2 Chronicles 15:8

_AND WHEN ASA HEARD THESE WORDS, AND THE PROPHECY OF ODED THE PROPHET, HE TOOK COURAGE, AND PUT AWAY THE ABOMINABLE IDOLS OUT OF ALL THE LAND OF JUDAH AND BENJAMIN, AND OUT OF THE CITIES WHICH HE HAD TAKEN FROM MOUNT EPHRAIM, AND RENEWED THE ALTAR OF THE LORD, THAT WAS BEFORE THE PORCH OF THE LORD._ WHEN ASA HEARD ... THE PROPHECY OF ODED THE PROPHET. The insertion of these words, "of Oded the prophet," is, generally regarded as a corruption of the text. 'The sole remedy is to erase them. They are, probably, the remains of a note, which crept in from the margin into the text' (Bertheau). HE TOOK COURAGE. Animated by the seasonable and pious address of Azariah, Asa became a more zealous reformer than ever, employing all his royal authority and influence to extirpate every vestige of idolatry from the land. AND OUT OF THE CITIES WHICH HE HAD TAKEN FROM MOUNT EPHRAIM. He may have acquire...

Verse 2 Chronicles 15:8. _RENEWED THE ALTAR_] Dedicated it _afresh_, or perhaps _enlarged_ it, that more sacrifices might be offered on it than ever before; for it cannot be supposed that this altar had no victims offered on it till the _fifteenth_ year of the reign of Asa, who had previously been so zealous in restoring the Divine worship....

Some versions have “the prophecy of Azariah the son of Oded,” which is perhaps the true reading....

EXPOSITION This chapter is something like an oasis in our history, and was perhaps such in the real life of Asa also. Presumably it covers a period of some twenty years. Reading between the lines, and indeed chapters, we may very well suppose that the mission of "Azariah son of Oded" to Asa now was one of all mercy. Great salvation had been shown to him and his people, and as time went on they might forget the Saviour, and imagine the work was all their own. Moreover, their own proper work had tarried, and beside caution and humility (in season for him as a returning conqueror-king, verse 2), Asa needed stimulus; perhaps the Lord's loving-kindness knew that he needed every kindly encouragement. For there are not wanting signs that he was before his people, and felt the drag of them upon him as Moses himself did. These are the features of the physical geography, so to say, of the chapter,...

AND WHEN ASA HEARD THESE WORDS, AND THE PROPHECY OF ODED THE PROPHET,.... Some think that besides the above words of Azariah the son of Oded, a prophecy of Oded his father was related by him, though not recorded; but rather Oded here is the same with the son of Oded; and so the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions read Azariah the son of Oded; and so does the Alexandrian copy of the Septuagint version: HE TOOK COURAGE, AND PUT AWAY THE ABOMINABLE IDOLS OUT OF ALL THE LAND OF JUDAH AND BENJAMIN; which were abominable to God, and all good men; besides the images and statues he had broken before, he removed other idols that remained, being animated and emboldened by the speech of the prophet: AND OUT OF THE CITIES WHICH HE HAD TAKEN FROM MOUNT EPHRAIM: the same which his father Abijah had taken from Jeroboam, 2 Chronicles 13:19 and which perhaps,

WHEN ASA Chapter 14 describes the outward prosperity of the kingdom, and Asa's superficial reformation; chapter 15 the true reformation....

CHAPTER 15 THE REIGN OF ASA, WARNING AND REFORMATION _ 1. The warning message of Azariah (2 Chronicles 15:1)_ 2. Asa's response and reformation (2 Chronicles 15:8) But the Lord knew the danger which threatened Asa. He had begun well. He was faithful to Jehovah, and he and the people had a wonderful demonstration that the Lord hears and answers prayer. Would he continue and end as well as he had begun? The Spirit of God came at this important time upon Azariah (whom the Lord helps). When victorious Asa returned the prophet met him and delivered his message. It was a needed and timely message, for the danger for God's people is always the greatest after a victory is won and outward success and prosperity is enjoyed. “The LORD is with you, while ye be with Him; an

The words of Azariah the son of Oded (not mentioned elsewhere) form a kind of introduction to the account of Asa's religious reforms; if the words in 2 Chronicles 15:3 refer to any definite period, it must be to that of the Judges, for the description of the state of the nation does not agree with any other period recorded in the OT. The whole of this section, however, reads like a midrashic expansion of 1 Kings 15:11....

AND THE PROPHECY, &C. Render: "and the prophecy (Oded was the prophet) he took", &c. ABOMINABLE IDOLS. abominations. Referring specially to the _'Asherim._ App-42. THE CITIES... TAKEN. Probably by Abijah (2 Chronicles 13:19). MOUNT. the hill country....

_and the prophecy_of _Oded the prophet_ Some words have fallen out of the text. Read, EVEN THE PROPHECY WHICH AZARIAH THE SON OF ODED PROPHESIED. _the abominable idols_ R.V. THE ABOMINATIONS; cp. 1Ki 14:23-24; 1 Kings 15:12-13. _mount Ephraim_ R.V. THE HILL COUNTRY OF EPHRAIM. The term describes the hilly country between the plain of Esdrelon and the territory of Benjamin. _that_was _before the porch_ Cp. 2 Chronicles 7:7; 2 Chronicles 8:12....