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2 Chronicles 16

Asa’s final years expose the failure beneath a successful alliance: reliance on human power and refusal to receive God’s correction.

Baasha king of Israel fortifies Ramah to restrict movement into and out of Judah. Asa responds by sending temple and royal treasure to Ben Hadad of Syria, paying him to break his treaty with Baasha. The strategy succeeds, but Hanani the seer confronts Asa for relying on Syria rather than YHWH. Asa imprisons Hanani and oppresses some of his people. The account closes with Asa’s severe foot disease, his failure to seek YHWH, and his death and burial.

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1In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
2Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the LORD’s house and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben Hadad king of Syria, who lived at Damascus, saying,
3“Let there be a treaty between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you silver and gold. Go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.”
4Ben Hadad listened to King Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they struck Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali.
6Then Asa the king took all Judah, and they carried away the stones and timber of Ramah, with which Baasha had built; and he built Geba and Mizpah with them.
7At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him, “Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped out of your hand.
8Weren’t the Ethiopians and the Lubim a huge army, with chariots and exceedingly many horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the LORD, he delivered them into your hand.
9For the LORD’s eyes run back and forth throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. You have done foolishly in this; for from now on you will have wars.”
10Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in the prison; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time.
11Behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
12In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa was diseased in his feet. His disease was exceedingly great; yet in his disease he didn’t seek the LORD, but just the physicians.
14They buried him in his own tomb, which he had dug out for himself in David’s city, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odors and various kinds of spices prepared by the perfumers’ art; and they made a very great fire for him.
World English BibleRead in NIV in Psalmlog →Highlighted verses are the most connected.
Key verses
2 Chronicles 16:9Hanani declares God’s readiness to strengthen those devoted to him, then announces wars as the consequence of Asa’s choice.
2 Chronicles 16:8Asa’s earlier deliverance from a vast army makes his present reliance on Syria harder to excuse.
2 Chronicles 16:10Asa answers correction with imprisonment and oppression, turning his refusal to trust God into harm against others.
Where this chapter reaches

Jeremiah and Isaiah share this chapter’s warning about trusting human strength and foreign alliances while turning away from YHWH. Psalm and Job share its language of God’s watching eyes, describing his knowledge of human conduct and, in Psalm, his care for those who fear him.

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After reading the whole chapter

What does Asa’s successful strategy, followed by Hanani’s rebuke, raise about how you judge success?

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What stands out to you about Asa’s response to correction, and how do you receive unwelcome truth?

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Questions people ask about 2 Chronicles 16

What does “whose heart is perfect toward him” mean in 2 Chronicles 16:9?

The phrase describes wholehearted loyalty to God. Hanani contrasts Asa’s earlier reliance on YHWH with his present reliance on Syria. In this setting, the emphasis falls on trust and allegiance. God sees throughout the earth and shows his strength on behalf of those whose hearts are devoted to him.

Does 2 Chronicles 16:12 condemn going to doctors?

The verse identifies Asa’s failure to seek YHWH during his disease. It gives no command against medical care and names no fault in the physicians’ treatment. The contrast continues the chapter’s account of Asa relying on human help while leaving God out. Seeking medical treatment and seeking God can go together.

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2 Chronicles · 36 chapters
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).