2 Chronicles 14:4 kjv
And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.
2 Chronicles 14:4 nkjv
He commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment.
2 Chronicles 14:4 niv
He commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his laws and commands.
2 Chronicles 14:4 esv
and commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment.
2 Chronicles 14:4 nlt
He commanded the people of Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his law and his commands.
2 Chronicles 14 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 4:29 | But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him... | Promise for diligently seeking God |
| Jer 29:13 | You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. | God is found by wholehearted seeking |
| Ps 105:4 | Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! | Encouragement to continually seek God |
| Isa 55:6 | "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near..." | Urgency in seeking God |
| Acts 17:27 | ...that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him... | Universal human impulse to seek God |
| Heb 11:6 | And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. | Faith essential for seeking and pleasing God |
| Ex 3:6 | I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. | God's identity linked to ancestral covenant |
| Deut 1:11 | May the Lord, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many... | Prayer invoking the covenant God |
| Matt 22:32 | ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’... | Jesus affirming God of the patriarchs |
| Acts 3:13 | The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers... | Apostolic declaration of God's identity |
| Deut 6:2 | ...that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son...and that you may keep all his statutes and his commandments... | Purpose of God's commands: reverence, longevity |
| Deut 10:12 | And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart...and to keep the commandments and statutes... | Essence of required obedience |
| Josh 1:7-8 | Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law...for then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success. | Obedience as a path to prosperity |
| Ps 119:1 | Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! | Blessedness through adherence to God's law |
| Ps 119:34 | Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. | Desire for wholehearted obedience |
| Jn 14:15 | "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." | Love for Christ expressed through obedience |
| Rom 2:13 | For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. | Importance of doing, not just hearing |
| Jam 1:22-25 | But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves... | Warning against passive hearing |
| Deut 17:18-20 | And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself...a copy of this law...that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes... | King's responsibility for personal obedience |
| 2 Chr 15:2 | The Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you... | Asa's success tied to seeking God |
| 2 Chr 15:12 | They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul... | Renewed covenant to seek God wholeheartedly |
| Neh 9:38 | Because of all this we make a firm covenant and write it... | Renewal of covenant commitment to God's law |
| Eze 36:27 | And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes... | God's enablement for keeping commands |
2 Chronicles 14 verses
2 Chronicles 14 4 Meaning
2 Chronicles 14:4 states King Asa's decree for the people of Judah, instructing them to earnestly seek the Lord, who is identified as the God of their ancestors. Furthermore, it commands them to diligently obey the totality of God's revealed instruction and specific divine decrees. This verse encapsulates Asa's foundational religious reforms, establishing proper worship and obedience as the cornerstone of his reign and the well-being of the nation, directly contrasting with the idolatry prevalent in previous reigns.
2 Chronicles 14 4 Context
This verse is set at the beginning of King Asa's reign in Judah. Following his father Abijah and grandfather Rehoboam, whose reigns were marred by widespread idolatry and moral decline, Asa ushers in a period of significant religious reform and relative peace. Chapters 13 and 14 introduce Asa's commitment to rooting out paganism. Verse 4 details his direct command, serving as a theological foundation for his subsequent actions described in the chapter: tearing down foreign altars, smashing sacred pillars, cutting down Asherim (2 Chr 14:3), and fortifying cities (2 Chr 14:6-7). This initial period of reform, marked by a national return to YHWH's worship and law, is directly linked to the Lord granting Asa rest from war for ten years (2 Chr 14:6). The command to seek God and obey His law is presented as the primary means by which Judah experienced divine blessing and national security under Asa's rule. This context highlights the direct causal link between national obedience and divine favor, a recurring theme in the Deuteronomistic history.
2 Chronicles 14 4 Word analysis
And commanded (וַיְצַו – wayᵉtsaw): From the root צָוָה (tsavah), meaning "to command, order, appoint." This indicates an authoritative, kingly decree, not merely a suggestion. It signifies Asa's exercise of his royal prerogative and his clear directive concerning the nation's spiritual life.
Judah (יְהוּדָה – Yəhuda): Refers specifically to the southern kingdom of Judah, the tribe from which the Davidic kings ruled, distinguishing them from the northern kingdom of Israel which had largely strayed from central worship.
to seek (לִדְרֹשׁ – lidrosh): From the verb דָּרַשׁ (darash), which means to "seek, search, inquire, investigate, require." This is a profound and active seeking, not passive acknowledgement. It implies earnest, diligent pursuit, yearning for, and dependence on God. It’s an intellectual, volitional, and spiritual act of turning towards God.
the Lord (יְהוָה – YHWH): The personal, covenant name of God, revealing His self-existent, faithful nature. Emphasizes exclusive devotion to the one true God of Israel, directly contrasting with the worship of Baal, Asherah, and other pagan deities that were rampant.
the God (אֱלֹהֵי – Elohei): The plural form Elohim used with a singular verb, referring to the sovereign, powerful God, Creator, and Judge. It specifies that this YHWH is their God, not just any deity.
of their fathers (אֲבוֹתָיו – ʾAvotayw): Refers to the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) and the ancestors with whom God established His covenant. This links the command to God's historical faithfulness and His covenant relationship with Israel, urging the present generation to maintain that heritage.
and to keep (וְלַעֲשׂוֹת – wəlaʿasot): From the verb עָשָׂה (ʿasah), meaning "to do, make, keep, observe." This is the counterpart to "seek." Seeking is the heart's posture; keeping is the outward act of obedience. It highlights practical, demonstrable adherence to God's revealed will.
the law (תּוֹרָה – Torah): Usually translated as "law," but comprehensively means "instruction" or "teaching." It refers to God's entire body of divine revelation, primarily the Pentateuch, providing principles for life, worship, and ethical conduct.
and the commandment (וּמִצְוָה – umitsvah): From the root צָוָה (tsavah), the same as "commanded." Mitzvah refers to a specific divine injunction, precept, or ordinance. While "Torah" is the broader body of instruction, "mitzvah" points to its individual, actionable components. Together, they signify obedience to both the spirit and the letter of God's revealed will.
2 Chronicles 14 4 Bonus section
The chronicler often highlights kings who sought the Lord with their "whole heart" (e.g., Asa again in 2 Chr 15:17, Jehoshaphat in 2 Chr 22:9, Hezekiah in 2 Chr 31:21), and links this diligent seeking to periods of peace and prosperity. Conversely, straying from seeking God (e.g., Ahaz in 2 Chr 28:5-6) leads to calamity. The command to "seek" is sometimes used interchangeably with "return" to God, signifying a profound reorientation. The parallel structure of "seeking the Lord" and "keeping the law" is typical of covenant language, where intimacy with God (seeking) is inseparable from faithful adherence to His terms (keeping the law). This shows that piety is not merely about feelings but also about actions and devotion, integrating the spiritual with the practical. This comprehensive restoration from Asa points to a king fulfilling the ideal outlined in Deuteronomy 17, where the king is expected to govern by keeping God's law.
2 Chronicles 14 4 Commentary
2 Chronicles 14:4 encapsulates the theological program of King Asa's reign: a return to foundational covenant obedience as the means to divine blessing. Asa’s command to "seek the Lord" (דָּרַשׁ darash), points to an internal, spiritual yearning and diligent pursuit of God. This isn't just about ritual; it’s about a heartfelt orientation toward the Almighty. This active seeking implicitly opposes the passive acceptance or active promotion of idolatry that characterized prior kings. The specific identification of God as "the God of their fathers" roots this seeking in the covenant established with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, emphasizing continuity with their national heritage and the distinct identity of Israel's God versus pagan deities. This was a direct polemic against syncretism and polytheism, asserting that the God of Israel alone deserved their exclusive devotion.
The second part of the command, "to keep the law and the commandment" (עָשָׂה הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוָה ‘asah haTorah v'haMitzvah), shifts from internal disposition to external action. Torah signifies God's complete instruction, while Mitzvah points to specific commands. This twin emphasis underscores that genuine faith must manifest in practical obedience to divine precepts. Asa understood that national spiritual health derived from adherence to God's statutes. His actions—removing idols, altars, and cult prostitution—were direct outworkings of this command. This verse, therefore, establishes a direct link between seeking God with a pure heart and expressing that pursuit through obedient living, portraying them as inseparable elements of true worship. This foundational reform enabled the subsequent peace and victories of Asa's early reign, illustrating the Chronicler's recurring theme: divine blessing follows national faithfulness.