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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 In the thirty and sixth year of the reign of Asa, come up hath Baasha king of Israel, against Judah, and buildeth Ramah, so as not to permit any going out and coming in to Asa king of Judah. |
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| 2 And Asa bringeth out silver and gold from the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and of the house of the king, and sendeth unto Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who is dwelling in Damascus, saying, |
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| 3 'A covenant [is] between me and thee, and between my father and thy father, lo, I have sent to thee silver and gold; go, break thy covenant with Baasha king of Israel, and he doth go up from off me.' |
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| 4 And Ben-Hadad hearkeneth unto king Asa, and sendeth the heads of the forces that he hath unto cities of Israel, and they smite Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-Maim, and all the stores, cities of Naphtali. |
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| 5 And it cometh to pass, at Baasha's hearing, that he ceaseth from building Ramah, and letteth his work rest; |
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| 6 and Asa the king hath taken all Judah, and they bear away the stones of Ramah, and its wood, that Baasha hath built, and he buildeth with them Geba and Mizpah. |
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| 7 And at that time hath Hanani the seer come in unto Asa king of Judah, and saith unto him, 'Because of thy leaning on the king of Aram, and thou hast not leaned on Jehovah thy God, therefore hath the force of the king of Aram escaped from thy hand. |
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| 8 Did not the Cushim and the Lubim become a very great force for multitude, for chariot, and for horsemen and in thy leaning on Jehovah He gave them into thy hand, |
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| 9 for Jehovah His eyes go to and fro in all the earth, to show Himself strong [for] a people whose heart [is] perfect towards Him; thou hast been foolish concerning this, because henceforth there are with thee wars.' |
Eyes of the LORD – The Lord's influence, his power of knowing, whatever the means. R5634:2
His divine wisdom. SM623:1
Let your child feel that your eye and God's is ever upon him, just as we feel that God's eye is upon us. R1097:5*
The whole earth – This does not mean that God personally beholds every individual act of every person on earth, but that he takes cognizance of matters throughout the world by means of his power, his agencies. R5634:2
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| 10 And Asa is angry at the seer, and giveth him to the house of torture, for [he is] in a rage with him for this; and Asa oppresseth [some] of the people at that time. |
Put him in a prison – The statement that his heart was right before God does not signify that he was always right. R2364:3
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| 11 And lo, the matters of Asa, the first and the last, lo, they are written on the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. |
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| 12 And Asa is diseased in the thirty and ninth year of his reign in his feet, till his disease is excessive, and also in his disease he hath not sought Jehovah, but among physicians. |
Diseased in his feet – His sickness was a punishment for his sin according to the Israelitish covenant with God. R2029:2
God has not promised to keep spiritual Israel free from sickness, pain and trouble. R2364:5
Not to the LORD – Who had entered into covenant relationship with the Jews to bless them physically if faithful to him. R2364:4
His heart should have repented and turned toward God, but instead he turned to the physicians. R2029:2
To the physicians – Enchanters, magicians, black-art doctors using Satanic powers. R2364:5
There is no intimation here that it would be wrong to make use of bona-fide medical skill and aid today. R2364:5
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| 13 And Asa lieth with his fathers, and dieth in the forty and first year of his reign, |
One and fortieth year – Link No.29 in the chain of Bible chronology. B50; R1980:4
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| 14 and they bury him in [one of] his graves, that he had prepared for himself in the city of David, and they cause him to lie on a bed that [one] hath filled [with] spices, and divers kinds of mixtures, with perfumed work; and they burn for him a burning very great. |
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