XV. ASA’S REFORMATION OF RELIGION. (_a_) ADDRESS OF THE PROPHET AZARIAH BEN ODED (2 Chronicles 15:1). This section also is peculiar to the Chronicle. (1) AND THE SPIRIT OF GOD. — Literally, _And Azariah son of Oded, there fell upon him spirit of God_ (_i.e.,_ a holy inspiration). The prophet is u... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE WENT OUT TO MEET. — Literally, _before._ (1 Chronicles 12:17; 2 Chronicles 14:9.) Azariah met the king on his return from battle. HEAR YE ME, ASA, AND ALL JUDAH. — (Comp. Abijah’s speech, 2 Chronicles 13:4 : “Hear ye me, Jeroboam, and all Israel!”) THE LORD IS WITH YOU, WHILE YE BE WITH HIM... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW FOR A LONG SEASON ISRAEL HATH BEEN. — Literally, _And many days to Israel, without true God, and without teaching priest, and without teaching._ This is clearly an illustration of the general truth asserted in last verse. “Many a time hath Israel been without true God,” etc. Periods of religious... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WHEN THEY IN THEIR TROUBLE DID TURN. — Literally, _and he returned in his straits_ (Deuteronomy 4:30) _unto Jehovah, the God of Israel; they sought him, and,_ etc. (See Judges 3:9; Judges 3:15; Judges 4:3; Judges 4:15; Judges 6:6, _sqq._; Psalms 106:44; Psalms 107:6.)... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IN THOSE TIMES. — The “many days” cf. 2 Chronicles 15:3; the times of national unfaithfulness. THERE WAS NO PEACE... CAME IN. — (See Judges 5:6; Judges 5:11; Judges 6:11.) BUT GREAT VEXATIONS. — _For great confusions_ (_mehûmôth_). (See Deuteronomy 28:20, where _mehûmah,_ “confusion” or “discom... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NATION WAS DESTROYED OF NATION. — _And they were crushed, nation by nation and city by city._ The verb _khathath_ occurs Isaiah 2:4 (“to beat”); but in its (intensive) passive form only here. Some MSS. have the (intensive) active form, which is found elsewhere. So LXX. and Vulg.: “And nation sha... [ Continue Reading ]
BE YE STRONG THEREFORE. — Rather, _But ye, be ye strong._ BE WEAK. — _Droop,_ or _hang down_ (Zephaniah 3:16; 2 Samuel 4:1). YOUR WORK SHALL BE REWARDED. — Literally, _there is indeed a reward for your work;_ words occurring in Jeremiah 31:16. We have here the moral of the prophet’s address. The r... [ Continue Reading ]
(_b_) THE REFORM OF WORSHIP, AND PUBLIC RENEWAL OF THE COVENANT (2 Chronicles 15:8). (8) AND THE PROPHECY OF ODED THE PROPHET. — Heb., _And the prophecy Oded the prophet;_ without any connection. This is suspicious, and suggests the idea that “Oded the prophet_”_ is a marginal gloss, which has crep... [ Continue Reading ]
THE STRANGERS — _i.e.,_ the non-Judæans; members of the northern kingdom. A similar accession to the southern kingdom had taken place under Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11:16); and another yet is related in the reign of Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 30:11; 2 Chronicles 30:18). AND OUT OF SIMEON. — This tribe is... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SAME TIME. — _On that day;_ viz., the day appointed for the festival, in the third month, _i.e.,_ Sivan, corresponding to part of May and June. OF THE SPOIL WHICH THEY HAD BROUGHT. — The spoil of Zerah, the cities round Gerar, and the nomadic tribes (2 Chronicles 14:13).... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY ENTERED INTO A (THE) COVENANT. — Jeremiah 34:10. The phrase means that they bound themselves by an oath (2 Chronicles 15:14). Comp. Nehemiah 10:30. TO SEEK THE LORD... WITH ALL THEIR HEART... — See the same phrase in Deuteronomy 4:29.... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT. — _And._ WHOSOEVER WOULD NOT SEEK THE LORD GOD ... — Part of the solemn oath of the king and people; a sanction prescribed by the law of Deuteronomy 13:6, _sqq.,_ Deuteronomy 17:2.... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH SHOUTING, AND WITH TRUMPETS, AND WITH CORNETS. — See or 1 Chronicles 15:28; 2 Chronicles 23:13. The acclamations of the people, accompanied by the loud blasts upon trumpet and clarion, naturally enhanced the solemnity of the oath.... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL JUDAH. — The entire southern kingdom. WITH THEIR WHOLE DESIRE. — Or, _assent_; with perfect willingness. Vulg., “in tota voluntate.” AND HE WAS FOUND OF THEM. — Or, _was at hand to them;_ in accordance with the promise of Azariah the prophet (2 Chronicles 15:2). THE LORD GAVE THEM REST. — Ano... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALSO CONCERNING MAACHAH. — 2 Chronicles 15:16 are a duplicate of 1 Kings 15:13, with a few unimportant variations. See the commentary there. THE MOTHER OF ASA THE KING — i.e., his grandmother. (See 2 Chronicles 13:2; and 1 Kings 15:13). Others have supposed that Maachah the mother of Abijah, and... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE HIGH PLACES WERE NOT TAKEN AWAY. — See on 2 Chronicles 14:3; 2 Chronicles 14:5. An explanation of the discrepancy has been suggested there; but a better one perhaps may be thus stated. The former passage relates what the good king had resolved and attempted to effect; the present records his... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE BROUGHT INTO THE HOUSE OF GOD. — The verse is identical with 1 Kings 15:15, substituting _God_ for _Jehovah._ “The things that his father had dedicated” were, doubtless, taken from the spoils after Abijah’s great victory over Jeroboam (2 Chronicles 13:16); and” the things that he himself had... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE WAS NO MORE WAR UNTO THE FIVE AND THIRTIETH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF ASA. — Literally, _and war arose not until,_ etc. This statement appears to refer back to 2 Chronicles 15:15 : “And the Lord gave them rest round about;” and so to assign the limit of that period of peace, which ensued after... [ Continue Reading ]