10 Then Asa H609 was wroth H3707 with the seer, H7200 and put H5414 him in a prison H4115 house; H1004 for he was in a rage H2197 with him because of this thing. And Asa H609 oppressed H7533 some of the people H5971 the same time. H6256
And say, H559 Thus saith H559 the king, H4428 Put H7760 this fellow in the prison, H1004 H3608 and feed H398 him with bread H3899 of affliction H3906 and with water H4325 of affliction, H3906 until I return H7725 in peace. H7965
But I will put H7760 it into the hand H3027 of them that afflict H3013 thee; which have said H559 to thy soul, H5315 Bow down, H7812 that we may go over: H5674 and thou hast laid H7760 thy body H1460 as the ground, H776 and as the street, H2351 to them that went over. H5674
And G5037 when they had laid G2007 many G4183 stripes G4127 upon them, G846 they cast G906 them into G1519 prison, G5438 charging G3853 the jailor G1200 to keep G5083 them G846 safely: G806 Who, G3739 having received G2983 such G5108 a charge, G3852 thrust G906 them G846 into G1519 the inner G2082 prison, G5438 and G2532 made G805 their G846 feet G4228 fast G805 in G1519 the stocks. G3586
Added G4369 yet G2532 this G5124 above G1909 all, G3956 that G2532 he shut up G2623 John G2491 in G1722 prison. G5438
For G1063 Herod G2264 had laid hold G2902 on John, G2491 and bound G1210 him, G846 and G2532 put G5087 him in G1722 prison G5438 for G1223 Herodias' G2266 sake, G1223 his G846 brother G80 Philip's G5376 wife. G1135 For G1063 John G2491 said G3004 unto him, G846 It is G1832 not G3756 lawful G1832 for thee G4671 to have G2192 her. G846
Nebuchadrezzar H5019 the king H4428 of Babylon H894 hath devoured H398 me, he hath crushed H2000 me, he hath made H3322 me an empty H7385 vessel, H3627 he hath swallowed me up H1104 like a dragon, H8577 he hath filled H4390 his belly H3770 with my delicates, H5730 he hath cast me out. H1740
The LORD H3068 hath made H5414 thee priest H3548 in the stead of Jehoiada H3077 the priest, H3548 that ye should be officers H6496 in the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 for every man H376 that is mad, H7696 and maketh himself a prophet, H5012 that thou shouldest put H5414 him in prison, H4115 and in the stocks. H6729
And David H1732 sent H7971 messengers, H4397 and took H3947 her; and she came in H935 unto him, and he lay H7901 with her; for she was purified H6942 from her uncleanness: H2932 and she returned H7725 unto her house. H1004
He that reproveth H3256 a scorner H3887 getteth H3947 to himself shame: H7036 and he that rebuketh H3198 a wicked H7563 man getteth himself a blot. H3971 Reprove H3198 not a scorner, H3887 lest he hate H8130 thee: rebuke H3198 a wise man, H2450 and he will love H157 thee. Give H5414 instruction to a wise H2450 man, and he will be yet wiser: H2449 teach H3045 a just H6662 man, and he will increase H3254 in learning. H3948
Because he hath oppressed H7533 and hath forsaken H5800 the poor; H1800 because he hath violently taken away H1497 an house H1004 which he builded H1129 not;
Then Uzziah H5818 was wroth, H2196 and had a censer H4730 in his hand H3027 to burn incense: H6999 and while he was wroth H2196 with the priests, H3548 the leprosy H6883 even rose up H2224 in his forehead H4696 before H6440 the priests H3548 in the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 from beside the incense H7004 altar. H4196
And it came to pass, as he talked H1696 with him, that the king said H559 unto him, Art thou made H5414 of the king's H4428 counsel? H3289 forbear; H2308 why shouldest thou be smitten? H5221 Then the prophet H5030 forbare, H2308 and said, H559 I know H3045 that God H430 hath determined H3289 to destroy H7843 thee, because thou hast done H6213 this, and hast not hearkened H8085 unto my counsel. H6098
And David's H1732 heart H3820 smote H5221 him after H310 that he had numbered H5608 the people. H5971 And David H1732 said H559 unto the LORD, H3068 I have sinned H2398 greatly H3966 in that I have done: H6213 and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, H3068 take away H5674 the iniquity H5771 of thy servant; H5650 for I have done very H3966 foolishly. H5528 For when David H1732 was up H6965 in the morning, H1242 the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came unto the prophet H5030 Gad, H1410 David's H1732 seer, H2374 saying, H559 Go H1980 and say H559 unto David, H1732 Thus saith H1696 the LORD, H3068 I offer H5190 thee three H7969 things; choose H977 thee one H259 of them, that I may do it unto thee. H6213 So Gad H1410 came H935 to David, H1732 and told H5046 him, and said H559 unto him, Shall seven H7651 years H8141 of famine H7458 come H935 unto thee in thy land? H776 or wilt thou flee H5127 three H7969 months H2320 before H6440 thine enemies, H6862 while they pursue H7291 thee? or that there be three H7969 days' H3117 pestilence H1698 in thy land? H776 now advise, H3045 and see H7200 what answer H1697 I shall return H7725 to him that sent H7971 me. And David H1732 said H559 unto Gad, H1410 I am in a great H3966 strait: H6887 let us fall H5307 now into the hand H3027 of the LORD; H3068 for his mercies H7356 are great: H7227 and let me not fall H5307 into the hand H3027 of man. H120
And he brought forth H3318 the people H5971 that were therein, and put H7760 them under saws, H4050 and under harrows H2757 of iron, H1270 and under axes H4037 of iron, H1270 and made them pass H5674 through the brickkiln: H4404 and thus did H6213 he unto all the cities H5892 of the children H1121 of Ammon. H5983 So David H1732 and all the people H5971 returned H7725 unto Jerusalem. H3389
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 16
Commentary on 2 Chronicles 16 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 16
Baasha coming up against Judah, and building Ramah, Asa made a league with the king of Syria, and hired him to make a diversion in his favour, and cause Baasha to leave off building, which succeeded, 2 Chronicles 16:1, for which he was reproved by a prophet of the Lord, with whom he was so angry for it as to put him in prison, and oppress others, 2 Chronicles 16:7, and the chapter is closed with an account of his disease and conduct under it, and of his death and burial, 2 Chronicles 16:11.
In the thirty and sixth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah,.... How this is to be reconciled with the reign of Baasha, which was but twenty four years, and was begun in the third of Asa, and therefore must have been dead nearly ten years before this year of Asa's reign; see Gill on 1 Kings 15:17 where, and in the following verses, are the same things related as here, to the end of the sixth verse; the explanation of which the reader is referred to.
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 delivered him to him.
Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen?.... They were no less than 1,000,000 men, and three hundred chariots, 2 Chronicles 14:9, the Lubim were the Libyans, a people near Egypt, that dwelt in Africa; according to an Arabic writerF12Abulpharag. Hist. Dynast. dyn. 3. p. 57. , they were the Nubians:
yet, because thou didst rely on the Lord, he delivered them into thine hand; and with equal ease could and would have delivered the Syrian army unto him, had he as then trusted in the Lord.
For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth,.... The eyes of his omniscience are everywhere, and the eyes of his mercy and goodness, of his care and providence, are here and there, and in every place throughout the whole world at once, see Zechariah 4:10,
to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him; or, as in the margin, "strongly to hold" with such, to be on their side, take their part, strengthen them, support and supply them, and to protect and defend them who are sincere and upright in heart; whose graces are sincere and unfeigned, though not complete, nor they free from sin, and who, with the heart, sincerely believe in God, in which Asa at this time failed, though otherwise his heart is said to be perfect, 1 Kings 15:4, it was so in the general bent of it, and especially with respect to the worship of God, though there was something lacking in his faith at this time, as there often is in the best of men:
herein thou hast done foolishly; to trust in man, and not in the Lord, to part with his money, and lose the opportunity of having the whole Syrian army fall into his hands:
therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars; which, though we read not of, was doubtless his case; some interpret it of his posterity.
Then Asa was wroth with the seer,.... For this faithful reproof of him, which was another instance of his sin and folly:
and put him in a prison house; in a very strait place, in which he could not turn himself, what we call "little ease"; some say it was the stocks, others a pillory he put him into:
for he was in a rage with him because of this thing; his passion rose very high, and to which he gave way, and was his infirmity:
and Asa oppressed some of the people the same time; by fines and imprisonments, such as perhaps expressed their disapprobation of his league with the king of Syria, and of his ill usage of the prophet.
And, behold, the acts of Asa, first and last,.... See Gill on 1 Kings 15:23.
And Asa in the thirty ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet,.... This was about two years before his death, and his disease is generally thought to be the gout in his feet, and a just retaliation for putting the prophet's feet into the stocks:
until his disease was exceeding great; it increased upon him, and became very severe and intolerable, and the fits were frequent, as well as the pain sharper; though the sense of the HebrewF13עד למעלה "usque ad supra", Montanus; "usque ad summum", Vatablus; "usque ad sursum", Piscator. phrase may be, that his disease got upwards, into a superior part of his body, head, or stomach, which, when the gout does, it is dangerous. A very learned physicianF14Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. vol. 4. p. 645. is of opinion, that not the gout, but what he calls an "aedematous" swelling of the feet, is meant, which insensibly gets up into the bowels, and is successively attended with greater inconveniences; a tension of the abdomen, difficulty of breathing, very troublesome to the patient, and issues in a dropsy, and death itself:
yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord; his seeking to physicians for help in his disease, perhaps, would not have been observed to his reproach, had he also sought unto the Lord, whom he ought to have sought in the first place; and when he applied to the physicians, he should have implored the blessing of God on their prescriptions; but he so much forgot himself as to forget the Lord: this is the first time we read of physicians among the Jews, and some think these were Heathens, and a sort of enchanters: the Jews entertained a very ill opinion of physicians; the best of them, they sayF15T. Bab. Kiddashin, fol. 32. 1. Gloss. in ib. , deserve hell, and they adviseF16T. Bab. Pesachim, fol. 113. 1. men not to live in a city where the chief man is a physician; but the author of the book of Ecclesiasticus gives a great encomium of them, and exhorts to honour and esteem them,"1Honour a physician with the honour due unto him for the uses which ye may have of him: for the Lord hath created him. 2For of the most High cometh healing, and he shall receive honour of the king. 3The skill of the physician shall lift up his head: and in the sight of great men he shall be in admiration. 4The Lord hath created medicines out of the earth; and he that is wise will not abhor them. 5 Was not the water made sweet with wood, that the virtue thereof might be known? 6 And he hath given men skill, that he might be honoured in his marvellous works. 7 With such doth he heal men, and taketh away their pains. 8 Of such doth the apothecary make a confection; and of his works there is no end; and from him is peace over all the earth,' (Sirach 38)JulianF17Opera, par. 2. p. 154. the emperor greatly honoured them, and observes, that it is justly said by the philosophers, that the art of medicine fell from heaven.
And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the forty first year of his reign. See 1 Kings 15:10.
And they buried him in his own sepulchres which he had made for himself in the city of David,.... Where was the burying place of the kings of Judah; here Asa had ordered a vault to be made for himself and his family, and therefore called sepulchres, because of the several cells therein to put separate bodies in:
and laid him in the bed; not only laid him out, as we express it, but laid him on a bed of state, where he lay in great pomp; or the funeral bed, which, with other nationsF18Herodian. Hist. l. 4. c. 3. Vid. Kirchman. de Funer. Roman. l. 1. c. 11. & Alstorph. de Lect. Vet. c. 19. p. 151, 152. , used to be strowed with sweet smelling flowers and herbs, as follows:
which was filled with sweet odours, and divers kinds of spices prepared by the apothecaries art; or rather confectioner or druggist; for it is a question whether there were then any such we call apothecaries; this bed was strowed with spices, myrrh, aloes, cassia, cinnamon, &c. and which perhaps might be made up into a liquid, which was sprinkled over the bed and shroud in which he lay:
and they made a very great burning for him; not that they made a great fire, and burned his body; for burning was not used with the Jews; but they burnt spices and other things in great quantity, in honour of him: See Gill on Jeremiah 34:5, and this custom continued to the times of Herod, at whose funeral there were five hundred of his domestics and freed men bearing spicesF19Joseph. de Bello Jud. l. 1. c. 33. sect. 9. .