2 Chronicles 16 Study Notes
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16:1 Baasha: Third king of Israel; began his own dynasty; defeated by Asa of Judah. In the northern kingdom, Jeroboam’s son Nadab had been replaced by Baasha, who decided to go to war against the southern kingdom. The first step in his strategy was to block access to Jerusalem by fortifying the town of Ramah. Baasha had also formed an alliance with Ben-hadad, king of Aram in Damascus. This meant that once Asa was cut off from the outside world, it would be an easy thing to capture Jerusalem.
16:2-6 Asa emptied the treasuries of the temple and bribed Ben-hadad of Damascus to break his treaty with Baasha of Israel. The king of Damascus not only complied willingly, but even sent his soldiers into Israel to compensate themselves for the plunder they missed by not attacking Jerusalem. Asa was able to destroy Baasha’s blockade and assert his dominance over his northern border area again.
16:7-9 Asa made a serious misjudgment in thinking that the Lord would be pleased if he did God’s work for him. Rather than reaping praise for his diplomatic achievement, Asa was rebuked for his actions by Hanani. This prophet reminded the king that God wanted Asa to depend on him and not on his own cleverness or on help from pagans. After Asa defeated the superior forces of the Cushites and Libyans he should have known that God rewards devotion with deliverance.
chazaq
| Hebrew pronunciation | [khah ZAHK] |
| CSB translation | be strong, strengthen, show oneself strong |
| Uses in 2 Chronicles | 39 |
| Uses in the OT | 290 |
| Focus Passage | 2 Chronicles 16:9 |
Chazaq means be strong (Dt 31:6), harsh, fierce, or severe (Gn 47:20). People detain or pressure (Ex 12:33). Chazaq implies persevere (1Ch 28:7), devote energy, recover (Is 39:1), prevail, and defeat (1Sm 17:50). Causative and intensive verbs signify support (Lv 25:35), strengthen, encourage (Dt 1:38), and repair (2Kg 12:5). Causatives signify grab (Gn 19:16), seize, cling, hold fast, take hold, grasp, embrace, keep, and bring. People sustain, fortify, intensify, retain, and maintain things. They take charge and devote themselves (Neh 5:16). Panic grips. Traps catch. People join (Neh 10:29), triumph (Dn 11:7), or persuade (2Kg 4:8). Intensives denote give power (Jdg 3:12), brace, and harden (Ex 4:21). People fasten, tie, drive deep, or hold things. Reflexive-passive forms indicate be strengthened, establish oneself, assert oneself (2Ch 13:7), show/prove oneself strong (2Ch 16:9), summon courage/strength (2Ch 23:1), preserve (Ezk 7:13), or rally (Jdg 20:22).
16:10 This was more than Asa could handle. His ego had been bruised, so he put the prophet Hanani in prison and abused other people. He had forgotten his earlier assertion that a mere mortal could not hinder God (14:11).
16:11-12 The glorious reign of Asa, who had acted for God so effectively, came to a sour end. When he developed a serious disease in his feet, he avoided turning to the Lord and sought healing by physicians instead. His sin was not in turning to physicians, but in failing to ask God how he should proceed and to rely on God for the outcome (Jr 17:5).
16:13-14 Nevertheless, Asa received a glorious burial. The reference to ointments and spices may indicate that his death was due to diabetes, which could have brought on gangrene in his feet. The great fire was a tribute of honor from the people (see 21:19).