2 Chronicles 16 · Adam Clarke
Introduction Baasha, king of Israel, begins to build Ramah, to prevent his subjects from having any intercourse with the Jews, 2Chr 16:1 . Asa hires Ben-hadad, king of Syria, against him; and obliges him to leave off building Ramah, 2Chr 16:2-5 . Asa and his men carry the stones and timbers of Ramah away, and build therewith Geba and Mizpah, 2Chr 16:6 . Asa is reproved by Hanani, the seer, for his union with the king of Syria: he is offended with the seer, and puts him in prison, 2Chr 16:7-10 . Of his acts, 2Chr 16:11 . He is diseased in his feet, and seeks to physicians and not to God, and dies, 2Chr 16:12 , 2Chr 16:13 . His sumptuous funeral, 2Chr 16:14 . Verse 1 The six and thirtieth year - After the division of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah; according to Usher. This opinion is followed in our margin; see the note on 1Kgs 15:16 , where this subject is farther considered. Concerning Baasha's building of Ramah, see the note on 1Kgs 15:17 .
Verse 3 There is a league - Let there be a treaty, offensive and defensive, between me and thee: see on 1Kgs 15:22 (note).
Verse 6 Took all Judah - See on 1Kgs 15:22 (note).
Verse 7 Escaped out of thine hand - It is difficult to know what is here intended. Perhaps the Divine providence had intended to give Asa a grand victory over the Syrians, who had always been the inveterate enemies of the Jews; but by this unnecessary and very improper alliance between Asa and Ben-hadad, this purpose of the Divine providence was prevented, and thus the Syrians escaped out of his hands.
Verse 9 Therefore - thou shalt have wars - And so he had with Israel during the rest of his reign, 1Kgs 15:32 .
Verse 10 Asa was wroth with the seer - Instead of humbling himself, and deprecating the displeasure of the Lord, he persecuted his messenger: and having thus laid his impious hands upon the prophet, he appears to have got his heart hardened through the deceitfulness of sin; and then he began to oppress the people, either by unjust imprisonments, or excessive taxations.
Verse 12 Diseased in his feet - He had a strong and long fit of the gout; this is most likely. He sought not to the Lord - "He did not seek discipline from the face of the Lord, but from the physicians." - Targum. Are we not taught by this to make prayer and supplication to the Lord in our afflictions, with the expectation that he will heal us when he finds us duly humbled, i.e., when the end is answered for which he sends the affliction?