Chapter 15

1 Asa with Judah and many of Israel, moved by the prophecy of Azariah the son of Oded, make a solemn covenant with God. 16 He putteth down Maachah his mother for her idolatry. 18 He bringeth dedicated things into the house of God, and enjoyeth a long peace.

Azariah. This prophet is unknown except from this chapter. The following is peculiar to Chronicles and is an important contribution to the history of Judah. The facts here recorded are of interest in a study of the religious experience of God’s people and reveal the great influence of those who have the Lord with them in their works.

2. To meet Asa. Azariah met Asa on his return from his great victory over Zerah the Ethiopian (see ch. 14:9–15).

While ye be with him. Compare James 4:8. Asa had sought God and had done everything he could to walk in His ways and to do His work (2 Chron. 14:11). Thus the Lord was with him in a mighty way to guide and to bless.

Found of you. Compare 2 Chron. 15:4, 15; 33:12, 13; 1 Chron. 28:9; Jer. 29:13; Matt. 7:7.

3. Long season. Verse 3 literally translated reads, “And many days to Israel without the true God and without teaching priest and without law.” The passage contains no verb; hence the determination of tense is a matter of interpretation. There is great difference of opinion as to whether this section is a prophecy of the future history of Israel, or whether it is a survey of general Israelitic history of the past, or whether it has specific application to the immediate present, that is, the period since the disruption of the kingdom. The observation of the prophet is true of any of these periods. Compare the apostasies in the time of the judges (Judges 2:11–19; 3:7–10, 12–14; 4:1–3; 6:1–6; 8:33–35; 10:6–9).

Teaching priest. The priests were the religious instructors of the people, teaching them the word of God and the law of the Lord (see Lev. 10:11; Deut. 17:9, 11; 24:8; 33:10; Ezra 7:25; Jer. 18:18; Eze. 44:23).

4. Did turn. When in their straits the people turned to God, He heard their prayers and was gracious to them, delivering them from the hands of their enemies (see Ps. 106:44; 107:6).

6. Nation was destroyed. The LXX may be translated, “And nation shall make war against nation and city against city, because God has confounded them with every affliction” (see Isa. 19:2). A typical example may be drawn from the period of the judges, a time of great unrest and weakness, not only in Palestine, but throughout the Near East. Egypt, which had been a strong power, grew progressively weaker, until a very low ebb was reached during the Twentieth and Twenty-first dynasties, c. 1200–c. 950 b.c. (see Vol. II, pp. 28, 29, 48–50). Forces of disruption were everywhere in evidence, royalty lost its respect, workmen were starving, and general disorder pervaded the land. Assyria had not yet risen to its great power and Babylon was weak (see Vol. II, pp. 55–57). The Hittite empire, which during the early part of this period had been a powerful state, collapsed under the onslaughts of the invading Sea Peoples (see Vol. II, pp. 27, 32–34) and broke up into a large number of petty states. The prophet gives a vivid and remarkably accurate description of the situation that prevailed in the Near East in the latter part of the second millennium b.c., though his description also fits other periods (see on v. 3).

7. Be ye strong therefore. The prophet’s counsel was, in effect, “Be strong in the Lord, continue firm in your allegiance to Him, and take courage as you face the future.” Azariah was encouraging Asa to continue in the aggressive measures that he had taken against idolatry and in his firm policy in behalf of Judah’s national interests.

Shall be rewarded. Having taken such a strong stand for the Lord, Asa would not be forsaken, but would be allowed to reap the reward of his labors.

8. The prophecy of Oded. The Hebrew of this phrase cannot correctly be thus translated, the construction being such as not to allow the use of the preposition “of” to show the relationship between the two nouns. However, without the “of” the sentence is lacking in coherence. Evidently something is missing from the Hebrew text. It seems highly likely that the Alexandrian manuscript of the LXX and the Syriac have preserved the correct reading, for they supply the name “Azariah” (v. 1) so as to support the reading, “the prophecy which Azariah the son of Oded spake.”

Abominable idols. Few reformations are ever complete reformations. Asa had put forth earnest efforts to cleanse the land of its abominations, but his work had evidently been only partially successful. Encouraged by the words of Azariah, Asa now renewed his efforts to rid the land of every form of evil.

From mount Ephraim. Compare ch. 17:2. Although Asa had not engaged in open war with Israel, he was strong enough to take from the northern kingdom a number of frontier cities.

Renewed the altar. A similar expression is employed in ch. 24:4 concerning Joash. It would thus appear that the altar had become defiled and was now cleansed and reconsecrated to the Lord.

9. The strangers. These were members of the tribes constituting the northern kingdom. During the reign of Rehoboam a similar influx of citizens of Israel into Judah took place (ch. 11:16).

Out of Simeon. Although Simeon lay within the boundaries of the southern kingdom (Joshua 19:1), many members of this tribe probably took their abode within the territory of Israel at the time of the division.

When they saw. When many of the people of Israel observed that God was with Asa and was blessing him, large numbers came down from the northern kingdom henceforth to live in Judah.

10. Fifteenth year. This gathering at Jerusalem in the 15th year of Asa fixes the victory over Zerah likewise in that year or in the preceding year. If the war with Zerah, the return to Jerusalem, the influx from the northern tribes, and the calling of the assembly at Jerusalem could all have taken place within three months, then the war with Zerah was fought in Asa’s 15th year. Otherwise, and more probably, it was in the 14th year.

11. Offered. These large offerings were probably peace offerings in which the people participated in a general feast of rejoicing and thanksgiving to God. Compare 1 Kings 8:63–66, which reports that Solomon offered large numbers of peace offerings at the dedication of the Temple.

12. Into a covenant. This was in effect a solemn renewal of the national covenant entered into between God and His people at Sinai (Ex. 19:5–8; 24:3–8). This covenant was reaffirmed between God and Israel at various times in the history of the Jews, usually following periods of apostasy (see 2 Kings 23:3; 2 Chron. 34:31; Neh. 10:28–39).

With all their heart. Compare Deut. 4:29, where a similar phrase is used.

13. Should be put to death. As the national covenant with Jehovah was renewed, it was determined that the whole nation should be included, and that all who would not take their stand for God should be put to death. In the time of Moses the death penalty was prescribed for those who might be found guilty of “transgressing his covenant” by worshiping any other god (Deut. 17:2–7; cf. Ex. 22:20; Deut. 13:6–10, 12–15).

14. Sware unto the Lord. By a solemn oath the covenant with God was renewed.

16. Maachah. With vs. 16–18 compare 1 Kings 15:13–15. The variations are few and unimportant.

Mother of Asa. Actually the grandmother, for Maachah was the mother of Abijah (see 2 Chron. 11:20; see on 1 Kings 15:10; 1 Chron. 2:7).

Idol. Heb.miphles\eth. This word indicates some horrible idol (see on 1 Kings 15:13).

In a grove. Literally, “for Asherah.”

17. Not taken away. Some high places were taken away (ch. 14:3, 5), evidently centers of idol worship. The high places that were allowed to remain were probably unauthorized local sanctuaries for the worship of Jehovah. These may have persisted despite Asa’s efforts to eliminate them.

Out of Israel. These words are not found in the parallel passage of 1 Kings 15:14. The southern kingdom is evidently meant, for Asa could hardly have undertaken the task of removing the high places from the northern kingdom.

18. Father had dedicated. Probably items taken from the spoils of Abijah’s great victory over Jeroboam (ch. 13:16–19).

That he himself had dedicated. These were presumably part of the booty from the victory over Zerah (ch. 14:13–15). Efforts were no doubt put forth to replace the Temple treasure that had been taken by Shishak during the reign of Rehoboam (ch. 12:9).

19. There was no more war. The word “more” is not in the Hebrew, and the clause simply reads, “there was no war” (see below).

Five and thirtieth year. Presumably the 35th year of the southern kingdom (see on ch. 16:1), which would be the 14th year of Asa’s actual reign. In the light of this calculation it would be incorrect to translate the first part of the verse “no more war,” since the 14th year probably marked the beginning of hostilities in Asa’s reign.

Ellen G. White comments

1, 2, 7–12, 15PK 112