1.
And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:
And. This chapter supplementary to 1 Kings 15 .
the Spirit. Hebrew. ruach. App-9 . Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), for His gift of prophecy. One of the eight occurrences outside the book of Samuel.
Azariah. Not mentioned elsewhere.
Oded. See 2 Chronicles 28:9 . Hebrew. 'oded.
2.
And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.
3.
Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.
hath = had.
without. Figures of speech Anaphora and Polysyndeton. App-6 .
and. Figure of speech Polysyndeton.
a teaching priest. Teaching was the great priestly function. But, as generally with priests, teaching was neglected for ritual. See note on Deuteronomy 17:11 ; Deuteronomy 33:10 . Malachi 2:7 .
4.
But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.
5.
And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries.
no peace. As in the days of Deborah and Gideon (Judges 5:6 ; Judges 6:6 ).
vexations = consternations. Compare Deuteronomy 7:23 . 1 Samuel 5:9 . Amos 3:9 . Zechariah 14:13 . Hebrew. mehumah = specially trouble from God.
the countries: i.e. the different tribal divisions.
6.
And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity.
adversity. By civil wars.
7.
Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.
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.
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.
9.
And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.
strangers = sojourners: i.e. those not of Judah. Hebrew. gur. See note on Proverbs 5:3 .
Ephraim. Jeroboam's own tribe.
Simeon. Always more or less reckoned with Judah.
fell to him out of Israel. See note on 1 Kings 12:17 .
10.
So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.
third month. The feast of Pentecost.
fifteenth year. The dates of verses: 2 Chronicles 15:9-19 refer to the parenthesis which concern 2 Chronicles 14:9-15 .
11.
And they offered unto the LORD the same time, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.
offered = sacrificed. Hebrew. zabach. App-43 .
the spoil. Taken from the Ethiopians, &c. (2 Chronicles 14:13-15 ).
12.
And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;
soul. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13 .
13.
That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.
should be put to death. Compare Deuteronomy 17:2-6 .
14.
And they sware unto the LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.
15.
And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the LORD gave them rest round about.
16.
And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.
Maachah. See note on 2 Chronicles 13:2 .
mother = the queen-mother. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Genus) for grandmother (1 Kings 15:2 ).
idol in a grove = a monstrous 'Asherah for a grove. Compare 1 Kings 15:13 . See App-42 .
stamped it = beat it small.
17.
But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.
not taken away. Not from "Israel" (2 Chronicles 15:17 ), but from Judah (2 Chronicles 14:3 ). Figure of speech Palinodia. App-6 .
perfect: i.e. so far as idolatry was concerned.
18.
And he brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated, and that he himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels.
things . . . dedicated = holy things. See note on Exodus 3:5 .
19.
And there was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.
no more war = no actual campaign (as in 2 Chronicles 16:1 ). There was quiet between the two kings (2 Chronicles 14:1 ), but there was border fighting (as in 1 Kings 15:16 , 1 Kings 15:32 ). See note on 2 Chronicles 14:1 .
reign = kingdom. Compare Numbers 24:7 . 1Sa 20:31 . 1 Kings 2:12 . 1 Chronicles 11:10 ; 1Ch 14:2 ; 1 Chronicles 17:14 ; 1 Chronicles 22:10 ; 1 Chronicles 28:5 .