Asa is reproved for seeking help from the Syrians: his last acts and death.
Agaynst the king of Israel, king Asa procureth helpe of the Assyrians, 7. which a prophet reprouing is put in fetters. 11. Asa dieth, with disease of his feete, and is buried with pompe.
1And in the six and thirtieth year of his kingdom, Baasa the king of Israel came up against Juda, and built a wall about Rama, that no one might safely go out or come in of the kingdom of Asa.Ma l'anno trentasei del suo regno Baasa re d'Israele entrò nel paese di Giuda, e serrò Rama con muraglie attorno, in maniera che nessuno del regno di Asa poteva o uscirne, o entrarvi.AND in the six and thirteth yeare of his reigne, came vp Baasa the king of Israel into Iuda, and with a wall compassed Rama, that none could safely goe out and come in of the kingdom of Asa.Anno autem trigesimo sexto regni ejus, ascendit Baasa rex Israël in Judam, et muro circumdabat Rama, ut nullus tute posset egredi et ingredi de regno Asa. 2Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord, and of the king’s treasures, and sent to Benadad king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying:Allora Asa cavò fuori l'argento, e l'oro dai tesori della casa del Signore, e dai tesori del re, e lo mandò a Benadad re di Siria, che dimorava in Damasco, e gli fece dire:Asa therfore brought forth siluer and gold, out of the treasures house of our Lord, and of the kinges treasures, and he sent to Benadad the king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying:Protulit ergo Asa argentum et aurum de thesauris domus Domini, et de thesauris regis, misitque ad Benadad regem Syriæ, qui habitabat in Damasco, dicens: 3There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father, wherefore I have sent thee silver and gold, that thou mayst break thy league with Baasa king of Israel, and make him depart from me.Noi siamo confederati tu, ed io, e anche il padre mio, e il padre tuo vissero in amistà: per questo ti mando quest'oro, e quest'argento, affinchè, rotta l'alleanza, che tu hai con Baasa re d'Israele, lo costringa a partirsene dal mio paese.There is league betwen me & thee, my father also and thy father had concord, wherfore I haue sent thee siluer and gold, that breaking the league, which thou hast with Baasa the king of Israel, thou make him retire from me.Fœdus inter me et te est; pater quoque meus et pater tuus habuere concordiam: quam ob rem misi tibi argentum et aurum, ut rupto fœdere quod habes cum Baasa rege Israël, facias eum a me recedere. 4And when Benadad heard this, he sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel: and they took Ahion, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the walled cities of Nephtali.A tal novella Benadad mandò condottieri de' suoi eserciti contro le città d'Israele, i quali espugnarono Ahion, e Dan, e Abelmaim, e tutte le città murate di Nephthali.Which being knowen, Benadad sent the princes of his hostes to the cities of Israel: who stroke Ahion, and Dan, and Ablemaim, and al the walled cities of Nephthali.Quo comperto, Benadad misit principes exercituum suorum ad urbes Israël: qui percusserunt Ahion, et Dan, et Abelmaim, et universas urbes Nephthali muratas.
5And when Baasa heard of it, he left off the building of Rama, and interrupted his work.Udito ciò Baasa, cessò di fortificare Rama, e lasciò l'opera imperfetta.which when Baasa had heard, he ceased to build Rama, and intermitted his worke.Quod cum audisset Baasa, desiit ædificare Rama, et intermisit opus suum. 6Then king Asa took all Juda, and they carried away from Rama the stones, and the timber that Baasa had prepared for the building: and he built with them Gabaa, and Maspha.E il re Asa prese seco tutta la gente di Giuda, e portaron via da Rama le pietre, e i legnami preparati da Baasa, e con essi fortificò Gabaa, e Maspha.Moreouer Asa the king tooke al Iuda, and caried away the stones out of Rama, and the timber that Baasa had prepared for the building: and he built of them Gabaa, & Maspha.Porro Asa rex assumpsit universum Judam, et tulerunt lapides de Rama, et ligna quæ ædificationi præparaverat Baasa, ædificavitque ex eis Gabaa et Maspha. 7At that time Hanani the prophet came to Asa king of Juda, and said to him: Because thou hast had confidence in the king of Syria, and not in the Lord thy God, therefore hath the army of the king of Syria escaped out of thy hand.In quel tempo si presentò ad Asa re di Giuda il profeta Hanani, e gli disse: Perchè tu hai riposta la tua fidanza nel re di Siria, e non nel Signore Dio tuo, per questo è scampato dalle tue mani l'esercito del re di Siria.At that time came Hanani the prophete to Asa the king of Iuda, and sayd to him: Because thou hast had confidence in the king of Syria, and not in our Lord thy God, therfore hath the armie of the king of Syria escaped out of thy hand.In tempore illo venit Hanani propheta ad Asa regem Juda, et dixit ei: Quia habuisti fiduciam in rege Syriæ, et non in Domino Deo tuo, idcirco evasit Syriæ regis exercitus de manu tua. 8Were not the Ethiopians, and the Libyans much more numerous in chariots, and horsemen, and an exceeding great multitude: yet because thou trustedst in the Lord, he delivered them into thy hand?Non eran eglino in molto maggior numero gli Etiopi, e que' della Libia co' loro cocchi, e soldati a cavallo, e colla loro spaventosa moltitudine? e avendo tu creduto al Signore, egli li diede nelle tue mani.Were not the Aethiopians, and Libyians manie moe in chariotes, and horsemen, and a multitude exceding great: whom, when thou didst beleue in our Lord, he deliuered into thy hand?Nonne Æthiopes et Libyes multo plures erant quadrigis, et equitibus, et multitudine nimia, quos cum Domino credidisses, tradidit in manu tua ?
9For the eyes of the Lord behold all the earth, and give strength to those who with a perfect heart trust in him. Wherefore thou hast done foolishly, and for this cause from this time wars shall arise against thee.Perocché gli occhi del Signore contemplano tutta la terra, e danno fortezza a quelli, che credono in lui con cuor sincero. Tu adunque hai operato stoltamente; e per questo da ora in poi sorgeranno delle guerre contro di te.For the eies of our Lord behold al the earth, and geue strength to them, that with perfect hart beleue in him. Thou therfore hast done foolyshly, & for this cause from this present time shal battels arise agaynst thee.Oculi enim Domini contemplantur universam terram, et præbent fortitudinem his qui corde perfecto credunt in eum. Stulte igitur egisti, et propter hoc ex præsenti tempore adversum te bella consurgent. 10And Asa was angry with the seer, and commanded him to be put in prison: for he was greatly enraged because of this thing: and he put to death many of the people at that time.Ma Asa si mosse ad ira contro il Profeta, e comandò ch'ei fosse messo alla catena: perchè questa cosa lo avea grandemente irritato: e uccise in quel tempo moltissime persone del popolo.And Asa being angrie agaynst the Seer, commanded him to be cast into fetters: for he tooke indignation excedingly vpon this thing: and he slewe of the people at that time verie manie.Iratusque Asa adversus videntem, jussit eum mitti in nervum: valde quippe super hoc fuerat indignatus: et interfecit de populo in tempore illo plurimos. 11But the works of Asa the first and last are written in the book of the kings of Juda and Israel.Ma le gesta di Asa dal principio sino alla fine sono scritte nel libro dei re di Giuda, e d'Israele.But the workes of Asa the first & the lasl are writen in the Booke of the kinges of Iuda and Israel.Opera autem Asa prima et novissima scripta sunt in libro regum Juda et Israël. 12And Asa fell sick in the nine and thirtieth year of his reign, of a most violent pain in his feet, and yet in his illness he did not seek the Lord, but rather trusted in the skill of physicians.Asa poi cadde malato l'anno trentanove del suo regno di fierissimo dolore di gambe, e neppur nella sua infermità ricorse a Dio; ma confidò piuttosto nel sapere de' medici.Asa also fel sicke in the nine and thirteth yeare of his reigne, of a most vehement payne of his feete, and neither in his infirmitie did he seeke our Lord, but rather trusted in the arte of Phisitians.Ægrotavit etiam Asa anno trigesimo nono regni sui, dolore pedum vehementissimo, et nec in infirmitate sua quæsivit Dominum, sed magis in medicorum arte confisus est.
13And he slept with his fathers: and he died in the one and fortieth year of his reign.E si addormentò co' padri suoi: e morì l'anno quarantesimo primo del suo regno.And he slept with his fathers: and he died the one and fou•teth yeare of his reigne.Dormivitque cum patribus suis, et mortuus est anno quadragesimo primo regni sui. 14And they buried him in his own sepulchre, which he had made for himself in the city of David: and they laid him on his bed full of spices and odoriferous ointments, which were made by the art of the perfumers, and they burnt them over him with very great pomp.E lo seppellirono nel sepolcro, che egli avea fatto scavare per se nella città di David: e lo posero sul suo letto pieno di aromi, e unguenti delicatissimi manipolati con arte da' profumieri, e li bruciarono con pompa stragrande sopra di lui.And they buried him in his sepulchre, which he had digged for himsels in the Citie of Dauid: and they layd him vpon his bed ful of spices and odoriferous oyntementes, which were made by the arte of apothecaries, and they burnt it ouer him with exceding ambition.Et sepelierunt eum in sepulchro suo quod foderat sibi in civitate David: posueruntque eum super lectum suum plenum aromatibus et unguentibus meretriciis, quæ erant pigmentariorum arte confecta, et combusserunt super eum ambitione nimia.
16:1
Year of the World 3064, Year before Christ 940.
Challoner
Six and thirtieth year of his kingdom. That is, of the kingdom of Juda, taking the date of it from the beginning of the reign of Roboam. (Challoner)
Tirinus
It was the 16th of Asa. We read that Baasa died in the 26th year of Asa, 3 Kings 16:8. How then could he fight with him in the 36th? (Tirinus)
Calmet
Rama was on an eminence, and commanded the pass below. Baasa wished to cut off all communication with the kingdom of Juda, as he knew many of his subjects had emigrated for the sake of the true religion, 2 Paralipomenon 15:9. (Calmet)
Tirinus
He had taken the city from the tribe of Benjamin. (Tirinus)
16:3
There is, Hebrew is indeterminate: "a league," etc. Septuagint, "Make a league....behold I have sent thee gold and silver. Come and drive away from me Baasa, king," etc.
Haydock
That. Protestants, "go, break thy league." (Haydock)
Calmet
Asa induces the king of Damascus to act perfidiously. (Calmet)
Otherwise it is not unlawful to make use of the arms of infidels, unless where God has forbidden it. (Grotius, Jur. 2:15, 9.) (Masius in Jos. 9:15.)
Calmet
David had recourse to Achis, and the Machabees to the Romans. (Calmet)
Some kings are blamed for making leagues with the princes of Israel, because they had been warned to the contrary; and Asa was severely reprehended, as he had already received such assurances of the divine protection, (chap. 14:12., and 15:7.) that nothing but pusillanimity could have induced him (Haydock) to give away the sacred treasures, in order to obtain this aid of the Syrian king, ver. 7.
16:4
Calmet
Nephthali. This seem preferable to the Hebrew reading, 3 Kings 15:20. (Calmet)
Haydock
Protestants, "all the store-cities." Septuagint, "all the environs." (Haydock)
Arabic, "all the arsenals of the cities of Nephthali."
16:7
Calmet
Syria. It seems more natural to read Israel. (Calmet)
Tirinus
But we must remember that Benadad was an ally of Israel; and if he had not been bribed, he would have come to the assistance of Baasa, (Haydock) and thus both might have fallen a prey to Asa, as the much greater forces of Zara had done. (Tirinus)
16:9
Haydock
Behold. Protestants, "run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him." Septuagint, "to shew power in every heart full, or perfect, in his regard." (Haydock)
Asa fell on this occasion through human frailty, but rose again by repentance.
Thee, as they were till the death of Baasa, 3 Kings 15:32.
16:10
Prison. Literally, "in bonds," (nervum) made of leather thongs or nerves, (Haydock) or of iron, to confine either the neck or the feet. (Isidor. orig. 5. ultra)
Vatable
Hebrew, "the house of disturbance." Septuagint, etc., "prison." Some explain it (Calmet) of the stocks to enclose the neck. (Vatable)
Tirinus
Time, either because they expressed the same sentiments as the prophet, (Calmet) or because they disapproved of his imprisonment. (Tirinus)
Haydock
Septuagint, "Asa made havoc among the people," etc. (Haydock)
16:12
Year of the World 3087, Year before Christ 917.
Cornelius a Lapide
Most, etc. Hebrew, "till his disease got upwards," (Calmet) to the head (Tirinus) and heart, (Haydock) when the gout generally proves fatal. (Cornelius a Lapide)
Worthington
Septuagint, "till he was very ill:" (Haydock) a just punishment for his having confined the prophet in fetters; but of a temporal nature, as he sinned through passion, and died penitent, his heart being perfect (chap. 15:17.) all or the most part of his days, particularly in the last. (Worthington)
Haydock
Rather. Hebrew and Septuagint simply, "physicians." (Haydock)
Haydock
Yet it was not the having recourse to them, with some degree of confidence, that is here reprehended, but the placing too much trust in men, (Calmet) and too little in God, the sovereign arbiter of life and death. (Haydock)
16:13
Year of the World 3090.
16:14
Calmet
Sepulchre. Hebrew, "sepulchres," as there were many separate apartments in the same cavern. (Calmet)
Tirinus
Asa had prepared one cell, as David and Solomon had done. (Menochius) (Tirinus)
Du Hamel
Odoriferous (mertriciis.) Such as harlots delight in, (Proverbs 7:16,) to entice the sensual. (Du Hamel)
Menochius
Hebrew zenim, may be derived from zana, fornicari. It denotes a mixture of perfumes. (Menochius)
Du Hamel
But here the Vulgate read zunim. (Du Hamel)
Hebrew and Septuagint, "they laid him on a bed, and filled it with aromatical spices, and with various sorts of perfumers' ointments, and they made him a very great funeral, or (Haydock) burning." (Protestants)
Calmet
It is not clear whether the body was placed on a bed of state, and these perfumes were used to remove every disagreeable smell, or the body itself was rather consumed along with them, a practice which seems to have become more common since the days of Asa, Jeremias 34:5., 1 Kings 31:12., and Amos 6:10. Joram was deprived of this honour, 2 Paralipomenon 21:19. (Calmet)
16:1
Six and thirtieth year of his kingdom.... That is, of the kingdom of Juda, taking the date of it from the beginning of the reign of Reboam.
16:1
Concordance 3. Reg. 15.
16:8
Iust punishment with paine of his feete, for iniuriously putting Gods prophet in fetters v. 10. So God punished him temporally, for that and other passionate sinnes: and he died in good state, for. his hart was perfect al his dayes, (Chap 15. v, 17.) that is, most part of his life, especially in his last dayes.
16:1
1. NOW IN THE THIRTY-SIXTH YEAR OF HIS (ASA'S) REIGN BAASA ASCENDED. — You will say: Baasa was already dead a decade ago, namely in the 25th year of Asa's reign, as is evident from III Kings xvi, 8; for in the 36th year of Asa, Amri was reigning in Israel, III Kings XVI, 22. Cajetan answers first, John Lucidus, Adrichomius in his Chronology, John Annius with his pseudo-Philo, and Melchior Canus, book XI On Places, chapter v, to the 12th argument, that an error has crept in here, and for 36 should be read 26, or rather 16. Nor is this surprising, because this matter does not pertain to faith, nor to good morals. Yet all Hebrew, Chaldean, Greek, and Latin codices consistently have 36, not 26. But for an error to be in all codices is to say there is an error in Scripture, which God forbid. Second, Lyra, Vatable and Genebrard answer that the years of Asa are numbered in two ways: first, from the beginning of his reign: second, from that memorable battle and Ethiopian victory. Hence therefore the 36 years of Asa's reign are 26 of the same from the Ethiopian battle, after which Baasa dying is said to have been succeeded by his son Ela, III Kings xvi. 8. But this is to throw into confusion the entire chronology of Holy Scripture: for in the same way the years of the following kings, namely Zambri, Amri, Achab, who reigned with Asa, etc., would have to be numbered from the Ethiopian battle, which no one has said. Third, others say these 36 years are years of Asa's life, not of his reign. But this is opposed by the fact that it is expressly said: "Now in the 36th year of his reign," not of his life; whence Abulensis answers that another solution must be sought here, which he himself confesses he does not know. Fourth and more truly you would say these 36 years are of the reign of Judah; wherefore they are to be computed from the first year of Roboam, who was the first king of Judah.
16:7
7. FOR THIS REASON THE ARMY OF THE KING OF SYRIA ESCAPED, — as if to say: If you had trusted in God and invoked his aid, and not that of Benadad king of Syria; him, as being a perpetual enemy of Judah, as much as Baasa king of Israel, you would have conquered, just as you conquered Zara king of Ethiopia, who was invading Judah with a much more numerous army.
16:10
10. HE SLEW MANY OF THE PEOPLE, — who grieved that the innocence of Hanani the prophet was unjustly afflicted by Asa in prison; and therefore they more freely accused his tyranny.
16:12
12. WITH A MOST VIOLENT PAIN OF THE FEET. — In Hebrew and Greek it is added "even to above": for when the humor and pain of gout invades the head, it is most violent, and brings swift death. Whence Pagninus translates, the sickness extended even to the crown of his head.
BUT HE TRUSTED MORE IN THE ART OF PHYSICIANS. — Procopius and Theodoret note, Questions XLV, that "physicians" are either taken here for enchanters and magical impostors, or for true physicians. If in the former way, it is evident why he sinned. Just as, in book XXX, chapter 1, Pliny teaches that Magic and Medicine are almost joined together; and in book XXIX, chapter 1: "What," he says, "is more fertile of poisons, or whence more snares of wills? and indeed also adulteries, etc., than from medicine?" And thus, among the Latins, medicaments are sometimes taken for poisons, as among the Greeks pharmaca, according to Nonius; see also the same Pliny, book XXVI, chapter IV. If in the latter way, he could sin in two ways; first, by placing excessive hope in them, with the aid of the Lord God neglected. For this reason also Cedrenus and Suidas report that Hezekiah had the book of Solomon's remedies destroyed, because the people, with God not invoked and neglected, would seek healing of evils from it; second, by seeking their aid perversely, namely before placation, and aid sought from God, as Ecclesiasticus chapter XXXVIII, verses 9 and following explains, and as Innocent III commands in his book On Penances and Remissions, chapter When Infirmity. Thus Serarius.
16:14
14. FULL OF AROMATICS AND HARLOT'S OINTMENTS. — In Greek myrepsicis, that is, perfumers; whence Serarius suspects that for "harlot's" should be read "perfumers." But "harlot's" is in all Hebrew and Latin texts: therefore "harlot's" is the same as "most sweet," and as Vatable translates, "most delicate"; such as harlots use, so that they might cover and conceal the stench of the body, and especially the breath, which those corrupted by lust exhale like putrid corpses, according to that saying: Postumus does not smell well, he who always smells well. The word "harlot's" denotes that there were here excessive delights of odors and aromatics, and excessive luxury and pomp; whence he adds saying: "with excessive ambition."
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.
16:1
Benadad (Hebrew Ben-Hâdhad "Son of Hadad"; Septuagint ΥἹῸΣ ἈΔΈΡ)
B. I, son of Tabrimmon, because of the large gifts he received, went over to helping Asa, king of Judah (910-870), against Baasha, king of Israel (908-885), his ally, whom he inflicted a severe defeat upon (I Kings 15:18-20; II Chron. 16:1-5).
16:2
… inscription of Shalmaneser II (A. Amiaud and V. Scheil, Les inscriptions de Salmanassar II, Paris 1890, p. 6), Di-ma-af-qa or Di-maf-qa in the Amarna letters; in biblical Hebrew it is Dammééq, but the Aramaic form is Darmééq in I Chron. 18, 5 and II Chron. 16, 2; 24, 23; 28, 5, 23; the Talmudic Darmééq, Darmééq; the Greek Δαμασκός. …
… In the fifth year of King Rehoboam (929), Shishak king of Egypt plundered the Temple and the royal palace (I Kings 14, 25); later King Asa (910) alienated a great part of the city's wealth to obtain the alliance of Ben-hadad, king of Syria, against Baasha, king of Israel (I Kings 15, 18; II Chron. 16, 2-3).
16:4
Abel (Hebrew 'Abhēl 'meadow'; possibly Aramaic from Canaanite 'Abil 'channel')
… his stand there, pursued by Joab; but the city, "a mother in Israel," proverbially wise and peaceable, threw Sheba's head down from the wall to Joab, who lifted the siege (II Sam. 20:14-19). Benhadad took it from Baasha, king of Israel (I Kings 15:20; II Chron. 16:4). Tiglath-Pileser occupied it along with the other cities of Naphtali and deported its inhabitants to Assyria (II Kings 15:29). Today it is probably Abil el-Kameh, west of Banias.
16:6
… Michmash, managed to penetrate into the enemy camp, throwing it into confusion and freeing the region from the Philistines (I Sam. 13, 4; 14). Fortified by King Asa, it was the northern outpost of the Kingdom of Judah (I Kings 15, 22; II Kings 23, 8; II Chron. 16, 6). After the exile it was reoccupied by the Benjaminites (Neh. 12, 19).
Geth (Hebrew Gath, Akkadian Gimtu, "Winepress")
… 2 Chron. 11:8; 26:6). David conquered it (2 Sam. 8:1; 1 Chron. 18:1) and had an elite corps of six hundred Gittite warriors (2 Sam. 15:18). Hazael, king of Syria, occupied G. (2 Kings 12:18), for the Philistines; Uzziah tore down its walls (2 Chron. 16:6; cf. 2 Kings 18:8). G. then depended on Ashdod or Azotus (v.). Am. 6:2 gives it as an example of a fallen city, nor does it appear in the oracles of the other prophets against …
Maspha (Heb. Mīspāh "Watchtower")
… the Hebrews after the affair of Gibeah, where the wife of the Levite met an ignominious death (Judg. 20:1-2), and subsequently of other assemblies (1 Sam. 7:5-14; 10:17). It was fortified by Asa as a defense against the northern tribes (1 Kings 15:22; 2 Chron. 16:6). After the destruction of Jerusalem, Gedaliah established his residence there in the name of the Babylonians (2 Kings 25:23-25), and several Jews came to live there, among them Jeremiah …
16:7
… This lack of theocratic spirit was reproached to him by the prophet Hanani (II Chron. 16, 7-10).
… Asa, irritated, had him imprisoned (II Chron. 16, 7-10). He is probably the father of the prophet Jehu (I Kings 16, 1-7; II Chron. 19, 2; 20, 34).
The other two principal terms: rā'eh "seer" (used only of Samuel [I Sam. 9:9, 11, 18 ff.; I Par. 9:22; 26:28; 29:29], of Hanani [II Par. 16:7, 10] and in Is. 30:10, although the verb rā'eh is frequent to indicate the "visions" that the prophet receives from God) and the synonym hāveh "contemplator," mostly in poetry, express …
16:8
and also the Vulgate adopt this twofold meaning in rendering: 1) Pâṭ (Jer. 49:9; Ex. 36:5), a territory along the coasts of the Red Sea, probably present-day Somalia; 2) Lâbhîm (Dan. 11:43; II Chron. 12:3; 16:8; cf. Lâhâbhîm of Gen. 10:13), always associated with Mîṣrâṭîm (= Egypt), designating the region west of the Nile Delta or present-day L.
16:11
… The author utilized not a few sources and documents, sometimes citing them explicitly as well, namely: a) "books of the kings of Israel and Judah" (II Par. 27, 7); "books of the kings of Judah and Israel" (ibid. 16, 11); "words (= deeds) of the kings of Israel" (ibid. 33, 18); it is not certain whether they are the same work, but they are distinguished from the canonical books of Kings; b) midhräism …
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · Vulgata Clementina · original Douay-Rheims (Douay 1609-10), transcription by EEBO-TCP (CC0) · La Sacra Bibbia, tradotta dalla Volgata da Antonio Martini (1769-1781) (LaParola (laparola.net), Martini OSIS text, Public domain (LaParola's electronic edition marks it 'Dominio pubblico')). Public domain.