ointments of whores, that where made (al)together by the craft of ointment makers, and they burnt these upon him with full great cost. (And they buried him in his tomb, which he had made for himself in the City of David; and they laid him on his bed full of sweet smelling spices and ointments, which were made by the craft of ointment makers; and they burned a great bonfire to mourn his death.)

2 Chronicles 16 Commentary

Chapter 16

Asa seeks the aid of the Syrians, His death.

- A plain and faithful reproof was given to Asa by a prophet of the Lord, for making a league with Syria. God is displeased when he is distrusted, and when an arm of flesh is relied on, more than his power and goodness. It is foolish to lean on a broken reed, when we have the Rock of ages to rely upon. To convince Asa of his folly, the prophet shows that he, of all men, had no reason to distrust God, who had found him such a powerful Helper. The many experiences we have had of the goodness of God to us, aggravate our distrust of him. But see how deceitful our hearts are! we trust in God when we have nothing else to trust to, when need drives us to him; but when we have other things to stay on, we are apt to depend too much on them. Observe Asa's displeasure at this reproof. What is man, when God leaves him to himself! He that abused his power for persecuting God's prophet, was left to himself, to abuse it further for crushing his own subjects. Two years before he died, Asa was diseased in his feet. Making use of physicians was his duty; but trusting to them, and expecting that from them which was to be had from God only, were his sin and folly. In all conflicts and sufferings we need especially to look to our own hearts, that they may be perfect towards God, by faith, patience, and obedience.

Chapter Summary

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.

2 Chronicles 16 Commentaries

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.