2 Chronicles 16:7

_AND 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._ Hanani the seer came to Asa ... and said. His object was to show the king his error in forming his recent league with Ben-hadad. The prophet represented the appropriation of the temple treasures to purchase the services of the Syrian mercenaries as indicating a distrust in God, most blameable with the king's experience, and he added, that in consequence of this want of faith, Asa had lost the opportunity of gaining a victory over the united forces of Baasha and Ben-hadad, more splendid than that obtained over the Ethiopians-a victory which, by destroying their armies, would have deprived them of all power to molest him in future; whereas by his foolish and...

Verse 2 Chronicles 16:7. _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_....

The rebuke of Hanani and his imprisonment by Asa, omitted by the writer of Kings, are among the most important of the additions to Asa’s history for which we are indebted to the author of Chronicles. 2 Chronicles 16:7 ESCAPED OUT OF THINE HAND - Hanani means, “Hadst thou been faithful, and opposed in arms the joint host of Israel and Syria, instead of bribing the Syrian king to desert to thy side, the entire host would have been delivered into thy hand, as was Zerah’s. But now it is escaped from thee. Thou hast lost a glorious opportunity.” 2 Chronicles 16:9 FROM HENCEFORTH THOU SHALT HAVE WARS - As peace had been the reward of Asa’s earlier faith...

EXPOSITION The contents of this chapter fall easily into three parts: Asa's conflict with Baasha (2 Chronicles 16:1; parallel, 1 Kings 15:16-11); Hanani's rebuke of Asa, and Asa's ill reception of it (2 Chronicles 16:7); the disease, death, and burial of Asa (2 Chronicles 16:11; parallel, 1 Kings 15:23, 1 Kings 15:24)....

AND AT THAT TIME HANANI THE SEER CAME TO ASA KING OF JUDAH,.... Being sent by the Lord to reprove him: AND SAID UNTO HIM, BECAUSE THOU HAST RELIED ON THE KING OF SYRIA; on the covenant he made with him, on the promises the Syrian king made to him upon receiving his money, and so trusted to an arm of flesh, and even an Heathen king: AND NOT RELIED ON THE LORD THY GOD; his promises, power, and providence, which he had reason to believe would have been engaged on his behalf, had he placed his confidence in him as he ought to have done: the Targum is, "and not relied on the Word of the Lord thy God:'' THEREFORE IS THE HOST OF THE KING OF SYRIA ESCAPED OUT OF THINE HAND; which otherwise would have fallen into it, had he left him to continue in league with the king of Israel, and not solicited him to break it; for then he would have come with him against Asa, and the Lord would have delive...

CHAPTER 16 ASA'S RELAPSE AND DEATH _ 1. War between Asa and Baasha (2 Chronicles 16:1)_ 2. Hanani's rebuke (2 Chronicles 16:7) 3. Hanani imprisoned (2 Chronicles 16:10) 4. Asa's illness and death (2 Chronicles 16:12) Much has been made by critics of the supposed wrong date, the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa. Compare 1 Kings 15:33 with the first verse of this chapter to see the apparent discrepancy. If the invasion of Judah by Baasha occurred shortly after

Taken from 1 Kings 15:16 with unimportant variations. 2 CHRONICLES 16:7. With the words of 2 Chronicles 16:9, from henceforth thou shalt have wars, contrast 1 Kings 15:16, and there was war between Asa and Baasha, king of Israel, all their days. 2 CHRONICLES 16:11. With the words a very great burning (2 Chronicles 16:14) _cf._...

HANANI. Compare 1 Kings 16:1 1 Kings 16:7. 1 Kings 19:2; 1 Kings 20:34. SEER. Hebrew. _ra_. _ah_. See note on 1 Chronicles 29:29. BECAUSE. Compare similar protests against resting on foreign alliances (Isaiah 30:1; Isaiah 31:1). GOD. Hebrew. _Elohim._ App-4....

_Hanani the seer_ Hanani _as a seer_is known to us from this passage only; in 2 Chronicles 19:2 and 2 Chronicles 20:34 (also 1 Kings 16:1) however Jehu the prophet is called son of Hanani. _therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped_ The prophet declares that if Asa had not detached Syria by his presents, he might have smitten Israel and Syria combined....

4. THE REIGN OF ASA (14-16) TEXT 2 Chronicles 14:1. So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years. 2. And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of Jehovah his God: 3. for he took away the foreign altars, and the high places, and brake down the pillars, and hewed down the Asherim, 4. and commanded Judah to seek Jehovah, the God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment. 5. Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the sun-images: and the kingdom was quiet before him. 6. And he built fortified cities in Judah; for the land was quiet, and he had no war in those years, because Jehovah had given him rest. 7, For he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars; the