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The Histories · Old Testament

2 Chronicles 16

2 Chronicles 16: Asa's treaty with Ben-hadad, Hanani's rebuke and Asa's death

General context

In Asa's thirty sixth year Baasha king of Israel comes up against Judah and builds Ramah to stop anyone going out or coming in to Asa. Asa takes silver and gold from the treasures of the house of the Lord and the king's house and sends them to Ben-hadad king of Syria at Damascus, citing the league between their fathers and asking him to break his league with Baasha. Ben-hadad agrees and sends his captains against Israel's cities, striking Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim and the store cities of Naphtali. Baasha hears and stops building Ramah. Asa takes all Judah, carries away Ramah's stones and timber, and builds Geba and Mizpah with them. Hanani the seer then comes to Asa and says that because he relied on the king of Syria and not on the Lord, the Syrian host has escaped his hand; the Ethiopians and Lubims were a huge host, yet the Lord delivered them because Asa relied on him; the eyes of the Lord run through the whole earth to show himself strong for those whose heart is perfect toward him; Asa has done foolishly and from now on will have wars. Asa is angry with the seer, puts him in a prison house in his rage, and oppresses some of the people at the same time. His acts are in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. In his thirty ninth year he is diseased in his feet until the disease is very great, yet he seeks the physicians and not the Lord. He dies in his forty first year and is buried in the sepulchres he made for himself in the city of David, laid in a bed filled with sweet odours and spices prepared by the apothecaries' art, and a very great burning is made for him.

Cited passages: 2 Chronicles 16:1, 2 Chronicles 16:2, 2 Chronicles 16:3, 2 Chronicles 16:4, 2 Chronicles 16:5, 2 Chronicles 16:6, 2 Chronicles 16:7, 2 Chronicles 16:8, 2 Chronicles 16:9, 2 Chronicles 16:10, 2 Chronicles 16:11, 2 Chronicles 16:12, 2 Chronicles 16:13, 2 Chronicles 16:14

2 Chronicles 16 (KJV)

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.

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Historical context

Three dates anchor the chapter, the thirty sixth, thirty ninth and forty first years of Asa's reign. Ben-hadad is identified as king of Syria who dwelt at Damascus, and the league between my father and thy father is Asa's own claim; the book has not narrated it. Hanani is called the seer and given no further identification; his statement that the Syrian host escaped Asa's hand is his own assertion, and his comparison recalls the victory over Zerah while adding the Lubims, a people the earlier account did not name. The silver and gold Asa sends come from the temple treasures as well as the palace, the same treasures Shishak had emptied, into which Asa had brought his father's and his own dedicated silver, gold and vessels. The imprisonment of Hanani and the oppression of some of the people are reported in one verse without detail. The disease is located in the feet and called exceeding great; the narrator's judgment is that Asa sought physicians rather than the Lord, and nothing is said about what the physicians did. The previous chapter's statement that Asa's heart was perfect all his days stands beside Hanani's words about those whose heart is perfect and beside these final years; the book leaves all three in place. The burial adds details, prepared sepulchres, spices, a very great burning, that the chapter does not explain.

Cited passages: 2 Chronicles 16:1, 2 Chronicles 16:12, 2 Chronicles 16:13, 2 Chronicles 16:2, 2 Chronicles 16:3, 2 Chronicles 16:7, 2 Chronicles 16:8, 2 Chronicles 14:9, 2 Chronicles 12:9, 2 Chronicles 15:18, 2 Chronicles 16:10, 2 Chronicles 15:17, 2 Chronicles 16:9, 2 Chronicles 16:14

Literary context

The chapter reverses the Asa of the Ethiopian war. There he cried to the Lord and said we rest on thee; here he sends temple silver to a foreign king and says there is a league between me and thee. Hanani makes the comparison explicit and turns on the word relied, which the narrator had used for Judah's victory under Abijah. The treaty works, Baasha stops and Ramah's stones become Geba and Mizpah, and only then does the rebuke come, so the judgment is delivered after the success rather than instead of it. Hanani's one image, the eyes of the Lord running to and fro through the earth, answers Asa's search for help abroad. Rage replaces prayer: the king who took courage from Azariah's word now jails the seer who brings the next one. The final verses echo the chapter before by contrast, seeking physicians where the covenant had been to seek the Lord. The burial is more elaborate than any yet reported in the book, spices, a prepared tomb and a great burning, and the narrator gives it without comment after the plain record of the disease.

Cited passages: 2 Chronicles 14:11, 2 Chronicles 16:3, 2 Chronicles 16:7, 2 Chronicles 13:18, 2 Chronicles 16:5, 2 Chronicles 16:6, 2 Chronicles 16:9, 2 Chronicles 15:8, 2 Chronicles 16:10, 2 Chronicles 16:12, 2 Chronicles 15:12, 2 Chronicles 16:14

Key moments

  1. Baasha builds Ramah (2 Chronicles 16:1). The king of Israel fortifies Ramah to cut Asa off.
  2. Treasure sent to Ben-hadad (2 Chronicles 16:3). Asa buys the Syrian king's help with silver and gold from the temple and palace.
  3. Hanani's rebuke (2 Chronicles 16:7). The seer tells Asa he relied on Syria instead of the Lord.
  4. The eyes of the Lord (2 Chronicles 16:9). Hanani says the Lord looks through the earth to strengthen those whose heart is perfect.
  5. The seer imprisoned (2 Chronicles 16:10). Asa jails Hanani in a rage and oppresses some of the people.
  6. Disease and physicians (2 Chronicles 16:12). Asa's foot disease grows severe and he seeks physicians, not the Lord.
  7. Burial and burning (2 Chronicles 16:14). Asa is laid in his own tomb with spices and a great burning is made for him.

For reflection

Hanani tells Asa that he relied on the king of Syria and not on the Lord, after a plan that by the narrator's own account worked. What does the chapter suggest about judging a decision by its results?

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