2 Chronicles 16 Study Notes: Asa Trusts Aram and Rejects Rebuke
When Baasha of Israel threatens Judah, Asa pays Aram’s king with temple treasure to attack Israel. The seer Hanani rebukes him for trusting a foreign king instead of God, and Asa jails him. Later Asa falls ill but turns only to doctors, not to God, and dies and is buried with honor.
General
When Asa’s feet became seriously diseased late in his reign, where does 2 Chronicles 16:12 say he turned?
Answer: He turned only to physicians, not to the LORD
Late in his reign Asa developed a disease in his feet that kept getting worse. Yet even then he did not turn to the LORD for help; he went only to the physicians (16:12). The failure the verse names is that he left the LORD out: the king who once called on the LORD against a huge army did not turn to Him in his illness. Scripture invites God’s people to call on Him in times of trouble (Psalm 50:15) and to remember that their help is from the LORD, who made heaven and earth (Psalm 121:1-2). Asa later died and was buried with great honor in the tomb he had prepared, laid on a bier with spices and perfumes (16:13-14).
- 2 Chronicles 16:12 (BSB)“In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his disease became increasingly severe. Yet even in his illness he did not seek the LORD, but only the physicians.”Asa’s foot disease grows severe, yet he does not seek the LORD but only the physicians.
- 2 Chronicles 16:13-14 (BSB)“So in the forty-first year of his reign, Asa died and rested with his fathers. And he was buried in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier that was full of spices and various blended perfumes; then they made a great fire in his honor.”Asa dies and is buried with great honor in the tomb he prepared.
- Psalm 50:15 (BSB)“Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.””God calls His people to call on Him in the day of trouble.
- Psalm 121:1-2 (BSB)“A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”The psalmist looks to the LORD as the source of his help.
Theological
How does 2 Chronicles 16:12 characterize Asa’s response to his severe illness?
Answer: He turned only to physicians, not to the LORD
The final note on Asa’s life is spiritual rather than medical: his foot disease grew severe, yet even while ill he went only to the physicians and did not turn to the LORD (16:12). Seeking the LORD had marked his early reign (14:4, 7; 15:12), and its absence here shows how far the king who once depended on the LORD against Zerah had drifted. God’s people are summoned to call on Him when trouble comes (Psalm 50:15) and to look to Him, who created the heavens and the earth, as their help (Psalm 121:1-2). Asa died and was buried with honor, spices and a great fire (16:13-14).
- 2 Chronicles 16:12 (BSB)“In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his disease became increasingly severe. Yet even in his illness he did not seek the LORD, but only the physicians.”Asa’s foot disease grows severe, yet he does not seek the LORD but only the physicians.
- 2 Chronicles 16:13-14 (BSB)“So in the forty-first year of his reign, Asa died and rested with his fathers. And he was buried in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier that was full of spices and various blended perfumes; then they made a great fire in his honor.”Asa dies and is buried with great honor in the tomb he prepared.
- Psalm 50:15 (BSB)“Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.””God calls His people to call on Him in the day of trouble.
- Psalm 121:1-2 (BSB)“A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”The psalmist looks to the LORD as the source of his help.
General
How did Asa react to Hanani’s rebuke (2 Chronicles 16:10)?
Answer: He raged at the seer, jailed him, and oppressed some people
Asa did not accept the correction. He became angry with Hanani, so furious that he locked him up, and during that same period he mistreated others among the people (16:10). Proverbs says that whoever hates correction is foolish (Proverbs 12:1) and that a wise person loves the one who rebukes him (Proverbs 9:8). A psalm calls a rebuke from a righteous person a kindness to be welcomed (Psalm 141:5). Asa had once taken courage at a prophet’s word; now he punished the messenger.
- 2 Chronicles 16:10 (BSB)“Asa was angry with the seer and became so enraged over this matter that he put the man in prison. And at the same time Asa oppressed some of the people.”Asa, enraged by Hanani’s words, imprisons him and oppresses some of the people.
- Proverbs 12:1 (BSB)“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.”Hating correction is folly.
- Proverbs 9:8 (BSB)“Do not rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.”A wise person loves the one who rebukes him.
- Psalm 141:5 (BSB)“Let the righteous man strike me; let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion. It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it. For my prayer is ever against the deeds of the wicked.”A righteous person’s rebuke is a kindness to be received.
Theological
What was Asa’s response to Hanani’s prophetic rebuke (2 Chronicles 16:10)?
Answer: He raged at the seer, jailed him, and oppressed some people
Asa answers the prophetic word with rage, imprisoning Hanani and, in that same period, oppressing others among the people (16:10). The response shows a heart resisting correction: the prophetic word that once moved him to reform now provokes persecution of God’s messenger. Wisdom literature sets this in sharp relief: hatred of correction is folly (Proverbs 12:1), the wise love those who rebuke them (Proverbs 9:8), and the righteous welcome a just rebuke as loving devotion (Psalm 141:5).
- 2 Chronicles 16:10 (BSB)“Asa was angry with the seer and became so enraged over this matter that he put the man in prison. And at the same time Asa oppressed some of the people.”Asa, enraged by Hanani’s words, imprisons him and oppresses some of the people.
- Proverbs 12:1 (BSB)“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.”Hating correction is folly.
- Proverbs 9:8 (BSB)“Do not rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.”A wise person loves the one who rebukes him.
- Psalm 141:5 (BSB)“Let the righteous man strike me; let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion. It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it. For my prayer is ever against the deeds of the wicked.”A righteous person’s rebuke is a kindness to be received.
General
When Israel’s king Baasha fortified Ramah to block traffic in and out of Judah, what did Asa do (2 Chronicles 16:1-3)?
Answer: He paid Aram’s king with temple and palace silver and gold
Baasha, king of the northern kingdom of Israel, built up Ramah so that no one could come or go from Asa’s territory (16:1). This time, rather than relying on the LORD as he had against Zerah, Asa took the silver and gold held in the storerooms of the LORD’s house and of his own palace and sent them to Ben-hadad, Aram’s king, who ruled from Damascus. He asked Ben-hadad to make a treaty with him and to break his treaty with Baasha, so that Baasha would pull back (16:2-3). Isaiah later warned against running to foreign powers for help instead of looking to the LORD (Isaiah 31:1), and a psalm warns against putting confidence in rulers who cannot save (Psalm 146:3). Later in Chronicles, King Ahaz likewise sent temple wealth to Assyria’s king, and it brought him no help (2 Chronicles 28:20-21).
- 2 Chronicles 16:1-3 (BSB)“In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah. So Asa withdrew the silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the royal palace, and he sent it with this message to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus: “Let there be a treaty between me and you as there was between my father and your father. See, I have sent you silver and gold. Now go and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.””Baasha fortifies Ramah, and Asa sends temple and palace silver and gold to Ben-hadad, asking him to break his treaty with Baasha.
- Isaiah 31:1 (BSB)“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD.”Woe is pronounced on those who seek help from foreign powers instead of the LORD.
- Psalm 146:3 (BSB)“Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save.”God’s people are told not to trust in princes who cannot save.
- 2 Chronicles 28:20-21 (BSB)“Then Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came to Ahaz but afflicted him rather than strengthening him. Although Ahaz had taken a portion from the house of the LORD, from the royal palace, and from the princes and had presented it to the king of Assyria, it did not help him.”Ahaz’s later payment from the temple to Assyria brought no help.
Theological
How did Asa respond to Baasha’s fortification of Ramah (2 Chronicles 16:1-3)?
Answer: He paid Aram’s king with temple and palace silver and gold
Faced with Baasha’s blockade at Ramah (16:1), Asa turns to diplomacy funded from the storerooms of the LORD’s house and the palace, buying Ben-hadad of Damascus with silver and gold and asking him to break his treaty with Baasha (16:2-3). Hanani will soon name this as reliance on Aram’s king rather than on the LORD (16:7), in stark contrast with Asa’s earlier cry to the LORD against Zerah. Scripture repeatedly condemns seeking security from foreign powers instead of the LORD (Isaiah 31:1) and trusting in princes who cannot save (Psalm 146:3). Chronicles later records Ahaz making the same kind of payment to Assyria, to no benefit (2 Chronicles 28:20-21).
- 2 Chronicles 16:1-3 (BSB)“In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah. So Asa withdrew the silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the royal palace, and he sent it with this message to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus: “Let there be a treaty between me and you as there was between my father and your father. See, I have sent you silver and gold. Now go and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.””Baasha fortifies Ramah, and Asa sends temple and palace silver and gold to Ben-hadad, asking him to break his treaty with Baasha.
- Isaiah 31:1 (BSB)“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD.”Woe is pronounced on those who seek help from foreign powers instead of the LORD.
- Psalm 146:3 (BSB)“Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save.”God’s people are told not to trust in princes who cannot save.
- 2 Chronicles 28:20-21 (BSB)“Then Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came to Ahaz but afflicted him rather than strengthening him. Although Ahaz had taken a portion from the house of the LORD, from the royal palace, and from the princes and had presented it to the king of Assyria, it did not help him.”Ahaz’s later payment from the temple to Assyria brought no help.
General
According to Hanani, for what purpose does the LORD’s gaze range across the whole earth (2 Chronicles 16:9)?
Answer: To display His strength for those wholly devoted to Him
Hanani told Asa that the LORD’s eyes range over the whole earth so that He may show His strength on behalf of people whose hearts belong fully to Him (16:9). Asa had no need to buy help from Aram; the LORD Himself was ready to be his strength. Hanani called the treaty foolish and said that from then on Asa would have wars. A psalm says the LORD watches over people who fear Him and fix their hope on His loving devotion (Psalm 33:18), and another says He watches the righteous and listens when they cry out (Psalm 34:15). Proverbs calls God’s people to trust the LORD wholeheartedly rather than lean on their own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6).
- 2 Chronicles 16:9 (BSB)“For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him. You have acted foolishly in this matter. From now on, therefore, you will be at war.””Hanani says the LORD watches over all the earth to strengthen the fully devoted, calls Asa foolish, and announces wars ahead.
- Psalm 33:18 (BSB)“Surely the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His loving devotion”The LORD’s eyes are on those who fear Him and hope in His loving devotion.
- Psalm 34:15 (BSB)“The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.”The LORD watches over the righteous and hears their cry.
- Proverbs 3:5-6 (BSB)“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”God’s people are to trust the LORD with all their heart.
Theological
In Hanani’s rebuke, what purpose is given for the LORD’s searching gaze across the whole earth (2 Chronicles 16:9)?
Answer: To display His strength for those wholly devoted to Him
At the heart of Hanani’s rebuke is that the LORD’s eyes range throughout the earth in order to display His might for people whose hearts are wholly His (16:9). God’s watchful sovereignty is not merely surveillance but readiness to act for His own. Asa’s purchase of Aram’s help was therefore folly, and its consequence would be continual war. The Psalms affirm the same: the LORD watches over people who fear Him and fix their hope on His loving devotion (Psalm 33:18), and on the righteous whose cry He hears (Psalm 34:15). Wholehearted trust rather than reliance on one’s own understanding is the path He directs (Proverbs 3:5-6).
- 2 Chronicles 16:9 (BSB)“For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him. You have acted foolishly in this matter. From now on, therefore, you will be at war.””Hanani says the LORD watches over all the earth to strengthen the fully devoted, calls Asa foolish, and announces wars ahead.
- Psalm 33:18 (BSB)“Surely the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His loving devotion”The LORD’s eyes are on those who fear Him and hope in His loving devotion.
- Psalm 34:15 (BSB)“The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.”The LORD watches over the righteous and hears their cry.
- Proverbs 3:5-6 (BSB)“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”God’s people are to trust the LORD with all their heart.
General
To show Asa how foolish his treaty was, what earlier event did Hanani remind him of (2 Chronicles 16:8)?
Answer: God handing him the huge Cushite and Libyan army
Hanani reminded Asa of the huge Cushite and Libyan force with its many chariots and riders. Back then, because Asa depended on the LORD, God gave that army into his hand (16:8). Asa had prayed that Judah was depending on the LORD alone (2 Chronicles 14:11). The king who had trusted God against a vast army was now trusting a foreign king instead. Others in Scripture also found that God answers those who trust Him in battle (1 Chronicles 5:20), and a psalm says those who trusted God were not put to shame (Psalm 22:5).
- 2 Chronicles 16:8 (BSB)“Were not the Cushites and Libyans a vast army with many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand.”Hanani reminds Asa that the LORD gave him victory over the vast Cushite and Libyan army when he relied on Him.
- 2 Chronicles 14:11 (BSB)“Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: “O LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal prevail against You.””Asa’s earlier prayer declared that Judah relied on the LORD.
- 1 Chronicles 5:20 (BSB)“And because they cried out to God in battle, they were helped against their enemies, and the Hagrites and all their allies were delivered into their hands. Because they put their trust in God, He answered their prayers.”God answered those who cried out and trusted Him in battle.
- Psalm 22:5 (BSB)“They cried out to You and were set free; they trusted in You and were not disappointed.”Those who trusted God were not disappointed.
Theological
What precedent did Hanani invoke to expose the folly of Asa’s reliance on Aram (2 Chronicles 16:8)?
Answer: God handing him the huge Cushite and Libyan army
Hanani argues from Asa’s own history: the vast Cushite and Libyan host with its chariots and horsemen had been delivered into his hand precisely because he depended on the LORD (16:8), as his prayer before that battle confessed (2 Chronicles 14:11). The God who proved faithful then was no less able now, so the turn to Aram was folly. Chronicles elsewhere records God answering those who trusted Him in battle (1 Chronicles 5:20), and the psalmist recalls that those who trusted Him were not disappointed (Psalm 22:5).
- 2 Chronicles 16:8 (BSB)“Were not the Cushites and Libyans a vast army with many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand.”Hanani reminds Asa that the LORD gave him victory over the vast Cushite and Libyan army when he relied on Him.
- 2 Chronicles 14:11 (BSB)“Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: “O LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal prevail against You.””Asa’s earlier prayer declared that Judah relied on the LORD.
- 1 Chronicles 5:20 (BSB)“And because they cried out to God in battle, they were helped against their enemies, and the Hagrites and all their allies were delivered into their hands. Because they put their trust in God, He answered their prayers.”God answered those who cried out and trusted Him in battle.
- Psalm 22:5 (BSB)“They cried out to You and were set free; they trusted in You and were not disappointed.”Those who trusted God were not disappointed.
General
Hanani the seer told Asa that Aram’s army had escaped from his hand. What reason did Hanani give (2 Chronicles 16:7)?
Answer: Asa had trusted Aram’s king instead of the LORD
Hanani was a seer, another word for a prophet who received messages from God. He came to Asa and told him that because he had leaned on Aram’s king rather than on his God, the LORD, Aram’s army had gotten away from him (16:7). The deal with Ben-hadad looked wise, but at heart it was a shift of trust from God to a human king. Jeremiah says that the person who trusts in mere human strength and turns away from the LORD is cursed (Jeremiah 17:5), while the one whose trust is in the LORD is blessed (Jeremiah 17:7). Isaiah also warned against seeking help from foreign armies instead of the LORD (Isaiah 31:1).
- 2 Chronicles 16:7 (BSB)“At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa of Judah and told him, “Because you have relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.”Hanani tells Asa that because he relied on Aram’s king and not on the LORD, Aram’s army escaped him.
- Jeremiah 17:5 (BSB)“This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes mere flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD.”Trusting in human strength while turning from the LORD brings a curse.
- Jeremiah 17:7 (BSB)“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.”The one who trusts in the LORD is blessed.
- Isaiah 31:1 (BSB)“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD.”Seeking foreign help instead of the LORD is condemned.
Theological
What charge did Hanani the seer bring against Asa to explain why Aram’s army had slipped from his grasp (2 Chronicles 16:7)?
Answer: Asa had trusted Aram’s king instead of the LORD
Hanani’s indictment identifies the root of Asa’s policy: he leaned on Aram’s king rather than on his God, the LORD, and as a result Aram’s army escaped his hand (16:7). The issue is not the mechanics of diplomacy but the object of trust, a recurring test of covenant faithfulness in Chronicles. Jeremiah sets the same antithesis: a curse rests on the one who leans on human strength and whose heart departs from the LORD (Jeremiah 17:5), and a blessing on the one who puts his confidence in God (Jeremiah 17:7). Isaiah likewise condemns reliance on foreign military aid in place of seeking the LORD (Isaiah 31:1).
- 2 Chronicles 16:7 (BSB)“At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa of Judah and told him, “Because you have relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.”Hanani tells Asa that because he relied on Aram’s king and not on the LORD, Aram’s army escaped him.
- Jeremiah 17:5 (BSB)“This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes mere flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD.”Trusting in human strength while turning from the LORD brings a curse.
- Jeremiah 17:7 (BSB)“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.”The one who trusts in the LORD is blessed.
- Isaiah 31:1 (BSB)“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD.”Seeking foreign help instead of the LORD is condemned.
General
True or False: Ben-hadad agreed to Asa’s request, and his attacks on Israel’s cities led Baasha to stop building at Ramah.
Answer: True
This is true. Ben-hadad accepted Asa’s offer and sent his commanders against Israel’s towns, capturing several northern towns, including Dan, and Naphtali’s storage cities (16:4). When Baasha heard about it, he stopped building Ramah and left the work (16:5). Asa then had Judah carry off Ramah’s stones and timber and used them to build Geba and Mizpah (16:6). The plan seemed to succeed. But the next verses show that God judged it foolish. Proverbs warns that a path can look right to a person and still end in death (Proverbs 14:12), and a psalm says that sheltering in the LORD is far better than relying on rulers (Psalm 118:8-9).
- 2 Chronicles 16:4-6 (BSB)“And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, conquering Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali. When Baasha learned of this, he stopped fortifying Ramah and abandoned his work. Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had used for building. And with these materials he built up Geba and Mizpah.”Ben-hadad attacks Israel’s cities, Baasha abandons Ramah, and Asa uses its materials to build Geba and Mizpah.
- Proverbs 14:12 (BSB)“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”A course can appear right and still lead to ruin.
- Psalm 118:8-9 (BSB)“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.”Taking refuge in the LORD is better than trusting in human rulers.
Theological
True or False: In the short term, Asa’s treaty with Ben-hadad achieved its aim, since Aram’s attacks forced Baasha to abandon the work at Ramah.
Answer: True
This is true. Ben-hadad complied, his commanders struck Dan and other northern towns along with Naphtali’s storage cities (16:4), Baasha abandoned Ramah (16:5), and Asa reused its stones and timbers to fortify Geba and Mizpah (16:6). Measured by immediate results, the policy worked. Yet the narrative immediately brings the prophetic verdict that it was folly, showing that outward success is no proof of God’s approval. A way may seem right and still lead to death (Proverbs 14:12), and sheltering in the LORD is better than confidence in rulers (Psalm 118:8-9).
- 2 Chronicles 16:4-6 (BSB)“And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, conquering Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali. When Baasha learned of this, he stopped fortifying Ramah and abandoned his work. Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had used for building. And with these materials he built up Geba and Mizpah.”Ben-hadad attacks Israel’s cities, Baasha abandons Ramah, and Asa uses its materials to build Geba and Mizpah.
- Proverbs 14:12 (BSB)“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”A course can appear right and still lead to ruin.
- Psalm 118:8-9 (BSB)“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.”Taking refuge in the LORD is better than trusting in human rulers.