2 Chronicles 15: Azariah's message, and Asa's covenant to seek Yahweh
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What happens?
The Spirit of God comes on Azariah the son of Oded, and he tells Asa and all Judah and Benjamin that Yahweh is with them while they are with him, and speaks of a long time without the true God for Israel (the Hebrew has no verb there, so it may be past or still to come). Asa takes courage, puts away the detestable things, renews Yahweh's altar, and gathers Judah, Benjamin and people from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon at Jerusalem. They sacrifice seven hundred cattle and seven thousand sheep, enter a covenant that whoever will not seek Yahweh is to be put to death, and swear it with shouting and trumpets. Asa removes his mother Maacah from being queen mother because of her image for an Asherah, burns the image at the brook Kidron, and there is no more war until the thirty-fifth year of his reign.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. No verse is in gold: God speaks no words of his own in this chapter. Verse 1 says the Spirit of God came on Azariah, and in verses 2 to 7 Azariah speaks to Asa. Those are a prophet's words to the king, not words the text gives to God himself, so none is in gold. Verse 8 reports that Asa heard "these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet". The rest of the chapter is the narrator's words. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1The Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded.
In plain English: The Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded.
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2He went out to meet Asa, and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin! Yahweh is with you while you are with him; and if you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.
In plain English: He went out to meet Asa and said to him, "Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. Yahweh is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will let himself be found by you. But if you forsake him, he will forsake you.
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3Now for a long time Israel was without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law.
In plain English: For a long time Israel was (the Hebrew has no verb here: or, will be) without the true God (word for word: God of truth), without a priest who teaches, and without law.
The Hebrew words: Word for word the verse is "and many days to Israel without God of truth, and without a priest who teaches, and without law". The Hebrew has no verb of being in this sentence, so "was" is supplied by the translator.
What changes: Read as "was", Azariah is speaking of a past time. Read as "will be", he is speaking of a time to come. The text does not say which time is meant.
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4But when in their distress they turned to Yahweh, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them.
In plain English: But when in their distress they turned back to Yahweh, the God of Israel, and sought him, he let himself be found by them.
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5In those times there was no peace to him who went out, nor to him who came in; but great troubles were on all the inhabitants of the lands.
In plain English: In those times there was no peace for the one who went out or for the one who came in, for there were great disturbances on all the people living in the lands.
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6They were broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city; for God troubled them with all adversity.
In plain English: They were crushed, nation by nation and city by city (or: nation against nation and city against city), for God troubled them with every kind of trouble.
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7But you be strong! Don’t let your hands be slack, for your work will be rewarded.”
In plain English: But you, be strong, and do not let your hands drop, for there is a reward for your work."
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8When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominations out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from the hill country of Ephraim; and he renewed Yahweh’s altar that was before Yahweh’s porch.
In plain English: When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he strengthened himself. He took away the detestable things from all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and from the cities he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim, and he renewed Yahweh's altar that was before the porch of Yahweh.
Good to know: Verse 1 names the prophet Azariah the son of Oded, and Azariah is the one who speaks in verses 2 to 7. This verse says Asa heard "these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet". The text does not explain why Oded is named here and not Azariah.
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9He gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who lived with them out of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon; for they came to him out of Israel in abundance when they saw that Yahweh his God was with him.
In plain English: He gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who lived among them from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon, for they had come over to him from Israel in great numbers when they saw that Yahweh his God was with him.
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10So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign.
In plain English: They gathered at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of Asa's reign.
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11They sacrificed to Yahweh in that day, from the plunder which they had brought, seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep.
In plain English: They sacrificed to Yahweh on that day, out of the plunder they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.
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12They entered into the covenant to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul;
In plain English: They entered into the covenant to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their being (or: soul),
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13and that whoever would not seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.
In plain English: and that anyone who would not seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, was to be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman.
Good to know: The text says it plainly: the covenant is that whoever will not seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, is to be put to death, small or great, man or woman. This verse does not say the sentence was carried out on anyone. Verse 15 says all Judah rejoiced over the oath.
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14They swore to Yahweh with a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets, and with cornets.
In plain English: They swore an oath to Yahweh with a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets and with rams' horns.
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15All Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found by them. Then Yahweh gave them rest all around.
In plain English: All Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart, and they had sought him with all their will (this Bible: their whole desire), and he let himself be found by them. Yahweh gave them rest all around.
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16Also Maacah, the mother of Asa the king, he removed from being queen mother, because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah; so Asa cut down her image, ground it into dust, and burned it at the brook Kidron.
In plain English: Also Maacah, the mother of King Asa, he removed from being queen mother (word for word: from being a mistress), because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah pole. Asa cut down her image, crushed it, and burned it in the wadi (valley stream) of Kidron.
The Hebrew words: "Queen mother" is gebira, which the dictionary gives as "a mistress"; this Bible says "queen" in all 6 verses that use it. "Abominable image" is miphletset, which the dictionary gives as "a terror, i.e. an idol". It is in 2 verses, this one and , and this Bible says "image" in both.
Good to know: This verse calls Maacah "the mother of Asa the king", and says "Maacah his mother". names Maacah the daughter of Abishalom as the mother of Abijam (Abijah), and names Micaiah the daughter of Uriel as the mother of Abijah. The text does not explain how these fit together.
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17But the high places were not taken away out of Israel; nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.
In plain English: But the high places were not removed from Israel. Still, the heart of Asa was complete (this Bible: perfect) all his days.
Good to know: Verses and say Asa took away the high places, and says the same of his son Jehoshaphat. This verse says the high places were not removed "from Israel". has the same line without "from Israel". The text does not explain how these fit.
The Hebrew word: "Perfect" is shalem, which the dictionary gives as "complete (literally or figuratively); especially friendly". This Bible says "perfect" or a longer form in 15 of the 27 verses that use the word.
What changes: Read as "perfect", the verse says Asa's heart was without fault. Read as "complete", it says his heart was whole toward Yahweh. The text does not say which.
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18He brought the things that his father had dedicated and that he himself had dedicated, silver, gold, and vessels into God’s house.
In plain English: He brought into God's house the holy things of his father and his own holy things: silver, gold and utensils.
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19There was no more war to the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.
In plain English: There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign.
Good to know: says the land was quiet ten years in Asa's days, and this verse says there was no more war until his thirty-fifth year. says "There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days". begins the war with Baasha in the thirty-sixth year. The text does not explain the differences.
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