15 And all Judah H3063 rejoiced H8055 at the oath: H7621 for they had sworn H7650 with all their heart, H3824 and sought H1245 him with their whole desire; H7522 and he was found H4672 of them: and the LORD H3068 gave them rest H5117 round about. H5439
Therefore he said H559 unto Judah, H3063 Let us build H1129 these cities, H5892 and make about H5437 them walls, H2346 and towers, H4026 gates, H1817 and bars, H1280 while the land H776 is yet before H6440 us; because we have sought H1875 the LORD H3068 our God, H430 we have sought H1875 him, and he hath given us rest H5117 on every side. H5439 So they built H1129 and prospered. H6743
For G1063 our G2257 rejoicing G2746 is G2076 this, G3778 the testimony G3142 of our G2257 conscience, G4893 that G3754 in G1722 simplicity G572 and G2532 godly G2316 sincerity, G1505 not G3756 with G1722 fleshly G4559 wisdom, G4678 but G235 by G1722 the grace G5485 of God, G2316 we have had our conversation G390 in G1722 the world, G2889 and G1161 more abundantly G4056 to G4314 you-ward. G5209
For G1063 I am in a strait G4912 betwixt G1537 two, G1417 having G2192 a desire G1939 to G1519 depart, G360 and G2532 to be G1511 with G4862 Christ; G5547 which is far G4183 G3123 better: G2908
Her ways H1870 are ways H1870 of pleasantness, H5278 and all her paths H5410 are peace. H7965
Be glad H8055 in the LORD, H3068 and rejoice, H1523 ye righteous: H6662 and shout H7442 for joy, all ye that are upright H3477 in heart. H3820
When he giveth quietness, H8252 who then can make trouble? H7561 and when he hideth H5641 his face, H6440 who then can behold H7789 him? whether it be done against a nation, H1471 or against a man H120 only: H3162
And Nehemiah, H5166 which is the Tirshatha, H8660 and Ezra H5830 the priest H3548 the scribe, H5608 and the Levites H3881 that taught H995 the people, H5971 said H559 unto all the people, H5971 This day H3117 is holy H6918 unto the LORD H3068 your God; H430 mourn H56 not, nor weep. H1058 For all the people H5971 wept, H1058 when they heard H8085 the words H1697 of the law. H8451
Now it is in mine heart H3824 to make H3772 a covenant H1285 with the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel, H3478 that his fierce H2740 wrath H639 may turn away H7725 from us.
And Jehoiada H3077 made H3772 a covenant H1285 between him, and between all the people, H5971 and between the king, H4428 that they should be the LORD'S H3068 people. H5971 Then all the people H5971 went H935 to the house H1004 of Baal, H1168 and brake it down, H5422 and brake H7665 his altars H4196 and his images H6754 in pieces, H7665 and slew H2026 Mattan H4977 the priest H3548 of Baal H1168 before H6440 the altars. H4196 Also Jehoiada H3077 appointed H7760 the offices H6486 of the house H1004 of the LORD H3068 by the hand H3027 of the priests H3548 the Levites, H3881 whom David H1732 had distributed H2505 in the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 to offer H5927 the burnt offerings H5930 of the LORD, H3068 as it is written H3789 in the law H8451 of Moses, H4872 with rejoicing H8057 and with singing, H7892 as it was ordained by H3027 David. H1732 And he set H5975 the porters H7778 at the gates H8179 of the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 that none which was unclean H2931 in any thing H1697 should enter in. H935 And he took H3947 the captains H8269 of hundreds, H3967 and the nobles, H117 and the governors H4910 of the people, H5971 and all the people H5971 of the land, H776 and brought down H3381 the king H4428 from the house H1004 of the LORD: H3068 and they came H935 through H8432 the high H5945 gate H8179 into the king's H4428 house, H1004 and set H3427 the king H4428 upon the throne H3678 of the kingdom. H4467 And all the people H5971 of the land H776 rejoiced: H8055 and the city H5892 was quiet, H8252 after that they had slain H4191 Athaliah H6271 with the sword. H2719
And he went out H3318 to meet H6440 Asa, H609 and said H559 unto him, Hear H8085 ye me, Asa, H609 and all Judah H3063 and Benjamin; H1144 The LORD H3068 is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek H1875 him, he will be found H4672 of you; but if ye forsake H5800 him, he will forsake H5800 you.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 15
Commentary on 2 Chronicles 15 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 15
2Ch 15:1-15. Judah Makes a Solemn Covenant with God.
1. Azariah the son of Oded—This prophet, who is mentioned nowhere else, appears at this stage of the sacred story in the discharge of an interesting mission. He went to meet Asa, as he was returning from his victorious pursuit of the Ethiopians, and the congratulatory address here recorded was publicly made to the king in presence of his army.
2. The Lord is with you, while ye be with him—You have had, in your recent signal success, a remarkable proof that God's blessing is upon you; your victory has been the reward of your faith and piety. If you steadfastly adhere to the cause of God, you may expect a continuance of His favor; but if you abandon it, you will soon reap the bitter fruits of apostasy.
3-6. Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, &c.—Some think that Azariah was referring to the sad and disastrous condition to which superstition and idolatry had brought the neighboring kingdom of Israel. His words should rather be taken in a wider sense, for it seems manifest that the prophet had his eye upon many periods in the national history, when the people were in the state described—a state of spiritual destitution and ignorance—and exhibited its natural result as widespread anarchy, mutual dissension among the tribes, and general suffering (Jud 9:23; 12:4; 20:21; 2Ch 13:17). These calamities God permitted to befall them as the punishment of their apostasy. Azariah's object in these remarks was to establish the truth of his counsel (2Ch 15:2), threatening, in case of neglecting it by describing the uniform course of the divine procedure towards Israel, as shown in all periods of their history. Then after this appeal to national experience, he concluded with an earnest exhortation to the king to prosecute the work of reformation so well begun [2Ch 15:7].
7. Be ye strong—Great resolution and indomitable energy would be required to persevere in the face of the opposition your reforming measures will encounter.
your work shall be rewarded—What you do in the cause and for the glory of God will assuredly be followed by the happiest results both to yourself and your subjects.
8. 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 acquired cities of Ephraim, the conquest of which is not recorded (2Ch 17:2); but it has been commonly supposed that the reference is to cities which his father Abijah had taken in that quarter (2Ch 13:19).
renewed the altar of the Lord … before the porch—that is, the altar of burnt offering. As this was done on or about the fifteenth year of the reign of this pious king, the renewal must have consisted in some splendid repairs or embellishments, which made it look like a new dedication, or in a reconstruction of a temporary altar, like that of Solomon (2Ch 7:7), for extraordinary sacrifices to be offered on an approaching occasion.
9-15. he gathered all Judah and Benjamin—Not satisfied with these minor measures of purification and improvement, Asa meditated a grand scheme which was to pledge his whole kingdom to complete the work of reformation, and with this in view he waited for a general assembly of the people.
and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh—The population of Asa's kingdom had been vastly increased by the continued influx of strangers, who, prompted by motives either of interest or of piety, sought in his dominions that security and freedom which they could not enjoy amid the complicated troubles which distracted Israel.
and out of Simeon—Although a portion of that tribe, located within the territory of Judah, were already subjects of the southern kingdom, the general body of the Simeonites had joined in forming the northern kingdom of Israel. But many of them now returned of their own accord.
10-14. the third month—when was held the feast of pentecost. On this occasion, it was celebrated at Jerusalem by an extraordinary sacrifice of seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep, the spoil of the Ethiopians being offered. The assembled worshippers entered with great and holy enthusiasm into a national covenant "to seek the Lord their God … with all their heart and with all their soul;" and, at the same time, to execute with rigor the laws which made idolatry punishable with death (2Ch 15:13; De 17:2-5; Heb 10:28). The people testified unbounded satisfaction with this important religious movement, and its moral influence was seen in the promotion of piety, order, and tranquillity throughout the land.
18. the things that his father had dedicated—probably part of the booty obtained by his signal victory over Jeroboam, but which, though dedicated, had hitherto been unrepresented.
and that he himself had dedicated—of the booty taken from the Ethiopians. Both of these were now deposited in the temple as votive offerings to Him whose right hand and holy arm had given them the victory.