2 Chronicles 16:13 meaning, Cross Ref, ai commentary KJV NIV ESV NLT

2 Chronicles 16:13 kjv

And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign.

2 Chronicles 16:13 nkjv

So Asa rested with his fathers; he died in the forty-first year of his reign.

2 Chronicles 16:13 niv

Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his ancestors.

2 Chronicles 16:13 esv

And Asa slept with his fathers, dying in the forty-first year of his reign.

2 Chronicles 16:13 nlt

So he died in the forty-first year of his reign.

2 Chronicles 16 13 Cross References

Verse	Text	Reference
1 Kgs 2:10	So David slept with his fathers and was buried...	Common royal death euphemism, applied to King David.
1 Kgs 11:43	And Solomon slept with his fathers...	Euphemism used for Solomon's death and burial.
1 Kgs 15:24	And Abijam slept with his fathers...	Abijam, Asa's father, also "slept with his fathers."
2 Chr 9:31	Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried...	Parallel Chronicler's account for Solomon.
2 Chr 14:1	So Abijah slept with his fathers...	Abijah's death, emphasizing continuation of lineage.
2 Chr 14:2	Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD...	Asa's early righteous rule, a contrast to his later years.
2 Chr 15:15	All Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sought the LORD...	Asa's period of spiritual revival and national unity.
2 Chr 16:7	Because you relied on the king of Syria...	Hanani the seer's rebuke of Asa's reliance on man.
2 Chr 16:9	For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth to give strong support to those whose heart is fully committed to him.	Divine scrutiny and desire for complete devotion.
2 Chr 16:10	Asa was enraged at the seer and put him in prison...	Asa's defiant reaction to God's prophet.
2 Chr 16:12	In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased in his feet, and his disease was severe. Yet even in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians.	Asa's fatal flaw: failing to seek the Lord in his illness.
Jer 17:5	Cursed is the man who trusts in man...	Warning against trusting human strength over divine power.
Jer 17:7	Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD...	Promise of life and stability for those who trust God.
Ps 146:3	Put not your trust in princes...	Counsel against reliance on earthly rulers or human power.
Isa 31:1	Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help...	Denouncing reliance on foreign alliances rather than God.
2 Chr 17:1	Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place...	The immediate succession, noting the continuation of the dynasty.
Deut 31:16	Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers...	God uses this euphemism for death prophetically.
Acts 13:36	David... fell asleep and was laid among his fathers...	New Testament confirmation of "slept with his fathers" meaning death.
Heb 9:27	And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once...	The universal and appointed nature of death for all.
Job 14:5	His days are determined; the number of his months is with you.	God's sovereignty over the span of human life.
Prov 28:13	Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.	Asa's final lack of seeking God (v.12) led to a failure to prosper.
1 Cor 10:11	These things happened to them as an example, and were written for our instruction.	Emphasizes the instructional value of Old Testament narratives like Asa's.
Phil 1:21	For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.	Christian perspective on death as gain when in Christ.
Eccl 7:1-2	A good name is better than precious ointment... The day of death better than the day of birth.	Reflects on the solemnity and meaning of the day of death.

2 Chronicles 16 verses

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

2 Chronicles 16 13 Meaning

This verse formally records the death of King Asa of Judah. It signifies the peaceful end of his reign, using the traditional idiom for royal succession, despite the preceding verses detailing his serious illness and spiritual decline. His death occurred in the thirty-ninth year of his rule, marking the conclusion of a significant but ultimately blemished period of leadership.

2 Chronicles 16 13 Context

Chapter 16 recounts the final years of King Asa's reign, marked by a stark decline from his earlier piety. After relying on the King of Aram, Ben-Hadad, rather than the Lord, for military help against King Baasha of Israel (vv. 1-6), Asa is rebuked by the prophet Hanani (vv. 7-9). Asa's reaction is one of anger and oppression, imprisoning Hanani and mistreating some of the people (v. 10). Furthermore, when Asa later contracts a severe disease in his feet, he conspicuously seeks aid from physicians rather than from the Lord (v. 12). This verse, therefore, serves as the final, summary statement of his life and rule, ending an era that began with such promise but ended with significant spiritual compromise and unfaithfulness. The Chronicler highlights how kings fared based on their relationship with God, illustrating the consequences of reliance on human strength over divine wisdom and power.

2 Chronicles 16 13 Word analysis

And Asa (וַיִּשְׁכַּב אָסָא - vayyishkav Asa): King Asa (Hebrew: אָסָא), meaning "healer" or "physician," which creates a profound irony given he dies from a severe illness after explicitly not seeking God's healing but human physicians. He began as a faithful king, removing idolatry (2 Chr 14:2-5), but concluded his life with a pronounced spiritual decline.
slept (וַיִּשְׁכַּב - vayyishkav): A common and peaceful euphemism in the Old Testament for physical death, particularly for kings and patriarchs. It implies a rest from earthly labors and burdens, not a state of unconsciousness for the soul. It contrasts with the painful disease mentioned in the preceding verse, suggesting that at the point of death, peace was found.
with his fathers (עִם אֲבֹתָיו - im avotav): This phrase further emphasizes the custom of royal succession and lineage. It signifies being gathered to the realm of one's ancestors, often implying burial in the ancestral tomb (as confirmed in 2 Chr 16:14 for Asa), signifying legitimate succession and a continuation of the family line, albeit now in a state of rest. It has theological connotations of joining those who have gone before, anticipating a resurrection.
and died (וַיָּמֹת - vayyamot): A straightforward, unambiguous declaration of physical death, confirming the meaning of the preceding euphemism. This emphasizes the finality of his earthly existence and rule.
in the thirty and ninth year (בִּשְׁנַת שְׁלֹשִׁים וְתֵשַׁע - bishnat shloshim v'teisha): Precisely states the duration of Asa's reign. Thirty-nine years represents a significant, long reign, providing context for the extent of his early successes and later failures. This precision is typical of biblical historical records, highlighting the Chronicler's accuracy.
of his reign (לְמַלְכוּתוֹ - l'malchuto): Denotes the specific period of his kingly rule. The conclusion of this period opens the way for his successor.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "And Asa slept with his fathers, and died": This customary phrase marks the transition from one king to the next. It carries significant cultural and theological weight, legitimizing the end of the current reign and the beginning of the next, rooting the kings in their lineage and the divine covenant with David. For Asa, it also contrasts with the preceding account of his unfaithfulness, presenting his death as an ordained culmination despite his shortcomings.
- "in the thirty and ninth year of his reign": This specific timeframe highlights the extended period over which Asa demonstrated both great faithfulness and grave failings. The longevity of his rule underscores the severity of his late-life disobedience, as a significant time was granted, yet his later actions tarnished his legacy.

2 Chronicles 16 13 Bonus section

The Chronicler's emphasis on Asa's actions, particularly his spiritual failures (imprisoning the prophet, not seeking the Lord in his illness), sets this account apart from the parallel in 1 Kings, which is more succinct about Asa's death (1 Kgs 15:24). This highlights the Chronicler's theological agenda: to underscore the direct correlation between a king's faithfulness to God and the well-being of the kingdom, often resulting in divine judgment or blessing. Asa's death after a prolonged illness serves as a cautionary tale: God gives opportunities for repentance, but persistence in unfaithfulness brings inevitable consequences, even for righteous kings. The name "Asa" itself, meaning "healer," serves as an ironic comment on his refusal to seek the ultimate Healer.

2 Chronicles 16 13 Commentary

The death of King Asa, recorded in 2 Chronicles 16:13, is a concluding statement following a narrative highlighting his spiritual decline. Despite a promising start where he earnestly sought God and led significant reforms, his later years were marred by pride and a lack of faith, exemplified by his reliance on foreign kings and human physicians rather than God. This verse, a standard regnal formula, notes the end of his thirty-nine-year rule. His burial is detailed in the next verse, providing an honor commensurate with his kingly status, yet the Chronicler ensures the reader understands the spiritual shortcomings that defined the end of his life. Asa's story stands as a poignant reminder that even long and seemingly successful reigns can be tainted by moments of unfaithfulness, and that true spiritual health lies in persistent, wholehearted reliance upon the Lord.