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2 Chronicles 16

KJV · Chapter 16/36

1In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

2Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben–hadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,

3There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.

4And Ben–hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel–maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.

5And it came to pass, when Baasha heard it, that he left off building of Ramah, and let his work cease.

6Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha was building; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.

7And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand.

8Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the Lord, he delivered them into thine hand.

9For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

10Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time.

11And, behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

12And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians.

13And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign.

14And they buried him in his own sepulchres, which he had made for himself in the city of David, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odours and divers kinds of spices prepared by the apothecaries’ art: and they made a very great burning for him.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

In his later years, Asa makes a serious mistake: instead of trusting God as he had before, he bribes the king of Syria to attack Israel and relieve the military pressure on Judah. A prophet rebukes him for this lack of faith, and Asa reacts in anger, imprisoning the prophet, and later falls gravely ill without seeking God.

Explanation

It is sad to see the contrast between the young Asa, who trusted fully in God against a gigantic Ethiopian army, and the aged Asa, who resorts to human political alliances and bribery in the face of a far smaller threat from the northern kingdom. The prophet Hanani directly confronts this change of character, reminding him that 'the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.' Asa's hostile reaction, imprisoning God's messenger instead of repenting, and later refusing to seek spiritual help during his final illness, shows how pride can progressively harden the heart of someone who was once genuinely faithful.

Fun facts

  • The specific criticism that Asa 'sought to the physicians' instead of seeking the Lord during his illness is not a condemnation of medicine itself, but highlights his attitude of completely excluding spiritual dependence on God at a critical moment of his life.
  • This chapter is one of the clearest biblical examples of how the end of a life can contradict a promising beginning, serving as a warning about the importance of perseverance in faith to the end, not just in the initial moments of spiritual enthusiasm.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. 2 Chronicles 16:1Already in the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, Baasha, king of Israel, invades Judah and fortifies the city of Ramah, blocking anyone from entering or leaving Judah.
  2. 2 Chronicles 16:2Instead of asking God for help as he did against the Ethiopians in chapter 14, Asa now bribes the king of Syria with silver and gold from the temple’s own treasury to attack Israel. It’s a change of attitude the prophet Hanani will confront right after.
  3. 2 Chronicles 16:3Asa proposes to Ben-hadad that they renew the alliance that already existed between the two kings’ fathers, offering silver and gold in exchange for breaking his alliance with Baasha.
  4. 2 Chronicles 16:4Ben-hadad accepts the proposal and sends his army to attack cities of Israel — Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and other fortified cities of Naphtali.
  5. 2 Chronicles 16:5On learning of this attack from behind, Baasha abandons the building of Ramah and stops all work there.
  6. 2 Chronicles 16:6Taking advantage of the abandonment, Asa has all the people of Judah carry off the stones and timber Baasha had left at Ramah, using the material to fortify Geba and Mizpah.
  7. 2 Chronicles 16:7Soon after, the seer Hanani confronts Asa: by relying on the king of Syria instead of relying on the Lord, he let slip the chance to defeat the Syrian army as well.
  8. 2 Chronicles 16:8Hanani reminds Asa that he had already defeated a huge Ethiopian and Libyan army, far larger, simply because he relied on God on that occasion.
  9. 2 Chronicles 16:9Hanani explains that the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, looking to support those whose heart is fully faithful to Him — and he warns that, because of this wrong alliance, Asa will face wars from now on.
  10. 2 Chronicles 16:10When the seer Hanani rebukes this alliance with Syria, Asa reacts by imprisoning the prophet himself, instead of listening. It’s a clear sign that the faith he had shown when younger had been weakening with time and success.
  11. 2 Chronicles 16:11The summary of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, is recorded in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel, cited as a source by the Chronicler.
  12. 2 Chronicles 16:12Even while sick and suffering greatly in his feet, Asa seeks only the physicians, not the Lord. The text’s point isn’t that seeking a doctor is wrong, it’s that he left God completely out of it, consistent with the pattern of drifting away that had already been building since the previous chapter.
  13. 2 Chronicles 16:13Asa dies in the forty-first year of his reign, closing out a rule that began with strong faith and ended marked by mistrust.
  14. 2 Chronicles 16:14He is buried in the tomb he had prepared for himself in the city of David, laid on a bed full of perfumes prepared by specialists, with a funeral ceremony on a grand scale.

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