2 Chronicles 16 4

2 Chronicles 16:4 kjv

And Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.

2 Chronicles 16:4 nkjv

So Ben-Hadad heeded King Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel. They attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali.

2 Chronicles 16:4 niv

Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim and all the store cities of Naphtali.

2 Chronicles 16:4 esv

And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.

2 Chronicles 16:4 nlt

Ben-hadad agreed to King Asa's request and sent the commanders of his army to attack the towns of Israel. They conquered the towns of Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all the store cities in Naphtali.

2 Chronicles 16 verses

2 Chronicles 16 4 Meaning

This verse describes the immediate consequence of King Asa of Judah forming an alliance with Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, against King Baasha of Israel. Upon receiving tribute from Asa, Ben-Hadad launched a military campaign, striking and capturing several significant cities in the northern kingdom of Israel: Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the store cities located in the territory of Naphtali. This strategic assault forced King Baasha to withdraw from his siege against Judah, providing immediate relief to Asa but revealing his deviation from complete reliance on the LORD.

2 Chronicles 16 4 Context

The events of 2 Chronicles 16 occur during the latter part of King Asa's reign over Judah. Initially, Asa was a zealous reformer who removed idolatry and earnestly sought the LORD, even defeating a vast Cushite army through faith (2 Chr 14). However, as chronicled in Chapter 16, a critical turning point arises when King Baasha of Israel besieges Ramah, near Judah's border, threatening Judah's security. Instead of again turning to God, Asa extracts treasures from the temple and the royal palace to bribe Ben-Hadad I, King of Aram (Damascus), into attacking Baasha. Verse 4 details Ben-Hadad's fulfillment of his part of the alliance, which effectively diverted Baasha from Ramah and secured Judah's immediate border. However, this act of reliance on a pagan king, rather than the LORD, resulted in a rebuke from the prophet Hanani (2 Chr 16:7-9) and marked a decline in Asa's walk of faith. Historically, the period was one of persistent conflict between the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah, with Aramean involvement becoming a significant factor in regional power struggles.

2 Chronicles 16 4 Word analysis

• And they captured (וַיַּכּוּ, vayyakku): From the Hebrew root nakah, meaning "to strike," "to smite," "to conquer," or "to defeat." This implies a swift and decisive military action, a forceful seizure of territory. It conveys not just an occupation but a destructive assault, reflecting the severity of Ben-Hadad's incursion into Baasha's territory.
• the cities (עָרֵי, arei): The plural form of ir, meaning "city" or "town." Indicates multiple urban centers, signifying a broad and significant impact across a region, not just an isolated outpost.
• of Ijon (עִיּוֹן, Iyyon): A city located in the northern territory of Naphtali. Its name may relate to "ruin" or "mound," indicating a potentially strategic yet perhaps historically unstable location often targeted in conflicts (cf. 1 Kgs 15:20, 2 Kgs 15:29).
• Dan (דָּן, Dan): A highly significant city in the far north of Israel, historically associated with tribal boundaries ("from Dan to Beersheba"). More importantly, Dan became one of the two major centers of idolatry established by Jeroboam I (1 Kgs 12:29), making its capture not just a geographical but a symbolic blow to Israel's apostate worship.
• Abel-maim (אָבֵל מָיִם, Avel Mayim): Meaning "meadow of waters," a town also in the region of Naphtali (alternately spelled Abel-Beth-Maacah in other texts). Its capture highlights the extensive reach of the Aramean attack across this fertile, water-rich region.
• and all the store cities (וְכָל עָרֵי מִסְכְּנוֹת, vechol arei miskenot): "All" emphasizes the comprehensiveness of the attack. "Store cities" (miskenot from misken) refers to strategic locations where provisions, weaponry, and economic assets (grain, oil, etc.) were collected and safeguarded. Their loss would cripple the military and economic infrastructure of the northern kingdom, significantly weakening Baasha's ability to wage war or sustain his forces.
• of Naphtali (נַפְתָּלִי, Naphtali): Refers to the territory of the northern Israelite tribe. This indicates a targeted, widespread attack that devastated a key northern region, effectively creating a buffer or a new sphere of influence for Aram. The phrase implies a full sweep across the tribal land.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And they captured the cities of Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim": This specific enumeration points to key strategic locations in northern Israel. Dan, being an idolatrous center, suggests that judgment was brought to these places. Ijon and Abel-maim highlight the extensive nature of the incursion, affecting multiple communities and lines of defense. The specificity here reflects the historical reality and significance of the military campaign.
• "and all the store cities of Naphtali": This phrase broadens the impact beyond specific cities to a systemic weakening of Baasha's kingdom. Store cities were vital for national security and sustained conflict, as they held the logistical support for armies. Their seizure means a significant depletion of resources, a blow not just to individual cities but to the entire regional capacity of Israel. It suggests a thorough and devastating military operation. This total devastation reflects the human cost of Asa's reliance on external alliances rather than divine protection.

2 Chronicles 16 4 Bonus section

• The fact that Asa plundered the Lord's house to pay tribute to Ben-Hadad is a stark contrast to his earlier reign when he brought silver, gold, and vessels into the house of God (2 Chr 15:18). This act reflects a reversal of his priorities and devotion.
• The destruction of the "store cities" was particularly impactful. In ancient warfare, control over food supplies and weaponry stored in these centers was crucial for maintaining a military presence. Their capture would have significantly disrupted Baasha's ability to maintain a standing army or support his population.
• The Aramean kingdom, by being drawn into this Israelite conflict, cemented its role as a regional power and would continue to be a threat to both Israel and Judah in later periods (e.g., during the Omride dynasty). Asa's decision, though seemingly beneficial in the short term, amplified a broader geopolitical vulnerability for God's people.

2 Chronicles 16 4 Commentary

2 Chronicles 16:4 details the immediate, successful outcome of King Asa's pragmatic, yet unfaithful, strategy. By emptying the temple and royal treasuries to bribe Ben-Hadad, Asa achieved a tactical victory: Baasha, his aggressor, was forced to withdraw his forces to defend his own land. The attack on cities like Ijon, Dan (a prominent idolatrous center), Abel-maim, and various store cities in Naphtali was a crippling blow to the northern kingdom's military and economic infrastructure.

However, the Chronicler, through the subsequent prophetic message of Hanani (2 Chr 16:7-9), portrays this "success" as a spiritual failure. Asa had earlier trusted God implicitly and experienced divine deliverance against a vast Cushite army (2 Chr 14). Here, he relies on political maneuvering and the arm of a pagan king, forsaking the omnipotence of God. This act underscored a lack of enduring faith and foreshadowed Asa's spiritual decline, culminating in his refusal to seek the LORD during his final illness (2 Chr 16:12). The short-term benefit—Baasha's withdrawal—came at the cost of spiritual compromise and marked a tragic turning point in a king who once walked righteously before the LORD. The fall of these northern cities illustrates the bitter fruit of distrust in God, showing that while human strategies might yield temporary relief, they often carry unforeseen spiritual liabilities and ultimately invite God's disciplinary hand.