2 Chronicles 16

2Ch 16:1-14.

ASA, BY A

LEAGUE WITH THE

SYRIANS,

DIVERTS

BAASHA FROM

BUILDING

RAMAH.

1-6. In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha

. . . came up against Judah--Baasha had died several

years before this date

(1Ki 15:33),

and the best biblical critics are agreed in considering this date to be

calculated from the separation of the kingdoms, and coincident with the

sixteenth year of Asa's reign. This mode of reckoning was, in all

likelihood, generally followed in the book of the kings of Judah and

Israel, the public annals of the time

(2Ch 16:11),

the source from which the inspired historian drew his account.

Baasha . . . built Ramah--that is, fortified it. The blessing of God

which manifestly rested at this time on the kingdom of Judah, the

signal victory of Asa, the freedom and purity of religious worship, and

the fame of the late national covenant, were regarded with great

interest throughout Israel, and attracted a constantly increasing

number of emigrants to Judah. Baasha, alarmed at this movement,

determined to stem the tide; and as the high road to and from Jerusalem

passed by Ramah, he made that frontier town, about six miles north of

Asa's capital, a military station, where the vigilance of his sentinels

would effectually prevent all passage across the boundary of the

kingdom (see on

1Ki 15:16-22;

also

Jer 41:9).

4. Ben-hadad . . . sent the captains of his armies . . . and they smote

. . . Abelmaim--"The meadow of waters," supposed to have been situated

on the marshy plain near the uppermost lake of the Jordan. The other

two towns were also in the northern district of Palestine. These

unexpected hostilities of his Syrian ally interrupted Baasha's

fortifications at Ramah, and his death, happening soon after, prevented

his resuming them.

7-10. Hanani the seer came to Asa . . . and said--His object was to

show the king his error in forming his recent league with Ben-hadad.

The prophet represented the appropriation of the temple treasures to

purchase the services of the Syrian mercenaries, as indicating a

distrust in God most blameable with the king's experience. He added,

that in consequence of this want of faith, Asa had lost the opportunity

of gaining a victory over the united forces of Baasha and Ben-hadad,

more splendid than that obtained over the Ethiopians. Such a victory,

molest him in the future; whereas by his foolish and worldly policy, so

unworthy of God's vicegerent, to misapply the temple treasures and

corrupt the fidelity of an ally of the king of Israel, he had tempted

the cupidity of the one, and increased the hostility of the other, and

rendered himself liable to renewed troubles

(1Ki 15:32).

This rebuke was pungent and, from its truth and justness, ought to have

penetrated and afflicted the heart of such a man as Asa. But his pride

was offended at the freedom taken by the honest reprover of royalty,

and in a burst of passionate resentment, he ordered Hanani to be thrown

into prison.

10. Asa oppressed some of the people the same time--The form or degree

of this oppression is not recorded. The cause of his oppressing them

was probably due to the same offense as that of Hanani--a strong

expression of their dissatisfaction with his conduct in leaguing with

Ben-hadad, or it may have been his maltreatment of the Lord's servant.

12. Asa . . . was diseased in his feet--probably the gout.

yet his disease was exceeding great--better, "moved upwards" in his

body, which proves the violent and dangerous type of the malady.

yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the

physicians--most probably Egyptian physicians, who were anciently

in high repute at foreign courts, and who pretended to expel diseases

trusting to such physicians, while he neglected to supplicate the aid

and blessing of God. The best and holiest men have been betrayed for a

time into sins, but through repentance have risen again; and as Asa is

pronounced a good man

(2Ch 15:17),

it may be presumed that he also was restored to a better state of

mind.

14. they buried him in his own sepulchres--The tombs in the

neighborhood of Jerusalem were excavated in the side of a rock. One

cave contained several tombs or sepulchres.

laid him in the bed . . . filled with sweet odours and divers kinds of

spices--It is evident that a sumptuous public funeral was given him as

a tribute of respect and gratitude for his pious character and

patriotic government. But whether "the bed" means a state couch on

which he lay exposed to public view, the odoriferous perfumes being

designed to neutralize the offensive smell of the corpse, or whether it

refers to an embalmment, in which aromatic spices were always used in

great profusion, it is impossible to say.

they made a very great burning for him--according to some, for

consuming the spices. According to others, it was a magnificent pile

for the cremation of the corpse--a usage which was at that time, and

long after, prevalent among the Hebrews, and the omission of which in

the case of royal personages was reckoned a great indignity

(2Ch 21:19;

1Sa 31:12;

Jer 34:5;

Am 6:10).