2Ch 15 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for 2Chr 15:1-7: 15:1-7 The prophet Azariah is unknown outside of this passage. His speech to King Asa and the people of Judah also served as the Chronicler’s own message to the people of Judah following the Exile: The Lord will be with his people, he will be found by those who seek him , and he will reward their obedience.

Summary for 2Chr 15:1-7: 15:1-7 ^a The prophet Azariah is unknown outside of this passage. His speech to King Asa and the people of Judah also served as the Chronicler’s own message to the people of Judah following the Exile: The Lord will be with his people, he will be found by those who seek him, and he will reward their obedience.
Summary for 2Chr 15:3-6: 15:3-6 ^b The dark times, described as resulting from the lack of knowing God (cp. Hos 3:4-5 ^c), seem best to fit the period of the judges.
15:5 ^d it was not safe to travel: Cp. Judg 5:6-8 ^e; Zech 8:10 ^f.
15:7 ^g The exhortation to be strong and courageous is a literal quotation of the exhortation that both Moses and Joshua gave Israel when they were first entering the land (Deut 31:6-7 ^h; Josh 1:6 ⁱ, 9 ^j, 18 ^k).
Summary for 2Chr 15:8-18: 15:8-18 ^l The Chronicler described Asa’s response in the precise terms of the prophet’s exhortation, but Asa’s specific actions went far beyond its general directives. As soon as Asa heard the prophetic words, he took courage in initiating a comprehensive reform, beginning with the removal of the detestable idols that again infested the land (see 14:5 ^m). Full trust in God had won the war against the Cushites, and total renewal of the covenant brought the Promised Land to rest (15:15 ⁿ). 15:8 ^o The towns he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim were those conquered in his war with Baasha (16:1 ^p). There was continuous warfare between Baasha and Asa (see 1 Kgs 15:16 ^q).
15:9 ^r the people of Ephraim, Manasseh: The Chronicler always included the northern tribes in his accounts of spiritual reform (cp. 30:1-11 ^s).

• The territory of Simeon was absorbed into Judah.
Summary for 2Chr 15:10-15: 15:10-15 ^t The ceremony of covenant renewal in the third month was probably during the Festival of Harvest (Pentecost). This great festival brought crowds to the Temple from all the surrounding regions. Disloyalty to the covenant was regarded as treason and carried the ultimate penalty (Deut 17:2-7 ^u). The sacrifices were dedicated offerings from the victory over Zerah (2 Chr 14:15 ^v).
15:16 ^w The queen mother was the first lady of the realm, usually holding the office as long as she lived. When she died, the title passed to the mother of the heir apparent. There is no indication that the queen mother held official duties, but she wielded considerable influence.

• Asherah is well known from Canaanite literature as the wife of the god El and the mother of seventy children, including Baal. The image made of her quite possibly had prominent sexual characteristics, a common attribute of Canaanite images.

• his grandmother: Literally his mother. The term “mother” can be used generically for any female ancestor. See 11:20 ^x, where Maacah is listed as the mother of Abijah (Asa’s father).
15:19 ^y no more war: Literally no war. Most translations, including the NLT, add “more” to assist in conveying the probable meaning. But if “no war” is in fact the better reading, the thirty-fifth year might refer to the thirty-fifth year since the division of the northern and southern kingdoms. That would have been around the time when Zerah the Ethiopian invaded Judah and was defeated by Asa (14:9-15 ^z). But see the study note on 16:1.

• The Chronicler inserts chronological notes into his account to divide Asa’s reign into periods that show the consequences of his decisions (see 14:1 ^aa; 15:10 ^ab; 16:1 ^ac, 12 ^ad, 13 ^ae). The early battles with the north were seen as inconsequential for that period, though the Chronicler was fully aware of them (see 15:8 ^af). The first years of Asa’s reign were characterized by divine favor to an obedient king.