2 Chronicles 16 10

2 Chronicles 16:10 kjv

Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time.

2 Chronicles 16:10 nkjv

Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time.

2 Chronicles 16:10 niv

Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.

2 Chronicles 16:10 esv

Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in the stocks in prison, for he was in a rage with him because of this. And Asa inflicted cruelties upon some of the people at the same time.

2 Chronicles 16:10 nlt

Asa became so angry with Hanani for saying this that he threw him into prison and put him in stocks. At that time Asa also began to oppress some of his people.

2 Chronicles 16 verses

2 Chronicles 16 10 Meaning

2 Chronicles 16:10 reveals King Asa's violent and unjust reaction to the prophetic word delivered by Hanani the seer. After being rebuked for relying on the King of Aram instead of the Lord, Asa became enraged, imprisoned the prophet, and then arbitrarily oppressed some of his own people. This verse marks a significant downturn in Asa's reign, showcasing his shift from faith and reliance on God to pride, uncontrolled anger, and tyrannical behavior, particularly the rejection of divine counsel and the persecution of God's messenger.

2 Chronicles 16 10 Context

King Asa began his reign admirably, devoted to the Lord (2 Chr 14:2). He dismantled idolatry, sought God, and successfully repelled the vast Ethiopian army by trusting in the Lord (2 Chr 14:9-13). Chapter 15 records his further reforms, renewed covenant with God, and a period of rest. However, 2 Chronicles 16 describes Asa's turning point. When facing Baasha king of Israel, instead of relying on the Lord, Asa made a pact with Ben-Hadad king of Aram, using treasures from the temple (2 Chr 16:1-6). The seer Hanani then confronted Asa, rebuking him for this reliance on man and reminding him of God's power demonstrated earlier (2 Chr 16:7-9). Verse 10 captures Asa's sinful response to this divine correction – an outburst of uncontrolled anger, resulting in the unjust imprisonment of the prophet and the oppression of his own subjects. This episode signals Asa's moral decline, preceding his final illness and further reliance on physicians rather than God (2 Chr 16:12).

2 Chronicles 16 10 Word analysis

• Then Asa was angry (וַיִּחַר לְאָסָא֙)
  • וַיִּחַר (vayyíḥar): From the root חָרָה (ḥāráh), meaning "to burn," "to be hot." It signifies a fierce, intense, often uncontrolled anger or rage. This is not righteous indignation but a sinful outburst, indicative of a heart not yielded to God's will. It marks a severe deviation from his earlier character.
  • Asa: A king who initially exemplified devotion and reliance on the Lord (2 Chr 14-15). His reaction here reveals a tragic moral and spiritual decline. His response to prophetic rebuke highlights the deceptive nature of sin, even in once-godly individuals.
• with the seer (בַּחֹזֶה֙)
  • בַּחֹזֶה (baḥozeh): From the root חָזָה (ḥāzāh), meaning "to see," often used for a divine vision or revelation. A ḥōzeh (seer) is a prophet who receives divine communication through visions. Hanani's role was to deliver God's uncompromising truth, not popular opinion. Asa's anger was, in essence, directed at God's message and His messenger.
• and put him in the prison house (וַיִּתְּנֵ֤הוּ בֵית֙ הַמַּהְפֶּכֶת֙)
  • וַיִּתְּנֵ֤הוּ (vayyitənehu): "and he put him." A clear exercise of royal authority, but used abusively.
  • בֵית֙ הַמַּהְפֶּכֶת֙ (bêṯ hammahpāḵeṯ): Literally, "house of the stocks" or "house of overturning/torture." It implies a severe and likely uncomfortable or painful imprisonment, possibly involving instruments of restraint that distorted the body. This was not just confinement but a punitive act designed to inflict suffering or humiliate. This arbitrary imprisonment of a divine messenger underscores Asa's tyranny and his defiance of God.
• for he was in a rage with him because of this. (כִּי־הִזְעַ֤ף עָלָיו֙ עַל־זֹ֔את)
  • כִּי־הִזְעַ֤ף (kî-hiz‘af): From the root זָעַף (zā‘af), meaning "to rage," "to be furious," "to be vexed" or "to show indignation." It describes an even deeper, more violent anger than ḥāráh. This highlights the intensity and destructive nature of Asa's wrath, a complete loss of self-control.
  • עָלָיו (aláv): "against him." Directing his rage specifically at Hanani.
  • עַל־זֹ֔את (al-zō’t): "because of this." This refers directly to the contents of Hanani's prophecy (vv. 7-9), which accused Asa of foolishness and predicted future wars because of his reliance on Aram and not God. Asa was furious not because the prophet was wrong, but because the prophecy was true and unwelcome.
• And Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time. (וַיְרַצֵ֥ץ אָסָ֛א מִן־הָעָ֖ם בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִֽיא׃)
  • וַיְרַצֵ֥ץ (vayəraṣṣeṣ): From the root רָטַץ (rāṭaṣ), meaning "to crush," "to oppress," "to maltreat," "to tyrannize." This verb implies violent and severe abuse of power against a weaker party. It reveals a breakdown of justice and a king acting purely out of despotic impulse.
  • מִן־הָעָ֖ם (min-hā‘ām): "some of the people," or "of the people." This is an unspecified group, perhaps those who agreed with the seer, those who were critical of Asa's actions, or simply those whom Asa targeted arbitrarily in his fury. It demonstrates his cruelty and a generalized abuse of power, showing that his rage wasn't limited to the prophet.
  • בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִֽיא (bā‘êṯ hahî’): "at the same time" or "in that very hour." This emphasizes that the oppression of the people was a direct, immediate consequence and expression of his uncontrollable anger stemming from the prophetic confrontation. His anger did not only target the messenger but spread to innocent subjects.

2 Chronicles 16 10 Bonus section

This verse encapsulates a pivotal moment in Asa's reign, marking a clear turning point from spiritual vibrancy to a compromised faith. The reaction of Asa highlights a recurrent theme throughout the biblical narrative: the often hostile reception of divine truth when it contradicts human will or self-interest. Hanani's courageous confrontation of Asa (2 Chr 16:7-9) mirrors other instances where prophets bravely spoke truth to power, often at great personal risk. Asa's imprisonment of the prophet serves as an early example of governmental persecution of religious speech deemed inconvenient or threatening. The arbitrary oppression of "some of the people" underscores the ripple effect of a leader's sin – their personal spiritual failing has direct, negative consequences for those under their authority. This event also shows a king exercising absolute monarchy without adherence to divine principles, signifying a deeper departure from God's intended design for kingship, which included humility and obedience to the Lord (Deut 17:18-20). The contrast between the Asa who faced Zerah and the Asa who imprisoned Hanani reveals how reliance on human strength (Aram) inevitably leads to human cruelty (imprisoning Hanani, oppressing people).

2 Chronicles 16 10 Commentary

2 Chronicles 16:10 provides a sobering account of a king's decline from piety to tyranny. Asa's initial faith, celebrated in chapters 14-15, crumbles under the weight of pride and a refusal to acknowledge his sin. When confronted by Hanani with God's truth, his heart, instead of yielding, became hardened by rage. This unrighteous anger manifested not only in the unjust imprisonment and severe treatment of God's prophet but also in the arbitrary oppression of his own people, revealing a terrifying escalation of his moral corruption. This incident illustrates the destructive path of unchecked anger, the grave sin of rejecting God's word, and the dangers of autocratic power wielded by a king who abandons divine counsel. It serves as a stark warning: spiritual integrity can erode when reliance shifts from God to human means, leading to resistance against divine correction and subsequent abusive behavior. Asa, who once led Judah in seeking God, now persecuted God's messenger, revealing the insidious nature of pride and apostasy.