9 And he gathered H6908 all Judah H3063 and Benjamin, H1144 and the strangers H1481 with them out of Ephraim H669 and Manasseh, H4519 and out of Simeon: H8095 for they fell H5307 to him out of Israel H3478 in abundance, H7230 when they saw H7200 that the LORD H3068 his God H430 was with him.
And Hezekiah H3169 sent H7971 to all Israel H3478 and Judah, H3063 and wrote H3789 letters H107 also to Ephraim H669 and Manasseh, H4519 that they should come H935 to the house H1004 of the LORD H3068 at Jerusalem, H3389 to keep H6213 the passover H6453 unto the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel. H3478 For the king H4428 had taken counsel, H3289 and his princes, H8269 and all the congregation H6951 in Jerusalem, H3389 to keep H6213 the passover H6453 in the second H8145 month. H2320 For they could H3201 not keep H6213 it at that time, H6256 because the priests H3548 had not sanctified H6942 themselves sufficiently, H4078 H1767 neither had the people H5971 gathered themselves together H622 to Jerusalem. H3389 And the thing H1697 pleased H3474 H5869 the king H4428 and all the congregation. H6951 So they established H5975 a decree H1697 to make proclamation H5674 H6963 throughout all Israel, H3478 from Beersheba H884 even to Dan, H1835 that they should come H935 to keep H6213 the passover H6453 unto the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel H3478 at Jerusalem: H3389 for they had not done H6213 it of a long H7230 time in such sort as it was written. H3789 So the posts H7323 went H3212 with the letters H107 from H3027 the king H4428 and his princes H8269 throughout all Israel H3478 and Judah, H3063 and according to the commandment H4687 of the king, H4428 saying, H559 Ye children H1121 of Israel, H3478 turn again H7725 unto the LORD H3068 God H430 of Abraham, H85 Isaac, H3327 and Israel, H3478 and he will return H7725 to the remnant H7604 of you, that are escaped H6413 out of the hand H3709 of the kings H4428 of Assyria. H804 And be not ye like your fathers, H1 and like your brethren, H251 which trespassed H4603 against the LORD H3068 God H430 of their fathers, H1 who therefore gave them up H5414 to desolation, H8047 as ye see. H7200 Now be ye not stiffnecked, H7185 H6203 as your fathers H1 were, but yield H5414 yourselves H3027 unto the LORD, H3068 and enter H935 into his sanctuary, H4720 which he hath sanctified H6942 for ever: H5769 and serve H5647 the LORD H3068 your God, H430 that the fierceness H2740 of his wrath H639 may turn away H7725 from you. For if ye turn again H7725 unto the LORD, H3068 your brethren H251 and your children H1121 shall find compassion H7356 before H6440 them that lead them captive, H7617 so that they shall come again H7725 into this land: H776 for the LORD H3068 your God H430 is gracious H2587 and merciful, H7349 and will not turn away H5493 his face H6440 from you, if ye return H7725 unto him. So the posts H7323 passed H5674 from city H5892 to city H5892 through the country H776 of Ephraim H669 and Manasseh H4519 even unto Zebulun: H2074 but they laughed them to scorn, H7832 and mocked H3932 them. Nevertheless divers H582 of Asher H836 and Manasseh H4519 and of Zebulun H2074 humbled H3665 themselves, and came H935 to Jerusalem. H3389
And the inhabitants H3427 of one H259 city shall go H1980 to another, H259 saying, H559 Let us go H3212 speedily H1980 to pray H2470 before H6440 the LORD, H3068 and to seek H1245 the LORD H3068 of hosts: H6635 I will go H3212 also. Yea, many H7227 people H5971 and strong H6099 nations H1471 shall come H935 to seek H1245 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 in Jerusalem, H3389 and to pray H2470 before H6440 the LORD. H3068 Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts; H6635 In those days H3117 it shall come to pass, that ten H6235 men H582 shall take hold H2388 out of all languages H3956 of the nations, H1471 even shall take hold H2388 of the skirt H3671 of him that is a Jew, H376 H3064 saying, H559 We will go H3212 with you: for we have heard H8085 that God H430 is with you.
And G2532 the patriarchs, G3966 moved with envy, G2206 sold G591 Joseph G2501 into G1519 Egypt: G125 but G2532 God G2316 was G2258 with G3326 him, G846 And G2532 delivered G1807 him G846 out of G1537 all G3956 his G846 afflictions, G2347 and G2532 gave G1325 him G846 favour G5485 and G2532 wisdom G4678 in the sight G1726 of Pharaoh G5328 king G935 of Egypt; G125 and G2532 he made G2525 him G846 governor G2233 over G1909 Egypt G125 and G2532 all G3650 his G846 house. G3624
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.