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Hosea 6:6 For I desired mercy and not sacrifice;
and the knowledge of God more than your burnt offerings.
Bible Chapter Studies
1A0II CHRONICLES CHAPTER 16
II Chronicles 15 opened with Father’s Spirit coming upon His Prophet Azariah telling the same to go to Asa, the king of the House of Judah and notifying him, that if he seek Father, Father will be found by him; that for a long season Israel had been without the True God, without a teaching Priest and without the Law; that Father vexed the Nation for forsaking Him; but, when after He vexed them and they turned and sought Him He was found of them, therefore, Asa should be strong and valiant in destroying all the false gods and idols in the Nation and in-turn Father would reward Asa with lasting peace and prosperity.
Asa cleaned up the mess which his father Abijah, grand-father Rehoboam, and great great-grandfather Solomon had left the House of Judah in; i.e., he removed all the false gods and idols; he removed the high places where the people went to worship those false gods and idols; he got rid of the asherah groves, he tore down his own great grand-mother’s giant asherah and removed her from being queen-mother; and he threw the sodomites out of his kingdom. Then in the 3rd month of the 15th year of Asa’s reign, he gathered all the People of the Nation together for a feast and to enjoin into a covenant to seek Father with all their hearts. For these actions which pleased Father YHVH, Father Blessed him and the Nation with peace and prosperity.
The Chapter closed with Asa restoring the Holy and Most Holy items which Shishak king of the Ethiopians had taken during the reign of Rehoboam and Asa and the House of Judah had recovered when they defeated Zerah the current king of Ethiopia. We also read in the final verse of the Chapter, verse 15:19 that: “And there was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.”. This then, sets the year at 825B.C., as Asa began his reign and rule in the year 860B.C..
In this Chapter, we’ll be reading of Baasha and the House of Israel coming against Asa and the House of Judah. Sadly, we’ll read that unlike when Zerah and the Ethiopians came against Asa and he and the House of Judah turned to Father and sought Him, here, Asa will seek the aid and assistance of a foreign king, king Ben-hadad of Syria, this will very much displease Father, and Father in-turn will send one of His Prophets, Hanani the seer to Asa to notify him that because he is relying on a man-king and not Father, Father is going to ensure that he has wars the rest of his reign and rule over the Nation. This will anger Asa who’ll then put Hanani in prison, and he’ll also start oppressing his own People. For this, Father will cause a disease to come upon his feet, and he’ll return Home to Father as the chapter closes.
With that introduction being said, let’s go to Father and ask Him for His Blessings on our Study of His Word: “ Father, I come to You right now and ask that You Oh LORD Lead me and Guide me as I try and teach Your Word, don’t allow me to mis-teach or mis-lead Your Children. We, Father, also come to You as a group who desire to Learn Your Word, to thank You for inviting us to Your table in order that we might be able to partake of and receive Your Spiritual Meat, and Father, as we prepare to dine on the sustenance which sustains our inner man, we ask that You Oh LORD open our ears and eyes, that we might be able to hear and see your Truths, open our hearts and minds and prepare us in order that we may receive Your Truth. We Pray for Your Understanding of Your Word, we seek Your Knowledge in Your Word, and most importantly Father, we Pray for and desire Your Wisdom from Your Word, in Jesus’ Precious name we Pray, thank You Father, Amen.”
I Chronicles 10:1-II Chronicles 36:21
HISTORY (UP TO THE CAPTIVITY.)
(Division.)
11:1-II Chronicles 36:21 THE HOUSE
of DAVID. ESTABLISHED. (Division.)
14:1-16:14 ASA (Introversion.)
14:9-16:10 Events. Public. War.
14:9-16:10 EVENTS. PUBLIC. (Extended Alternation.)
16:1-6 Invasion by Baasha, king of Israel.
1A1
II Chronicles 16:1 In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa (physican or cure; or, physican) (aw-sawי) Baasha (to stink, offensiveness; or, wicked) (bah-shawי) king of Israel (he will rule as YAH; or, the prince that prevails with YAH) (Yis-raw-aleי) (secondary map) came up against Judah (celebrated; and, praised, celebrated) (yeh-hoo-dawי), and built Ramah (the same as H7413; a height (as the seat of idolatry): - high place; and, a hill) (raw-mawי), to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. —> …sixth and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa…=For the past 24+ years, Father gave Asa and the House of Judah peace and prosperity; however, that has now come to a close; as the House of Israel has a new king. The last time the House of Israel came against the House of Judah—see II Chronicles 13:2-19—was when both Nations were ruled by different kings: The House of Israel was ruled by Jeroboam and the House of Judah was ruled by Asa’s father Abijah. That war cost the House of Israel 500,000 war-fighters.
Baasha=This is the first we read of Baasha in The Books of the Chronicles. The last we read of the House of Israel’s king, was of Jeroboam, we have to go back to I Kings 15:25-31 to understand that during the second year of Asa’s reign and rule, Jeroboam’s son Nadab took over the reigns and rule of the House of Israel. He was engaged in a war with the Philistines—during the third year of Asa’s reign and rule—when Baasha slew him and took over as king. The reason Baasha killed him—and all his brethren, completely wiping out the line of Jeroboam—was to fulfill prophesy of Father Who though His Prophet Ahijah the Shilonite declared in I Kings 15:30 which reads: I Kings 15:30 Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.. So, Baasha has been the king of the House of Israel for the past 33 years of Asa’s reign and rule and to this point, both kings have been peaceful with each other, but there have been border clashes and conflicts between the People of the two Nations. Those skirmishes have now escalated and the two Nations are again about to enter into civil war as Baasha is coming against Asa. The reason for Baasha coming against Judah was because he was tired of seeing his own People flee their territories and coming down to join onto the House of Judah. Why were they doing so? Because, to this point, every king of the divided House of Israel—Jeroboam and then his son Nadab—was wicked and served false gods and idols.
Baasha…built Ramah=Ramah was approximately five miles north of Jerusalem, it lie within the borders of the House of Judah, and more specifically, in the Tribe of Benjamin; in other words, it was about a two hour walk from Jerusalem. What we see in this, is that Baasha is dug-in only a short distance from Asa—not a good thing if you’re Asa as—this position affords Baasha the opportunity to stop all those who were fleeing the northern territories and coming to Jerusalem. Baasha knew he would first have to stop people from entering and\or leaving, so he fortified Ramah in order to do this. This is further pointed out to us in the phrase “…let none go out or come in…”.
Asa=For a detailed description of Asa, including his history, the etymology of his name, the Strong’s Concordance definition of his name, and the Smith’s Bible Dictionary information, click here.
Baasha
Baasha=Baasha was the son of Ahijah of the Tribe of Issachar. He was the 3rd king of the divided House of Israel, following behind Jeroboam and his son Nadab, whom he slew—along with all his brethren, thus completely wiping out the entire line of Jeroboam—during the 3rd year of the reign and rule of Asa, king of the divided House of Judah. He did this to fulfill the Prophesy of Father—I Kings 15:29-30—Who declared through His Prophet Ahijah the Shilonite, that because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned and caused all Israel to sin he should be destroyed. We read that Baasha reigned and ruled over the House of Israel for 24 years and during this reign he came against Asa and the House of Judah, where he suffered defeat after Asa sought the aid, alliance and assistance of Ben-hadad the king of syria, he also fortified the city of Ramah and made Tizrah his capital city, which was where he was buried after he died. In a non-humorous way, it’s funny and sad at the same time, see, Baasha knew he was sent by Father slay Nadab and all his brethren because they all walked in the ways of Jeroboam’s sins, but after doing so, Baasha turned around and did the exact same thing Jeroboam and all his off-spring did and because of his actions we read the following in I Kings 16:1-4: I Kings 16:1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying, [16:2] “Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over My People Israel; and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made My People Israel to sin, to provoke Me to anger with their sins; [16:3] Behold, I will take away the posterity of Baasha, and the posterity of his house; and will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. [16:4] Him that dieth of Baasha in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth of his in the fields shall the fowls of the air eat.” —> As it always does, Father’s Word came to pass. Baasha died, his son Elah took over the throne after his father, and Father sent Zimmri to slay him and then all his brethren and even all Elah’s friends. † Abarim Publications does not provide an etymology for the name Baasha and as such neither can I. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H1201, - בַּעְשָׁא, - ba‛shâ', pronounced - bah-shawי, and means: From an unused root meaning to stink; offensiveness; Basha, a king of Israel: - Baasha. Total KJV occurrenecs: 28.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “Wicked. The third sovereign of the separate kingdom of Israel, and the founder of its second dynasty. He was son of Ahijah of the tribe of Issachar and conspired against King Nadab I Kings 15:27, and killed him with his whole family. He appears to have been of humble origin I Kings 16:2. It was probably in the 13th year of his reign that he made war on Asa, and began to fortify Ramah. He was defeated by the unexpected alliance of Asa with Ben-hadad I. of Damascus. Baasha died in the 24th year of his reign, and was buried in Tirzah Song of Solomon 6:4, which he had made his capital I Kings 16:6; II Chronicles 16:1-6.”.
Israel=For a detailed description of Israel, including his birth, his and the Nation’s history, the etymology of the name, the Strong’s Concordance definition of the name, and the Smith’s Bible Dictionary information, click here.
Judah=For a detailed description of Judah, including the Tribes history, the etymology of the name, the Strong’s Concordance definition of the name, and the Smith’s Bible Dictionary information, click here.
Ramah
Ramah=Ramah was the home of Elkanah and Hannah, and the birthplace of Samuel—I Samuel 1:15; I Samuel 2:11, etc.. In I Samuel 1:1 it is called “Ramathaim-zophim”—ha-ramathayim-tsophim. The phrase as it stands, is grammatically incorrect, and suggests tampering with the text. It might possibly be translated “Ramathaim of the Zuphites.” It was in Mount Ephraim, within accessible distance of Shiloh, it was where Samuel’s parents went up from year to year to worship and to sacrifice—I Samuel 1:3. From Ramah as a center, Samuel went on circuit annually, to judge Israel—to Beth-el, Gilgal and Mizpah—I Samuel 7:16. It is very probable that this is the city in which, guided by his servant, Saul first made the acquaintance of Samuel—I Samuel 9:6,10—where there was a high place—I Samuel 9:12. It was a Ramah that all the elders of Israel came with their demand that a king should be set over them—I Samuel 8:4. After his final break with Saul, Samuel retired in sorrow to Ramah—I Samuel 15:I Samuel 15:34. As David was fleeing Saul, he escaped and came to Samuel in Ramah and told him all that Saul was trying to do to him and then together they both went Naioth—I Samuel 19:18, etc., and hence, he fled on his ill-starred visit to Nob—I Samuel 20:1. In his native city of Ramah, the dust of the dead Samuel was laid—I Samuel 25:1; 28:3. Jerome places Ramah in the district of Timnah. † For the etymology of the name Ramah, we read the following in Abarim Publications: “It’s not immediately clear where the name Ramah comes from, or what it is supposed to mean. One good bet is that it is related to the verb רום (rum), meaning to be high or lofty: And thus, for a meaning of the name Ramah, Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names reads Lofty Place. However, neither New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List nor Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary translates this name (although BDB confirms that it comes from rum). The reason for their trepidation is perhaps that the name Ramah is spelled strikingly similar to the root-group רמה (rama): Hence, the name Ramah also carries the meanings of Deceit, Established or Loose.”. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that is is Hebrew word number: H7414, - רָמָה, - râmâh, pronounced - raw-mawי, and means: the same as H7413; a height (as the seat of idolatry): - high place; Ramah; the name of four places in Palestine: - Ramah. Total KJV occurrences: 36.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “A hill. The home of Elkanah, Samuel’s father, I Samuel 1:19; 2:11, the birthplace of Samuel himself, his home and official residence, the site of his altar I Samuel 7:17; 8:4; 15:34; 16:13; 19:18, and finally his burial-place I Samuel 25:1; 28:3. It is a contracted form of Ramathaim-zophim. All that is directly said as to its situation is that it was in Mount Ephraim, I Samuel 1:1, a district without defined boundaries. The position of Ramah is a much-disputed question. Tradition, however places the residence of Samuel on the lofty and remarkable eminence of Neby Samwil which rises four miles to the northwest of Jerusalem. Since the days of Arcult the tradition appears to have been continuous. Here, then, we are inclined in the present state of the evidence, to place the Ramah of Samuel.”.
16:2 Ben-hadad, subsidy to.
1A2
II Chronicles 16:2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben-hadad (son of hadad) (ben-had-adי) king of Syria (From the same as H758 the highland; Aram; and, elevated; to be high) (arawmי), that dwelt at Damascus (neither the Strong’s Concordance nor the Smith’s Bible Dictionary provide a meaning of the name Damascus) (dam-mehי-sek), saying, —> What a sad and disappointing thing to read and hear of. Remember, we just read a few short verses ago how Asa was being pleasing to Father by removing all the evil, perverse, and wicked things out of Judah; therefore, all he had to do was to turn to Father and ask His help, and Father would have taken care of his enemies. However, he is so affrighted by Baasha, that instead of seeking Father, Asa turns and seeks the strength of man. How does he do this? By removing all the dedicated things within the Temple of Father YHVH and giving them to Ben-hadad the king of Syria in order to pay mercenaries as protection.
Yeah, how sad indeed, especially considering, that we read in II Chronicles 14:11-15, that when Zerah and the Ethiopians came against him and the House of Judah, he cried out to Father and Father came to his aid and smote the Ethiopians.
Ben-hadad=This Ben-hadad is the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion—I Kings 15:18. He was the king of Syria during the time of Asa, king of the House of Judah; and Baasha, king of the House of Israel. Baasha and the House of Israel had come against Asa and the House of Judah because Baasha was tired of seeing his People flee him and their homes in order to go to the House of Judah. The reason they were fleeing was because of his idolatry and Asa’s turning to Father and Serving and Worshipping Him. Had Baasha Served and Worshipped Father, his People wouldn’t have fled. Asa, fearing he would suffer defeat at the hands of Baasha, entered into a treaty and compact with Ben-hadad where with he emptied all the gold and silver out of Father’s House and his own treasuries to pay-off Ben-hadad for his assistance in fighting off the attack from Baasha. On account of Ben-hadad and Syria’s assistance, Asa was victorious over Baasha, but the reality is, Asa should have relied on Father and not Ben-hadad, this was Asa’s sin. † For the etymology of the name Ben-hadad, we read the following in Abarim Publications: “Some sources report that the name Ben-hadad was carried by the kings of Aram for nine generations, and it’s possible that Ben-hadad isn’t really a personal name but rather a royal title, not unlike Caesar or Pharaoh. The name Ben-hadad obviously consists of two elements. The first part of our name comes from the familiar Hebrew word בן (ben), meaning son: The second part of our name is the same as that of the god Hadad, which could be construed as to come from the verb הדד (hdd): For a meaning of the name Ben-hadad, both New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List and Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary read Son Of Hadad. Alfred Jones (Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names) follows his own interpretation of the name Hadad, and reads Son Of The Most High. To a Hebrew audience, however, the name Ben-hadad would probably have sounded like Son Of Thunder (possibly comparable with the name Boanerges).”. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that is is Hebrew word number: H1130, - בֶּן־הֲדַד, - ben-hădad, pronounced - ben-had-adי, and means: From H1121 and H1908; son of Hadad; Ben Hadad, the name of several Syrian kings: - Ben-hadad. Total KJV occurrences: 25.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “Son of Hadad. The name of three kings of Damascus. BENHADAD I., King of Damascus, which in his time was supreme in Syria. He made an alliance with Asa, and conquered a great part of the north of Israel, I Kings 15:18.”.
Syria
Syria=There is much, much history with Syria. Syria consists of a series of belts of low and high land running North and South, parallel to the Mediterranean Sea. The first of these is the maritime plain. It consists of a broad strip of sand dunes covered by short grass and low bushes, followed by a series of low undulating hills and wide valleys which gradually rise to a height of about 500 ft. This belt begins in North Syria with the narrow Plain of Issus, which extends to a few miles South of Alxandretta, but farther South almost disappears, being represented only by the broader valleys and the smaller plains occupied by such towns as Latakia, Tripolis and Beirut. South of the last named the maritime belt is continuous, being interrupted only where the Ladder of Tyre and Mt. Carmel descend abruptly into the sea. In the Plain of Akka it has a breadth of 8 miles, and from Carmel southward it again broadens out, till beyond Caesarea it has an average of 10 miles. From the maritime plain we rise to the first mountain belt. It begins with the Amanus, a branch of the Taurus in the North. Under that name it ceases with the Orontes valley, but is continued in the Nuseiriyeh range—Mt. Cassius, 5,750 ft.—till the Eleutherus valley is reached, and thence rising again in Lebanon, average 5,000 ft., Jebel Sunnin, 8,780 ft., it continues to the Leontes or Quasmiyeh. The range then breaks down into the rounded hills of Upper Galilee, 3,500 ft., extends through the table-land of Western Palestine, 2,500 ft., and in the South of Judea broadens out into the arid Badiet et-Tih or Wilderness of Wandering. Along with this may be considered the parallel mountain range. Beginning in the neighborhood of Riblah, the chain of anti-Lebanon extends southward to Hermon, 9,200 ft., and thence stretches out into the plateau of the Jaulan and Hauran, where we meet with the truncated cones of extinct volcanoes and great sheets of basaltic lava, especially in el-Leja and Jebel ed-Druz. The same table-land continues southward, with deep ravines piercing its sides, over Gilead, Moab and Edom. Between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon lies the great valley of Coele-Syria. It is continued northward along the Orontes and thence stretches away eastward to the Euphrates, while southward it merges into the valleys of the Jordan and the Arabah. From the sources of the Orontes and Leontes at Baalbek, 4,000 ft., it falls away gently to the North; but to the South the descent is rapid. In Merj `Ayun it has sunk to 1,800 ft., at Lake Huleh it is over 7 ft., at the Lake of Tiberias-682 ft., and at the Dead Sea 1,292 ft., and thence it rises again to the Gulf of Akabah. This great valley was caused by a line of fault or fracture of the earth’s crust, with parallel and branching faults. In ancient times the whole valley formed an arm of the sea, and till the Glacial period at the end of the Tertiary—Pleistocene—Age, a lake extended along the whole Jordan valley as far as the Huleh. We can thus understand that the great plain and adjoining valleys consist mainly of alluvial deposits with terraces of gravel and sand on the enclosing slopes. To the East of the Anti-Lebanon belt there is a narrow stretch of cultivated land which in some places attains a breadth of several miles, but this is always determined by the distance to which the eastern streams from Anti-Lebanon flow. Around Damascus the Abana, Barada, and neighboring streams have made the district an earthly paradise, but they soon lose themselves in the salt marshes about 10 miles East of the city. Elsewhere the fruitful strip gradually falls away into the sands and rocks of the Syrian desert, barren alike of vegetable and animal life. The mountain ranges determine the course of the rivers and their length. The streams flowing westward are naturally short and little more than summer torrents. Those flowing to the desert are of the same character, the only one of importance being the Abana, to which Damascus owes its existence. Only the great central valley permits the formation of larger rivers, and there we find the Orontes and Leontes rising within a few feet of each other beside Baalbek, and draining Coele-Syria to the North and South, till breaking through the mountains they reach the sea. The Jordan is the only other stream of any size. In ancient, as also in modern times, the direction of these streams determined the direction of the great trade route from Mesopotamia to Egypt through Coele-Syria and across pal, as also the position of the larger towns, but, not being themselves navigable, they did not form a means of internal communication. As I stated, there is a very storied history with the territory of Syria itself and with our People, past and present. Both when our forefathers entirely inhabited our inheritance of the Nation of Israel—The Promised Land—and today with us—the United States of America, being descended from the 10 Northern Tribes of the House of Israel—still being engaged with Syria. Our first encounter with the Nation of Syria—Judges 10:6—is as our forefathers were being displeasing to Father YHVH when they were forsaking Him and serving false gods and idols: the gods of Syria, i.e., Baalim and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines. Our next encounter with Syria was when David was King and the Syrians became servants to him and he put garrisons in Damascus; as we see, we were stronger and more powerful than the Syrians, so long as we served Father, but when we forsook Him, they became more powerful than us, as happened with David’s great, great grand-son Asa in II Chronicles 16:2, where he removed all the gold and silver from Father’s Temple and his own house to pay the Syrians to come to his aid in fighting Baaah, the king of the ten Northern Tribes of the House of Israel. † For the etymology of the name Syria, we read the following in Abarim Publications: “There are one country and several men named Aram in the Bible. The country named Aram in the Bible is now called Syria, which lies directly to the north of Israel and east of present day Lebanon, and which capital was and still is Damascus. Aram-slash-Syria is not to be confused with Assyria, which was a country and later an empire to the far north-east of Israel; present day Iraq. In the wake of the Bronze Age Collapse (see our article on the name Hellas), the Arameans migrated from Mesopotamia, south to modern Syria, which explains the similarity of the names of these two regions. Assyria’s capital was Nineveh, of which today only ruins remain. The Greeks decided to call Aram Syria (Συρια, ACTS 15:41, GALATIANS 1:21), and rendered the same name to Assyria, which caused considerable confusion. But confusion already abounded since the Semitic speaking peoples referred to regions in Assyria with names that contained Aram; see for instance Paddan-aram and Aram-naharaim. Today it’s generally accepted that the names Syria and Assyria come from the same Semitic root (see below). In Roman times, Syria became a Roman district just north of Israel. That’s why Matthew could write that news about Jesus went out into all Syria (MATTHEW 4:24). Altogether, the name Aram or Syria occurs 12 times in the New Testament. The name Aram comes probably from the common Hebrew verb רום (rum) meaning to be high, rise up: The noun ארמון ss(יarmon), meaning citadel, is thought to derive from a root ארם ss(יrm), which, according to Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary, is probably a by-form of the Hebrew verb רום (rum) and which is identical to our name Aram. That means that the name Aram is possibly derived from the root that also gave us the word for citadel. The name Aram, in fact, may derive from the idea of a global capital which John the Revelator calls the New Jerusalem. For a meaning of the name Aram, Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names reads High, Elevated. New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List reads Elevated.”. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that is is Hebrew word number: H758, - אֲרָם, - 'ărâm, pronounced - arawmי, and means: From the same as H759; the highland; Aram or Syria, and its inhabitants; also the name of a son of Shem, a grandson of Nahor, and of an Israelite: - Aram, Mesopotamia, Syria, Syrians. Total KJV occurrences: 132. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “Syria is the term used throughout our version for the Hebrew Aram, as well as for the Greek Zupia. Most probably Syria is for Tsyria, the country about Tsur or Tyre which was the first of the Syrian towns known to the Greeks. It is difficult to fix the limits of Syria. The limits of the Hebrew Aram and its subdivisions are spoken of under ARAM. Syria proper was bounded by Amanus and Taurus on the north by the Euphrates and the Arabian desert on the east, by Israel on the south, by the Mediterranean near the mouth of the Orontes, and then by Phoenicia on the west. This tract is about 300 miles long from north to south, and from 50 to 150 miles broad. It contains an area of about 30,000 square miles. General physical features. --The general character of the tract is mountainous, as the Hebrew name Aram (from a roof signifying “height”) sufficiently implies. The most fertile and valuable tract of Syria is the long valley intervening between Libanus and Anti-Libanus. Of the various mountain ranges of Syria, Lebanon possesses the greatest interest. It extends from the mouth of the Litany to Arka, a distance of nearly 100 miles. Anti-Libanus, as the name implies, stands lover against Lebanon, running in the same direction, i.e. nearly north and south, and extending the same length. [LEBANON] The principal rivers of Syria are the Litany and the Orontes. The Litany springs from a small lake situated in the middle of the Coele-Syrian valley, about six miles to the southwest of Baalbek. It enters the sea about five miles north of Tyre. The source of the Orontes is but about 15 miles from that of the Litany. Its modern name is the Nahr-el-Asi, or “rebel stream,” an appellation given to it on account of its violence and impetuosity in many parts of its course. The chief towns of Syria may be thus arranged, as nearly as possible in the order of their importance: 1, Antioch; 2, Damascus; 3, Apamea; 4, Seleucia; 5, Tadmor or Palmyra; 6, Laodicea; 7, Epiphania (Hamath); 8, Samosata; 9, Hierapolis (Mabug); 10, Chalybon; 11, Emesa; 12, Heliopolis; 13, Laodicea ad Libanum; 14, Cyrrhus; 15, Chalcis; 16, Poseideum; 17, Heraclea; 18, Gindarus; 19, Zeugma; 20, Thapsacus. Of these, Samosata, Zeugma and Thapsacus are on the Euphrates; Seleucia, Laodicea, Poseideum and Heraclea, on the seashore, Antioch, Apamea, Epiphania and Emesa (Hems), on the Orontes; Heliopolis and Laodicea ad Libanum, in Coele-Syria; Hierapolis, Chalybon, Cyrrhus, Chalcis and Gindarns, in the northern highlands; Damascus on the skirts, and Palmyra in the centre, of the eastern desert. History. --The first occupants of Syria appear to have been of Hamitic descent --Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, etc.. After a while the first comers, who were still to a great extent nomads, received a Semitic infusion, while most Probably came to them from the southeast. The only Syrian town whose existence we find distinctly marked at this time is Damascus, Genesis 14:15; 15:2 which appears to have been already a place of some importance. Next to Damascus must be placed Hamath Numbers 13:21; 34:8. Syria at this time, and for many centuries afterward, seems to have been broken up among a number of petty kingdoms. The Jews first come into hostile contact with the Syrians, under that name, in the time of David Genesis 15:18; II Samuel 8:3,4,13. When, a few years later, the Ammonites determined on engaging in a war with David, and applied to the Syrians for aid, Zolah, together with Beth-rehob sent them 20,000 footmen, and two other Syrian kingdoms furnished 13,000 II Samuel 10:6. This army being completely defeated by Joab, Hadadezer obtained aid from Mesopotamia, ibid. ver. 16, and tried the chance of a third battle, which likewise went against him, and produced the general submission of Syria to the Jewish monarch. The submission thus begun continued under the reign of Solomon I Kings 4:21. The only part of Syria which Solomon lost seems to have been Damascus, where an independent kingdom was set up by Rezon, a native of Zobah I Kings 11:23-25. On the separation of the two kingdoms, soon after the accession of Rehoboam, the remainder of Syria no doubt shook off the yoke. Damascus now became decidedly the leading state, Hamath being second to it, and the northern Hittites, whose capital was Carchemish, near Bambuk, third. [DAMASCUS] Syria became attached to the great Assyrian empire, from which it passed to the Babylonians, and from them to the Persians. In B.C. 333 it submitted to Alexander without a struggle. Upon the death of Alexander, Syria became, for the first time the head of a great kingdom. On the division of the provinces among his generals, B.C. 321, Seleucus Nicator received Mesopotamia and Syria. The city of Antioch was begun in B.C. 300, and, being finished in a few years, was made the capital of Seleucus’ kingdom. The country grew rich with the wealth which now flowed into it on all sides. Syria was added to the Roman empire by Pompey, B.C. 64, and as it holds an important place, not only in the Old Testament but in the New, some account of its condition under the Romans must be given. While the country generally was formed into a Roman province, under governors who were at first proprietors or quaestors, then procounsuls, and finally legates, there were exempted from the direct rule of the governor in the first place, a number of “free cities” which retained the administration of their own affairs, subject to a tribute levied according to the Roman principles of taxation; secondly, a number of tracts, which were assigned to petty princes, commonly natives, to be ruled at their pleasure, subject to the same obligations with the free cities as to taxation. After the formal division of the provinces between Augustus and the senate, Syria, being from its exposed situation among the province principis, were ruled by legates, who were of consular rank (consulares) and bore severally the full title of “Legatus Augusti pro praetore.” Judea occupied a peculiar position; a special procurator was therefore appointed to rule it, who was subordinate to the governor of Syria, but within his own province had the power of a legatus. Syria continued without serious disturbance from the expulsion of the Parthians, B.C. 38, to the breaking out of the Jewish war, A.D. 66. in A.D. 44-47 it was the scene of a severe famine. A little earlier, Christianity had begun to spread into it, partly by means of those who “were scattered” at the time of Stephen’s persecution, Acts 11:19 partly by the exertions of St. Paul Galatians 1:21. The Syrian Church soon grew to be one of the most flourishing Acts 13:1; 15:23,35,41 etc.. (Syria remained under Roman and Byzantine rule till A.D. 634, when it was overrun by the Mohammedans; after which it was for many years the scene of fierce contests, and was finally subjugated by the Turks, A.D. 1517, under whose rule it still remains. --ED.).”.
Damascus
Damascus=Damascus was and is Syria’s Capital city, though the city’s origins are unknown. There is a very storied history with the city of Damascus in Father’s Word—it is mentioned in 55 verses—with the city itself, and with our forefathers. Damascus is mentioned in the story of Abraham; we read in Genesis 14:15 that Abraham pursued the four kings as far as Hobah, “which is on the left hand—i.e., the north—of Damascus.” But this is simply a geographical note which shows only that Damascus was well known at the time when Genesis 14 was written. Greater interest attaches to Genesis 15:2, where Abraham complains that he is childless and that his heir is “Dammesek Eliezer”—English Revised Version—for which the Syriac version reads “Eliezer the Damaschul.” We don’t read of Damascus again until many centuries later, when David is king of the Nation of the House of Israel. David subdues both Syria and it’s capital city of Damascus, slaying 20,000+ war-fighters, making the Syrians his servants and putting garrisons both the Nation and the city. During the reign and rule of king Solomon, a man named Rezon became leader of a band of men who revolted against Hadadezer and captured Damascus, it was there that they made Rezon their king. After this, there was a long war with varying success between our forefathers and the Syrians, who at a later period became allies of Judah against the House of Israel during the reign and rule of Asa—I Kings 15:18-22, and II Chronicles 16:1-10—and then later when Pekah is king of the House of Israel and comes against Jotham, king of the House of Judah—II Kings 15:37. The Syrians were at length subdued by the Assyrians, the city of Damascus was taken and destroyed, and the inhabitants carried captive into Assyria—II Kings 16:7-9; Compare Isaiah 7:8. In this, prophecy was fulfilled—Isaiah 17:1, Amos 1:4, Jeremiah 49:24. The kingdom of Syria remained a province of Assyria till the capture of Nineveh by the Medes in 625B.C., when it fell under the conquerors. † For the etymology of the name Damascus, we read the following in Abarim Publications: “Damascus has existed since deep antiquity (as one of the oldest cities in the world) but wasn’t originally Aramaic, just like Jerusalem wasn’t originally Jewish but Jebusite. Both cities were conquered by their present populations in the wake of the Bronze Age Collapse (see our article on Hellas for more on that) and the indigenous names of both cities were adapted to match something with an appropriate meaning in the language of their new tenants. The oldest recording of what would later be the name Damascus appears in an Egyptian text as T-m-s-q. What that meant, or even in which language it meant it, is no longer clear. By the time the Arameans moved in, the city’s name had become דמשק (dammasq), which is how it commonly appears in the Hebrew Bible. In post-Biblical Aramaic (the common working language of Jewish communities before it became Yiddish), the name Damascus appears as a transliteration of the Greek name δαμασκος namely דמסקוס. The Chronicler most probably wrote after the return from the exile, in contrast to whoever wrote the Books of the Kings, who almost certainly worked before the exile. And besides telling the same stories again, the Chronicler also embraced considerable literary freedoms to comment on them — this too is an accepted Biblical style, to do with its fractal nature. Much later, the author of the Johanine gospel would do something similar relative to the synoptic gospels (see our article on χξς, ch-x-s, or 666, for more on this). Instead of using the common spelling דמשק (dammasq) for our name, the Chronicler consistently uses דרמשק (darammasq), apparently indicating that from a Biblical point of view, the identity of city of Damascus had been altered during the Jews’ exile in Babylon (obviously, since they had switched from Hebrew to Aramaic). Hebrew names often consist of two parts, and our name דמשק (dammasq) can best be explained as a combination of דם (dam) and משק (mesheq) — in such combinations the resulting double מ (mem) would merge into a single one — whereas the Chronicler’s spelling דרמשק (darammasq) would consist of דר (dar) and משק (mesheq). Unfortunately, the second part of our name, משק (mesheq), is actually rather hard to explain, as it only happens once in the Bible. Our word משק (mesheq) doesn’t occur anywhere else in the Bible, which also means that we don’t precisely know what it means. What we do know, however, is that the Torah could be written down because scribes had established and learned to respect spelling standards (which are forms of social consensus, and very important for any kind of progress and thus peace and prosperity), but also that their respect for their own divine creativity never waned to the point where they abhorred the use of word play (particularly names of important royals were pretty much fair game; see our article on the name Amraphel, or the name Onesimus for a look at the Pauline equivalent of narrative coding). Hence our unique word משק (mesheq) is widely considered a word-joke, or at least among theologians with a sense of humor, which unfortunately doesn’t cover all of us. The unfortunate Job of Uz appears to have been in on the joke as he asserts that “the acquisition (משך, mashak, with a ך, kaph, instead of a ק, qoph) of wisdom is above that of pearls” (Job 28:18). The verb used actually means to draw out: The pun continues in this verb’s proximity to the verb משה (masha), to draw out or extract from water, from which we get the name Moses. And at this point it’s probably prudent to recall that these stories serve not to tell the legendary history of Israel but rather the global quest for wisdom. Another possible way to explain our mystery word משק (mesheq) is to consider the leading מ (mem) the same common particle of agency that also forms the word Muslim, meaning agent-of-peace from the word Islam, meaning peace-making. That would bring us to the verb שקק (shaqaq), meaning to run or rush, and its derived noun משק (mashaq), a running or rushing (Isaiah 33:4, speaking of Assyrians as destroying locusts). Before these words were pointed in the Middle Ages (see our article on the Masoretes), this verb שקק (shaqaq) was spelled identical to the unused verb שקק (saqaq), from which came the noun שק (saq), meaning sackcloth — the donning of which was a ubiquitous sign of mourning, which possibly developed from people’s understanding of contamination, which made them burn infected clothes. The wearing of sackcloth was commonly accompanied by the application of ashes on one’s head, which probably stemmed from the same objective of decontamination. The word for ashes is אפר ss(יeper), hence the names Ephraim, Ephrathah and Ophir. Another word for dust is אבק ss(יabaq), from the identical but unique verb אבק ss(יabaq), which is only used to describe what Jacob did with the angel of YHVH at the Jabbok (commonly translated as “to wrestle”). The not dissimilar noun עפר ss(יapar) also means dust; hence the term עפר הארץ ss(יapar haיeres), or dust of the earth, the elementary substance from which God had made the body of Adam (Genesis 2:7), and like which the seed of Abraham would be (Genesis 13:16). In I Samuel 2:8, Hannah proclaims that YHVH raises the poor from the dust, and that the מצקי ארץ (masuqy ss(יeres), are His. The first word of this somewhat comparable term uses the particle of agency מ (mem), and otherwise derives from the verb צוק (suq), to bring out from within by applying pressure; hence the name Ziklag. All this suggests a playful association between the duo Aram (Damascus) and Israel (Jerusalem), and the duo Sackcloth And Ashes. In Hebrew, as well as Aramaic, the first part of the regular spelling of our name immediately reminds of the root דמם (damam), which deals with beginnings, hence the name Adam, the color אדם ss(יadom), red, and דם (dam), meaning blood, hence the name Akeldama: The spelling deployed by the Chronicler uses the element דור (dor) or דר (dor), period or cycle, from the verb דור (dur), to heap or dwell in a concentrated society: Whatever our mystery element משק (mesheq) may technically mean, it strongly associates with the seed of Abraham, who is Christ (GALATIANS 3:7; 3:16), and it takes no great leap to conclude that it refers to the greater Pattern of Salvation that runs from Abraham to Christ. Lacking a proper synonym, we could probably get away with paraphrasing our word משק (mesheq) with Salvation (but global salvation, not simply Abraham’s private salvation: see Genesis 12:3), so that Eliezer was Abraham’s “son of Salvation,” until Isaac was born. Of course, within two centuries after the Jews’ return from exile, the rise of Alexander of Macedon made the whole world Greece, and the name Damascus had to be Hellenized as well. Fortunately, there was a readily available verb just perfect for the job, and the name became δαμασκος — the common Greek suffix -κος (-kos) roughly corresponds to the English suffix “-ness” and expresses pertaining to or being characteristic of (e.g. the noun Ρωμαιος, Romaios, means a Roman; the adjective Ρωμαικος, Romaikos, means Roman or Latin). The verb is δαμαζω (damazo), to domesticate: The Hebrew equivalent of this Greek verb is כנע (kanaי), hence the name Canaan, and the ethnonym Canaanite was proverbial for the merchant class. International trade is of course the vehicle upon which the world’s wisdom classes achieved their invention of script, and Abraham is indeed the father of international trade (see our article on that name). The term משך (mashak) we mention above (in reference to Job 28:18) is commonly translated with acquisition. The more common verb for to acquire is קנה (qana), hence the names Cain and Cana, where Jesus turned water to wine. The story of the Bible is the story of the formation of modern script. Which precise contribution the city of Damascus made to this is not clearly stated, but it surely comprised the provision of Aramaic script and the Aramaic language for popular use. For more on the Bible’s discussion of the formation of script, see our articles on the names YHVH, Shunammite and Philistine. The Hebrew term for Damascus, namely דמשק (dammasq), means something like The Beginning Of Salvation. The Chronicler’s slightly adapted term for Damascus, namely דרמשק (darammasq) means Period Of Salvation or perhaps more precise Full Turn In The Pattern Of Salvation. The Greek name Damascus means Tameness or somewhat more positive Synchronicity.”. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H1834, - דַּמֶּשֶׂק, ssדּוּמֶשֶׂק,ss or דַּרְמֶשֶׂק, - dammeśeq, dûmeśeq or darmeśeq, pronounced - dam-mehי-sek, doo-mehי-sek, or dar-mehי-sek, and means: Of foreign origin; Damascus, a city of Syria: - Damascus. Total KJV occurrences: 45.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “One of the most ancient and most important of the cities of Syria. It is situated 130 miles northeast of Jerusalem, in a plain of vast size and of extreme fertility, which lies east of the great chain of Anti-Libanus, on the edge of the desert. This fertile plain, which is nearly circular and about 30 miles in diameter, is due to the river Barada, which is probably the “Abana” of Scripture. Two other streams the Wady Helbon upon the north and the Awaj, which flows direct from Hermon upon the south, increase the fertility of the Damascene plain, and contend for the honor of representing the “Pharpar” of Scripture. According to Josephus, Damascus was founded by Uz grandson of Shem. It is first mentioned in Scripture in connection with Abraham, Genesis 14:15 whose steward was a native of the place Genesis 15:2. At one time David became complete master of the whole territory, which he garrisoned with Israelites II Samuel 8:5,6. It was in league with Baasha, king of Israel against Asa, I Kings 15:19; II Chronicles 16:3 and afterwards in league with Asa against Baasha I Kings 15:20. Under Ahaz it was taken by Tiglath-pileser, II Kings 16:7,8,9 the kingdom of Damascus brought to an end, and the city itself destroyed, the inhabitants being carried captive into Assyria II Kings 16:9 compare Isaiah 7:8 and Amos 1:5. Afterwards it passed successively under the dominion of the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Macedonians, Romans and Saracens, and was at last captured by the Turks in 1516 A.D. Here the apostle Paul was converted and preached the gospel Acts 9:1-25. Damascus has always been a great centre for trade. Its present population is from 100,000 to 150,000. It has a delightful climate. Certain localities are shown as the site of those scriptural events which specially interest us in its history. Queen’s Street, which runs straight through the city from east to west, may be the street called Straight Acts 9:11. The house of Judas and that of Ananias are shown, but little confidence can be placed in any of these traditions.”.
16:3 Former league appealed to.
1A3
II Chronicles 16:3 “There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.” —> Asa sent his messengers who told Ben-hadad that there was a covenant between the two men’s fathers; therefore, there should be just as strong a bond between their two sons. Here, in order to shore this covenant up, I’ve taken the treasurer out of the House of my God and have sent it to you in order to show you my faith in our covenant bond. As such, I now ask that you break your bond with Baasha the king of the House of Israel and further strengthen our bond.
This is a very telling verse brethren, as it shows exactly where the loyalties of Ben-hadad and the Syrians are, and it isn’t in man, it’s in money, as, they can be bought, they might not be cheap; but, they can at least be purchased for the right amount.
16:4 Ben-hadad, help from.
1A4
II Chronicles 16:4 And Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon (ruin; and, a ruin) (ee-yoneי), and Dan (a place in Palestine colonized by the Tribe of Dan; and, a judge) (dawn) (secondary map), and Abel-maim ( meadow of water; and, Abel on the waters) (aw-baleי mahי-yim), and all the store cities of Naphtali (my wrestling; and, wrestling) (naf-taw-leeי) (secondary map). —> Every one of the cities listed here in this verse were store cities—armories, military provisions, supplies etc.—which were within the border of the territories of the Tribe of Naphtali—which was in the northern most portion of the Promised Land—and what happened, was that Ben-hadad took all the gold and silver which Asa had given him, solidified the covenant between he and Asa by sending his army against the cities of the House of Israel. Ben-hadad’s troops ripped right through the heart of the land of the House of Israel and did very much damage. Remember brethren, Syria was north to the Promised Land; therefore, what Baasha was up against, was Asa to the south fortifying and strengthening himself against him, and now, Ben-hadad—who Baasha had once himself paid for protection and fighting forces—is coming down from the north against him. Not a good position for Baasha to be in. Asa more than got his money’s worth from the Syrians. One side of the family paying a vast wealth to an outsider in order to war against the other side of the family! A very expensive lesson, and Father is not pleased when it happens.
Dan=This was the City of Dan which lie within the territory of Naphtali, not the inheritance of land given to the Tribe of Dan upon moving into and inheriting the Promised Land. This city was at the northern most portion of the territory of Naphtali, hence the saying “from Dan even to Beer-sheba.” This city was originally Laish or Leshem whom the Danites conquered when moving into the Promised Land. Every Biblical map shows the territory of the Tribe of Dan being located mid-Promised Land with their borders being the Mediterranean Sea on their west, Ephraim to their north, Benjamin to their east and Judah to their south.
…Ijon…Dan…Abel-maim…Naphtali=Ijon, the city of Dan and Abel-maim—also called Abel-Beth-Maachah in I Kings 15:20—were all within the boundary of the territory of the Tribe of Naphtali. All these were in the neighborhood of Genneseret where our Lord Jesus walked on water in Matthew 14:34, Mark 6:53, Luke 5:1.
Ijon
Ijon=Ijon was a city belonging to the Tribe of Naphtali. From whence it was named, no Biblical scholar seems to mention. It is only mentioned in Father’s Word three times, all in The Books of the KINGS: I Kings 15:20 and II Kings 15:29 and the The Books of the CHRONICLES: II Chronicles 16:4. Ijon was a fortified city and it held within it’s warehouses, an armory, military provisions, supplies etc.. During the reign and rule of king Asa of the House of Judah, as Baasha the king of the House of Israel was fortifying the city of Ramah in order to attack Asa and the House of Judah, Asa removed all the gold and silver from Father’s House and his own house in order to pay Ben-hadad the king of Syria for protection against Baasha. Ben-hadad attacked from the north beginning Ijon while Asa, knowing that Baasah’s focus was on his northern flank, attacked from the south. Many years later, during the reign and rule of Azariah, the king of the House of Judah and Pekah, king of the House of Israel, Tiglath-pileser the king of Assyria came and captured the people of Ijon and took them into captivity. † For the etymology of the name Ijon, we read the following in Abarim Publications: “The name Ijon appears to derive from the noun עי ss(יi), meaning ruin or heap of ruins: The ון upon which our name ends may serve here as an intensifier. For a meaning of the name Ijon, New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List reads Heap and Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names has A Great Heap. Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary does not offer an interpretation of this name.”. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H5859, - עִיּוֹן, - ‛iyôn, pronounced - ee-yoneי, and means: From H5856; ruin; Ijon, a place in Palestine: - Ijon. Total KJV occurrences: 3.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “A ruin. A town in the north of Israel, belonging to the tribe of Naphtali. It was taken and plundered by the captains of Ben-hadad, I Kings 15:20; II Chronicles 16:4 and a second time by Tiglath-pileser II Kings 16:29. It was situated a few miles northwest of the site of Dan, in a fertile and beautiful little plain called Merjי Ayun.”.
Laish
Dan=This Dan is not the territory the Tribe inherited as an inheritance when our forefathers moved into the Promised Land, this Dan was a city or town in the extreme north of Palestine which belonged as part of the territory of the Tribe of Naphtali, which some members of the Tribe of Dan conquered and then settled into when they were looking for a larger possession. It was formerly called Laish. It is mentioned in I Kings 15:20 and II Chronicles 16:4 as being one of the cities Ben-hadad, the king of Syria, smote and took the people into captivity when Baasha, the king of the divided House of Israel was coming against Asa, the king of the divided House of Judah and had started to fortify Ramah. Asa removed all the gold and silver from Father’s House and his own treasuries in order to pay Ben-hadad to come to his aid. † For the etymology of the name Dan, we read the following in Abarim Publications: “Prior to the existence of Dan the tribe of Dan, there was a town (or region) named Dan, mentioned in the War of Four against Five Kings (Genesis 14:14). In Judges 18:7 we learn about a town called Laish, near Beth-rehob, which is razed to the ground by a gang of דני (Danites). They rebuild the town and call it Dan, after their tribal founder. The Oxford Companion to the Bible, however, claims that this city Dan is the same as the one mentioned in Genesis 14:14, and called so in retrospect. Dan was named by Rachel who exclaimed, “God has judged me, and has indeed heard my voice and has given me a son” (Genesis 30:6). Later, Jacob — now named Israel — gathers his people around his death bed, he says, “Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel” (Genesis 49:16). Hence it’s pretty safe to say that the name Dan comes from the Hebrew verb דין (din) meaning to judge, contend, plead: For a meaning of the name Dan, Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary and the New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List agree on Judge. Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names reads Judge, Judging.”. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H1835, - דָּן, - dân, pronounced - dawnי, and means: From H1777; judge; Dan, one of the sons of Jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory; likewise a place in Palestine colonized by them: - Dan. Total KJV occurrences: 70.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “A judge. The well-known city, so familiar as the most northern landmark of Israel, in the common expression “from Dan even to beersheba.” The name of the place was originally LAISH or LESHEM.”.
Naphtali
Naphtali=Naphtali was Jacob’s 5th son, born to Rachel’s handmaid Bilhah. There is nothing of significance written in Father’s Word about the man Naphtali; therefore, all the other writings are of his descendants. Concerning Jacob’s deathbed Blessing and Prophesy of Genesis 49:21, we read this: Genesis 49:21 Naphtali is a hind let lose: he giveth goodly words. —> A hind let loose=A hind let loose denotes freedom; but, also speaks of one who is quick on their feet, not only with their movements, but, also in being able to think and speak fast. Goodly words=Deborah spoke good words of Naphtali’s descendants in her song recorded in Judges 5:18, where she stated that they and the descendants of Zebulun were not afraid to put their lives on the line on the battlefield, while the others stayed home in fear and tended to their sheep and made their money, while the battle was being fought. There isn’t much difference in our generation today; or in any generation, than it was in Deborah’s day. While Reuben, Dan, and Asher were hiding out, Father was giving the others the Blessings and the victory. Father took care of the chariots while the men took care of the enemy; after Father stripped the enemy of their power. During the Blessing of Moses in Deuteronomy 33:23, we read: Deuteronomy 33:23 And of Naphtali he said, “O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the LORD: Possess thou the west and the south.” —> They did indeed possess the west and the south as can be read in Joshua 19:32-39 which reads: Joshua 19:32 The sixth lot came out to the children of Naphtali, even for the children of Naphtali according to their families. [19:33] And their coast was from Heleph, from Allon to Zaanannim, and Adami, Nekeb, and Jabneel, unto Lakum; and the outgoings thereof were at Jordan: [19:34] And then the coast turneth westward to Aznoth-tabor, and goeth out from thence to Hukkok, and reacheth to Zebulun on the south side, and reacheth to Asher on the west side, and to Judah upon Jordan toward the sunrising. [19:35] And the fenced cities are Ziddim, Zer, and Hammath (not to be confused with the Hamath of the Recabites), Rakkath, and Chinnereth, [19:36] And Adamah, and Ramah, and Hazor, [19:37] And Kedesh, and Edrei, and En-hazor, [19:38] And Iron, and Migdal-el, Horem, and Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh; nineteen cities with their villages. [19:39] This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities and their villages.. Now for Naphtali’s numbering and then their Standard: during the first numbering, in Numbers 1:42-43 the total sum of the Tribe of Naphtali was 53,400; then, in Numbers 26:48-50 their numbers were 45,400, a decrease of 8,000. Naphtali’s numbers as compared to the rest of the Tribes after the second numbering was 10th; or, 3rd from the bottom. Naphtali’s encampment as they came out of Egypt and wandered in the wilderness, was on the South side of the Tabernacle, to the East of Dan, who was the Standard Bearer. The sign on Naphtali’s Standard was capricorn—goat. † For the etymology of the name Naphtali, we read the following in Abarim Publications: “The etymology of the name Naphtali is commonly understood to come from פתל (patal), meaning to twist: The name Naphtali is formed through a grammatical construction that makes a noun from a verb, and places the letter נ (nun) in front of the root. The letter י (yod) upon which the name Naphtali ends probably indicates possession: my or mine. For a meaning of the name Naphtali, New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List and Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names agree: the name Naphtali means My Wrestling. Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary observes that although our name is traditionally interpreted as My Wrestlings, it may originally have meant Crafty, Cunning One.”. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H5321, - נַפְתָּלִי, - naphtâlı̂y, pronounced - naf-taw-leeי, and means: From H6617; my wrestling; Naphtali, a son of Jacob, with the tribe descended from him, and its territory: - Naphtali. Total KJV occurrences: 50.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “wrestling. The fifth son of Jacob; the second child name to him by Bilhah, Rachel’s slave. His birth and the bestowal of his name are recorded in Genesis 30:8. When the census was taken at Mount Sinai the tribe of Naphtali numbered no less than 53,400 fighting men Numbers 1:43; 2:50, but when the borders of the promised land were reached, its numbers were reduced to, 45,400 Numbers 26:48-50. During the march through the wilderness Naphtali occupied a position on the north of the sacred tent with Dan and Asher Numbers 2:25-31. In the apportionment of the land, the lot of Naphtali was enclosed on three sides by those of other tribes. On the west lay Asher, on the south Zebulun, and on the east the transjordanic Manasseh. (In the division of the kingdom Naphtali belonged to the kingdom of Israel, and later was a part of Galilee, bordering on the northwestern pert of the Sea of Galilee, and including Capernaum and Bethsaida. --Ed.)”.
16:5 Baasha, work fortifying Ramah, ended.
1A5
II Chronicles 16:5 And it came to pass, when Baasha heard it, that he left off building of Ramah, and let his work cease —> We read in I Kings 15:21 that when Baasha heard what Asa and Ben-hadad were doing, he abandoned the fortification of Ramah in order to return to Tirzah so that he could shore up his defenses there. Up to this point, the city of Shechem had been the Capital city of the House of Israel; however, under Baasha, now that he is returning to Tirzah, he will make it the new Capital of the ten northern tribes. It’ll stay the Capital until Omri finishes building Samaria when he’ll make it the Capital in the future.
As far as Asa’s plan, it was working, as now that Baasha has left off from fortifying Ramah, he’ll move in and start de-fortifying it, in other words, all the hard work that Baasha’s men put into fortifying it was for naught.
1A6
II Chronicles 16:6 Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha was building; and he built therewith Geba (a hillock; and, a hill) (ghehי-bah) and Mizpah (an observatory; and, a watchtower) (mits-pawי). —> So, as Ben-hadad was descending upon the House of Israel’s northern border, Asa and the House of Judah went up to Ramah and gathered all the stones and timber which Baasha and his men had brought in to fortify Ramah. They took those building materials and fortified their northern border towns of Geba and Mizpah, which were both in the territory of the Tribe of Benjamin.
Geba
Geba=The city or town of Geba was located roughly 5 to 6 miles or so north of Jebus, the Jebusite capital when our forefathers first entered into the Promised Land. As our forefathers were moving in and conquering the Canaanites and acquiring their lands, the cities of Beth-el, south-west to Kiriath-jearim, south-east to Jebus, north-east to Jericho, south-east to Beth-hoglah—which lie on the north bay of the Salt Sea at the south end of the Jordan River—then back north-west through the mountains to Beth-aven and Beth-el were given to the Benjamites as their inheritance. Within these borders towns, lie 19 cities or towns, of which, the city or town of Geba was one. Geba lie pretty much longitudinally centered and latitudinally slightly south. The city was later given to the Levites as a sanctuary city. During the time of king Saul, it was the scene of his son Jonathan’s daring enterprise against the Philistines, when, accompanied by his armor-bearer, he accomplished an apparently impossible feat, climbing the rocky steeps of the gorge to the North and put the Philistines to flight. When king Asa was king of the House of Judah, Baasha the king of the House of Israel came against him and began to fortify the city of Ramah, Asa paid Ben-hadad of syria to come to his aid, and as he and his army were invading Baasha from the north, Baasah left off from fortifying Ramah which allowed Asa capture his building materials and fortify Geba. † For the etymology of the name Geba, we read the following in Abarim Publications: “In the territory of Benjamin there was one town named גבע (Geba), which was given to the Levites. King Asa of Judah demolished Israel’s king Baasha's fortifications of Ramah and used them to fortify גבע (Geba) of Benjamin (I Kings 15:22; II Chronicles 16:6), which by then obviously belonged to Judah and not Benjamin or Israel. By the time of Judah’s king Josiah’s reforms, גבע (Geba) still belonged to Judah (II Kings 23:8). Among the returnees from the Babylonian exile there were 621 men from Ramah and גבע (Geba; Ezra 2:26, Nehemiah 7:30), but they appeared to be predominantly Benjaminite (Nehemiah 11:31) and Levite (Nehemiah 12:29). The prophet Zechariah predicted that at the coming of the Messiah, the mountainous region from Geba to Rimmon would be leveled into a great plain, while Jerusalem would rise and be a solitary mountain (also see Isaiah 40:4). The names Geba, comes from the noun גבעה (gibי'a), meaning hill, which in turn comes from the root גבע, meaning to be convex, projecting or high: There are no two ways about it: the names Geba, means Hill, but it’s clear that in the Hebrew experience of reality, hills didn’t only occur in the landscape (collections of earth) but also in the human populations that peopled it. The “hill of Benjamin” may have been an actual hill but it also represented the culture that formed within Benjamin. The “hill of Saul” may also have been an actual hill but also referred to the national mood and atmosphere that he generated. To the Hebrews, a hill country resembled a humanity that consisted of separate and rivaling tribes, clans and families, while a plain resembled a humanity at peace.”. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H1387, - גֶּבַע, - geba‛, pronounced - ghehי-bah, and means: From the same as H1375; a hillock; Geba, a place in Palestine: - Gaba, Geba, Gibeah. Total KJV occurrences: 18.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “A hill. A city of Benjamin, with “suburbs,” allotted to the priests Joshua 21:17; I Chronicles 6:60. It is named amongst the first group of the Benjamite towns --apparently those lying near to and along the north boundary Joshua 18:24. Here the name is given as GABA. During the wars of the earlier part of the reign of Saul, Geba was held as a garrison by the Philistines I Samuel 13:3, but they were ejected by Jonathan. It is now the modern village of Jeba, which stands picturesquely on the top of its steep terraced hill, six miles north of Jerusalem, on the very edge of the great Wady Suweinit, looking northward to the opposite village of ancient Michmash, which also retains its old name of Mukhmas.”.
Mizpah
Mizpah=Our first encounter with Mizpah in Father’s Word, is when Isaac and Rebekah’s son Jacob is leaving his mother’s brother Laban, with whom he has lived for the past 21 years. Jacob fled his home at his mother’s urging because she knew her elder son Esau wanted to do harm to Jacob, so she told Jacob to flee to her brother for safety and to seek a wife. Jacob found Laban’s younger daughter Rachel, fell in love with her and asked for her hand in marriage, stating that he would work for him for seven years. Laban agreed, but when the seven years were fulfilled and it was time for Laban to give Rachel to Jacob to marry, Laban pulled a fast-one over on Jacob and put a veil on his elder daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob to lay with. The next morning after Jacob had awakened and realized what Laban had done to him, he confronted Laban and asked why he had tricked him. Laban told Jacob that it was not right for the younger daughter to marry before her elder sister, but that if Jacob should work for him another seven years, he would give his younger daughter Rachel to Jacob to marry. Jacob agreed, and when “her week was fulfilled” Laban gave Rachel to Jacob to marry—though it is stated this way in Father’s Word, it is a popular mistake to suppose that Jacob did not marry Rachel till the end of the second seven years, as during the first seven years seven sons were born: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali and Joseph; during the second seven years were born: Gad, Asher, Issachar and Zebulon and daughter Dinah. Laban also gave to each of his daughters, a handmaiden, to Leah he gave Zilpah, and to Rachel he gave Bilhah. Jacob served his father-in-law for another seven years and at the end of those seven years Father appeared to Jacob and told him it was time to return to his own home. So, Jacob gathered his wives and children and departed from Laban. Rachel and Leah, feeling—rightfully so I might add—their father had stolen their inheritance from them. As they were leaving, Rachel, wanting her inheritance, took her father’s images—read that, teraphim, a kind of household god, showing that the idolatry of Babylonia still clung to Laban. When Laban realized his “little gods” were missing, he chased after Jacob figuring it was he who had stolen from him. As Laban was about to give chase, Father appeared to Laban and warned him to speak neither good nor bad to Jacob. Laban caught up to Jacob and his family in Mount Galeed and there confronted Jacob concerning his missing gods, and searched all his belongings, finding not a thing of Laban’s. Jacob not knowing Rachel had taken them, challenged his father-in-law and told him to lay out all his items which he had found among Jacob things. Having found nothing, Laban proposed a covenant between the two men and said, “YHVH watch between me and thee, when we are absent from one another” so Jacob called that place Mizpah—watch. We next read of Mizpah when Asa fortified it after he hired Ben-hadad the king of Syria to come against Baasha the king of the House of Israel who was mounting an assault against him and the House of Judah. Baasha had moved war-fighters and building materials into Ramah and began fortifying it, it was then that Asa hired Ben-hadad who directed Baasha’s attention to his northern territories, thereby leaving off his quest to fortify Ramah, Asa went into Ramah, took the building materials and fortified Mizpah. † For the etymology of the name Mizpah, we read the following in Abarim Publications: “The name Mizpah is the same as the noun מצפה (mispeh), literally meaning “place of coverage”: There are no two ways about it: the name Mizpah means Watchtower.”. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H4709, - מִצְפָּה, - mitspâh, pronounced - mits-pawי, and means: Feminine of H4708; watchtower; Mitspah, the name of two places in Palestine. (This seems rather to be only an orthographical variation of H4708 when ‘in pause’.): - Mitspah. [This seems rather to be only an orthographical variationof H4708 when “in pause”.] Total KJV occurrences: 35.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “A watchtower. The earliest of all, in order of the narrative, is the heap of stones piled up by Jacob and Laban, Genesis 31:48 on Mount Gilead, ver. Genesis 31:25 to serve both as a witness to the covenant then entered into and as a landmark of the boundary between them, ver. Genesis 31:52. On this natural watch-tower did the children of Israel assemble for the choice of a leader to resist the children of Ammon Judges 10:17. There the fatal meeting took place between Jephthah and his daughter on his return from the war, ch. Judges 11:34. It seems most probable that the “Mizpeh-gilead” which is mentioned here, and here only, is the same as the “ham-Mizpah” of the other parts of the narrative; and both are probably identical with the Ramath-mizpeh and Ramoth-gilead, so famous in the later history.”.
16:7-9 The Word of the LORD by
Hanani the seer.
1A7
II Chronicles 16:7 And at that time Hanani (gracious; and, gracious) (khan-aw-neeי) the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, “Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand. —> Hanani is a Prophet of Father’s who is Prophesying to—or better put, against—Asa, while his son Jehu is up in the House of Israel Prophesying to—against—Baasha.
Hanani tells—reminds—Asa, that when Zerah the king of the Ethiopians came against him with his million war-fighters, Asa cried out to Father for assistance in fighting against that invading force and Father give Asa the victory, even though he only had half the number of war-fighters that Zerah had. However, instead of again relying on Father, in his fight against Baasah, Asa relied on man, and not just any man, but a heathen, non-God fearing man to fight against fellow Israelites.
Relied=Let’s check out this word in our Strong’s Concordance brethren, when we do, we find that it is Hebrew word number: H8172, - שָׁעַן, - shâ‛an, pronounced - shaw-anי, and means: A primitive root; to support one’s self: - lean, lie, rely, rest (on, self), stay. Total KJV occurrences: 22.. So in other words, Asa was putting his rest in or on man, and not in or on Father YHVH. What did Father think of Asa’s doing so? He and we’re about to find out as we read the next two verses; but, I can tell you, He is not pleased. For us today brethren, we too must decide where we want to put our rest, in Father or man. You might ask, what I mean by that, and say, “I put my rest in Father,” but, if you’re just sitting in a church pew and allowing man to preach to you or tell you what Father’s Word says, then you too are putting your rest in a man and not in Father. Today’s man—read that, today’s chruch houses and preachers— teach and push the abortion and homosexual agendas, the false teaching of the rapture, and the false teaching of the incorrect use of the Holy Spirit “speaking in tongues.” I’m not saying that the speaking in tongues of Acts 2 isn’t true and correct, I’m saying that man has corrupted it. Today’s man likes to stand in their church houses and mumble, mumble-jumbo, playing one-upmanship, meaning, they like to claim that they have the Holy Spirit and those who do not mumble, mumble-jumbo, do not have the Holy Spirit, which is just not true, Father’s Holy Spirit will not be here speaking through man until satan is here in his role of anti-christ, pretending and deceiving people into believing that he is Christ, and Father’s Holy Spirit will then descend on who He chooses to be delivered up to satan to speak against satan.
Hanani
Hanani=Hanani was a Prophet of Father during the reign and rule of Asa, king of the House of Judah. Hanani Prophesied against Asa when he paid king Ben-hadad of Syria to assist in his fight against Baasha, the king of the House of Israel who began fortifying the city of Ramah in order to invade Judah. Hanani was also the father of Father’s Prophet Jehu who was Prophesying against Baasha at the same time. For Hanani Prophesying against Asa, Asa had him thrown in prison. † For the etymology of the name Hanani, we read the following in Abarim Publications: “The father of Jehu, who prophesied against the wicked king Baasha of Israel (I Kings 16:1). The seer who spoke against king Asa of Judah, for allying himself with Ben-hadad the king of Aram and giving him treasures from the temple (II Chronicles 16:7). King Asa wasn’t very pleased with Hanani’s words and had him imprisoned. The name Hanani derives of the verb חנן (hanan), meaning to be gracious: The letter י (yod) upon which our name ends, may either create an adjective (gracious-ly), a possessive form (my grace), or may be a remnant of יה (Yah) = יהו (Yahu) = יו (Yu), which in turn are abbreviated forms of the Tetragrammaton יהוה, YHVH, or Yahveh. For a meaning of the name Hanani, New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List appears to favor the adjective hypothesis and reads Gracious. Alfred Jones (Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names) sees in the final yod a remnant of YHVH and translates this name the same as Hananiah, namely as Graciously Given Of The Lord. Brown Driver Briggs (BDB) Theological Dictionary doesn’t translate our name but considers it (perhaps) abbreviated from Hananiah. And BDB translates Hananiah as Yah Has Been Gracious.”. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, where we find that it is Hebrew word number: H2607, - חֲנָנִי, - chănânı̂y, pronounced - khan-aw-neeי, and means: From H2603; gracious; Chanani, the name of six Israelites: - Hanani. Total KJV occurrences: 11.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “gracious. A seer who rebuked Asa king of Judah II Chronicles 16:7. For this he was imprisoned ver. 10. He or another Hanani was the father of Jehu the seer, who testified against Baasha, I Kings 16:1,7 and Jehoshaphat II Chronicles 19:2; 20:34.”.
1A8
II Chronicles 16:8 Were not the Ethiopians (patronymic from H3568, a cushite, or descendant of Cush; and, black) (koo-sheeי) and the Lubims (to thirst, that is, a dry region; or, dwellers in a thirsty land) (loob-beeי) a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand. —> The answer is a resounding yes! I mentioned in my commentary in the verse above, that Zerah had that million man army and Asa cried out to Father and He gave Asa the victory. Because of Father, Asa’s army not only defeated the Ethiopians and the Lubims; but, they also recovered some of the spoils of war which the Philistines and previously taken from Judah. What will be the result of Asa calling upon man instead of Father? Let’s continue to the next verse and find out.
Ethiopian=For a detailed description of the Ethiopian, including the town’s history, the etymology of the name, the Strong’s Concordance definition of the name, and the Smith’s Bible Dictionary information, click here.
Lubims=For a detailed description of The Lubims, including the Nations history, the etymology of the name, the Strong’s Concordance definition of the name, and the Smith’s Bible Dictionary information, click here.
1A9
II Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.” —> Father speaking through His Prophet and tells Asa, perhaps you thought I didn’t see you going to Ben-hadad seeking his assistance; but, do you not yet realize that I see everything which goes on in and with My Creation! I know the thoughts and the hearts of each of My Children, I know what they are thinking, what they desire, and what they are going to do even before they do it. You have been unwise to seek man instead of Me; therefore, since you did not put your rest in Me, you’ll have no peace the rest of your days. How do you think Asa will respond to this rebuking by Father? Again, let’s continue and find out.
16:10 Disobedience.
1A10
II Chronicles 16:10 Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time. —> Asa didn’t like what Hanani—Father—said one bit. In fact it angered him so much, that his anger boiled over into rage and he therefore had Hanani thrown into prison; and anybody who agreed with what Hanani said, he crushed their dissent.
Let’s check out this word “prison” in our Strong’s Concordance brethren, when we do, we find that it is Hebrew word number: H4115, - מַהְפֶּכֶת, - mahpeketh, pronounced - mah-pehי-keth, and means: From H2015; a wrench, that is; the stocks: - prison, stocks. Total KJV occurrences: 4.. So, in other words, Asa had Hanani put in stocks. Being placed in stocks was a painful experience, as it placed the person being put into them in a doubled-over position from which they could not alleviate themselves.
Boy, I’ll tell ya brethren, this sure reminds me of the events transpiring today. There are many, close to 75 plus million of us who feel the events of the night of November 3rd, 2020 are suspect. There were close if not more than 100,000 of us who went to peacefully protest those events on January 6th, 2021. Being there myself, I saw and know what we did, we did not break any laws! Were there some of us—not myself—who were goaded into breaching the US Capitol building? Yes, but, like I said, they were goaded into doing so and I believe it was by people planted to be among us by our own government. But, look at the “talking points” by our congress, the law-enforcement agencies and the main-stream media. They all claim we went there to purposefully break the law. An unarmed woman, a Veteran of the United States Air Force, was murdered, shot by one of the law-enforcement agencies; today, that Officer has not been charged for the shooting of an unarmed person. They arrested quite a few people that day and today they all still sit in prison, because the speaker of the house, Nancy Pelosi is in a rage because we question the results of the Election of November 3rd. In seven months since the event of January 6th, four members of the Metropolitan/Capitol Police Department have either committed suicide of have been silenced to keep from telling the truth of what really transpired on that fateful day.
16:11-14 Conclusion.
1A11
II Chronicles 16:11 And, behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. —> Yes, as a matter of fact, all of the righteous acts and the sinful deeds of Asa are written of in both I Kings 15:17-22 and here in II Chronicles 14:9-16:10. There isn’t anything hidden as to how Father dealt with him for his not trusting and putting his rest in Him. Father withheld nothing, like He does with all His Children, He rewarded Asa for his righteous acts, and He administered and exacted payment and correction for his failure to put his rest in Father. The point given here, is that, the more Father gave to Asa, sadly, the more careless he became with what he had received through His blessings. Father had blessed Asa with a victory over an army which far outnumbered his, and Father also gave him the spoils of war from that battle. Yet, in the end, Asa took that blessing and gave it all away, he not only tried to buy his way out of the same trouble that he was in before; but, he then shunned Father while at the same time turned to another of Father’s enemies in order to use hired guerrilla soldiers to obtain a victory. Remember, Israel and Judah are brothers which makes this was a family matter, and Asa and Jeroboam both sought outside help. Father though one of His Prophets, told Asa what would happen if he didn’t hear and obey Father. There should have been no doubt in Asa’s mind as to what Father thought of him.
As I noted in my commentary of I Kings 15:23, we’re seeing a pattern here concerning the kings of the House of Judah: first we had Solomon, who during the first years of his reign did well in seeking, honoring, serving and worshipping Father; however, during the latter years of his reigh and rule, he turned and started worshipping other false gods; then his son Rehoboam did much the same, as during the first three years of his reign, he too completely honored, served and worshipped Father; but, in the years following that, he too turned to serve other false gods; then his son Abijah—who only reigned 3 years—was evil in his not following Father; and now we just read, that Asa, during the first few years of his reign, he did righteously; but, after that he too turned from Father.
1A12
II Chronicles 16:12 And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians. —> Much like Father brought about the emerods upon the Philistines when they took His Ark back to their cities in I Samuel 5, here, Father struck Asa with a disease in his feet. Father’s Word does not say exactly what this disease was; however, this disease will in the long run, afflict him for the last two years of his life, be fatal to him, and he’ll die and return Home to Father because of it. Sadly, before he does return Home to Father, did he seek Father or repent of his ways for not putting his trust in Father but, in man? No, as a matter of fact, as we read here in this verse, he again put his trust in man over his trust in Father. Even when he became so sick that he could not walk, he still would not confide in Father, which is really ironic, as his name means, “physician” or “cure.”
Physicians=Dr. Bullinger notes in his companion notes to this verse the following: “Physicians=healers. First occurrence of mention of them among the Hebrews. These belonged to the priestly tribe, with traditional knowledge, more or less superstitious.”. Reading this note of Dr. Bullinger’s, especially the “superstitious” comment, puts me in mind of king Saul when he sought the witch of Endor trying to summons up Samuel from the dead. But, to me, it very sad to know “that these belonged to the priestly tribe,” and that they were “superstitious.”
1A13
II Chronicles 16:13 And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign. —> We don’t know how old Asa was when he took over as king of the House of Judah, therefore, we also don’t know how old he was when he died and returned Home to Father. This verse and the last tell us that he had the disease in his feet for the last two years of his life and that it eventually claimed his life.
…one and fortieth year…=Only Uzziah and Manasseh reigned and ruled longer than Asa as king of the House of Judah.
1A14
II Chronicles 16:14 And they buried him in his own sepulchres, which he had made for himself in the city of David, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odours and divers kinds of spices prepared by the apothecaries’ art: and they made a very great burning for him. —> In conclusion concerning king Asa, all-in-all he was a good king of the House of Judah, as he cleaned up all the idolatry and removed the false gods. He, like his great great grand-father David before him, never served or worshipped false gods, he only Honored, Served and Worshipped Father YHVH. Did he sin? Yes, like all men, he sinned, his sin was that at the end of his life, he failed to put his trust and rest in Father and instead, he put it in man.
…Sepulchers, which he had made for himself…=The sepulcher was the gravesite where the body was to be interred. Obviously, as king, Asa himself didn’t dig this, he had people dig it for him; but, what this is saying, is that he had it prepared before his death, Dr. Bullinger notes that this was “Not infrequently done.” Once he succumbed to his disease, they placed his body in it. It was dug in the city of David, where all the other good or righteous kings were buried.
…sweet odours and divers kinds=Emphasizing the many different kinds of dried flowers and herbs which were ground and then mixed together by themselves or maybe with some oil and used to make-up the balms, compounds, ointments and salves.
Apothecaries’ art=The word “apothecaries” is made up of two words in the Strong’s Concordance, so let’s check them both out, the first is Hebrew word number: H7543, - רָקַח, - râqach, pronounced - raw-kakhי, and means: A primitive root; to perfume: - apothecary, compound, make [ointment], prepare, spice. Total KJV occurrences: 8.. Let’s look at the second word and then the word “art” before I comment, the second Hebrew word for the word apothecaries is Hebrew word number: H4842, - מִרְקַחַת, - mirqachath, pronounced - meer-kakhי-ath, and means: From H7543; an aromatic unguent (definition); also an unguent pot: - prepared by the apothecaries’ art, compound, ointment. Total KJV occurrences: 3.. Now the word “art,” it in the Strong’s Concordance, is Hebrew word number: H4639, - מַעֲשֶׂה, - ma‛ăśeh, pronounced - mah-as-ehי, and means: From H6213; an action (good or bad); generally a transaction; abstractly activity; by implication a product (specifically a poem) or (generally) property: - act, art, + bakemeat, business, deed, do (-ing), labour, thing made, ware of making, occupation, thing offered, operation, possession, X well, ([handy-, needle-, net-]) work, (-ing, -manship), wrought. Total KJV occurrences: 234.. So, what this is saying, is that those who had the knowledge of preparing the different compounds, ointments or salves for burying a person, especially for someone of importance, mixed together the same and put some of them in Asa’s coffin, others—as we’ll read below—they burned.
…made a very great burning for him=They burned some of these dried flowers, herbs and or oils in honor of their king. This saying does not mean they cremated Asa’s body.
Aug 2021.
This Bible Study was written by Scott Reis and is provided in order to be used as a private Bible Study Tool. Therefore, it may be copied in whole or in part and shared for private Bible Study; however, it may not be reproduced and published as an original work.
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