2 Chronicles 16 7

2 Chronicles 16:7 kjv

And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand.

2 Chronicles 16:7 nkjv

And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him: "Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand.

2 Chronicles 16:7 niv

At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: "Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.

2 Chronicles 16:7 esv

At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, "Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you.

2 Chronicles 16:7 nlt

At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa and told him, "Because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in the LORD your God, you missed your chance to destroy the army of the king of Aram.

2 Chronicles 16 verses

2 Chronicles 16 7 Meaning

This verse presents a direct divine rebuke delivered by the prophet Hanani to King Asa of Judah. The core message is that Asa's decision to trust in a human military alliance with the king of Syria (Aram) rather than relying on the LORD his God led to a missed opportunity for divine intervention and complete victory or a more favorable outcome concerning the Syrian power. His misplaced trust negated God's intended work.

2 Chronicles 16 7 Context

Chapter 16 of 2 Chronicles marks a turning point in King Asa's reign. Asa began his kingship in Judah well, demonstrating remarkable faith and achieving a resounding victory against the mighty Ethiopian army because he relied on the LORD (2 Chron 14:9-15). He also undertook religious reforms, destroying idols and restoring the altar of the LORD.

However, in the thirty-sixth year of his reign (some interpret this as the 36th year from the division of the kingdom rather than Asa's 36th year, making it around his 16th year as king), King Baasha of Israel waged war against Judah, fortifying Ramah to cut off access to Jerusalem. Instead of seeking the LORD as he had against the Ethiopians, Asa chose to rely on political strategy and material wealth. He took silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the LORD and his own house, sent them as tribute to Ben-Hadad king of Syria (Aram) who lived in Damascus, urging him to break his treaty with Baasha. Ben-Hadad agreed, attacking Israelite cities, causing Baasha to abandon his project at Ramah. Asa then used the building materials from Ramah to build Geba and Mizpah. While this human strategy seemed to yield immediate success, it demonstrated a critical shift in Asa's reliance from God to man.

Hanani the seer's rebuke in 2 Chronicles 16:7-9 is the direct divine response to this decision, highlighting Asa's error and foreshadowing the consequences of his lack of complete trust in God. This encounter sets the stage for Asa's decline, including his subsequent oppression of Hanani and others, and his failure to seek the LORD in his final illness. The Chronicler emphasizes God's consistent expectation of full reliance from His people, especially their leaders.

2 Chronicles 16 7 Word analysis

• At that time: (Heb. בָּעֵת הַהִיא, ba'et hahi) - Indicates a specific historical moment, immediately following Asa's strategic alliance with Ben-Hadad, highlighting God's timely intervention through His prophet.
• Hanani the seer: (Heb. חֲנָנִי הַחֹזֶה, Ḥananī haḥozeh)
  • Hanani: Meaning "gracious" or "compassionate" in Hebrew. Irony in that the bearer of a gracious name delivers a harsh, yet righteous, rebuke.
  • the seer: (ḥozeh) - A specific title for a prophet, indicating one who receives visions or revelations from God, thus possessing divine insight into present events and future implications. This contrasts with a simple messenger, emphasizing the divine source and authority of the message. His role is to provide spiritual foresight where political leaders might only see the immediate temporal solution.
• came to Asa king of Judah: Asa was the reigning monarch, initially righteous, but here acting contrary to divine wisdom. The prophet's direct confrontation with the king underscores the prophetic office's authority to hold even kings accountable to God.
• and said to him: Introduces the divine message, emphasizing the prophetic oracle's nature.
• Because you relied on: (Heb. כֵּן נִשְׁעַנְתָּ, ken nish'antā) - The root sha'an (שָׁעַן) means to lean upon, to depend on, to trust in, or to support oneself. This verb vividly portrays the act of leaning all one's weight and confidence onto something or someone else. Asa leaned on Syria.
• the king of Syria: Ben-Hadad I of Aram. He was a pagan foreign ruler. Relying on such an alliance, which often involved idolatrous practices or at least a neglect of Yahweh, represented a defection from covenant loyalty.
• and did not rely on: (Heb. וְלֹא נִשְׁעַנְתָּ, welo nish'antā) - Direct antithesis to the preceding phrase. The exact same verb is used, drawing a sharp, explicit contrast between Asa's chosen reliance (Syria) and his required reliance (the LORD).
• the LORD your God: (Heb. בַּיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, b'YHWH Eloheykha) - Refers to Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. "Your God" emphasizes the specific covenant relationship with Judah and its king. Asa, as king, had a covenant obligation to trust in and obey the LORD above all.
• therefore: (Heb. עַל־כֵּן, 'al-ken) - This introduces the consequence, emphasizing a direct cause-and-effect relationship based on God's just retribution. Asa's choice had immediate repercussions.
• the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand: This implies a lost opportunity or a future judgment averted from Syria because of Asa's misstep. Had Asa trusted God, God might have:
  • Completely vanquished both Baasha and the Syrians through direct divine intervention or through Judah's strength.
  • Prevented the future troubles Judah would face from Aram (Syria) (as seen in later history, e.g., 1 Kgs 20, 2 Kgs 16).
  • Delivered an even greater victory and peace than the one obtained by human cunning and costly alliance.
  The consequence is not necessarily present destruction but a missed potential for blessing, security, and a more decisive divine resolution of the threat. God had been ready to act for Asa but was prevented from doing so fully due to Asa's lack of trust. This "escape" means Aram remains a power, potentially hostile, rather than being subjected or removed by God's hand for Asa's benefit.

• "Because you relied on the king of Syria and did not rely on the LORD your God": This phrase captures the essence of Asa's sin—a profound misdirection of trust. It highlights the spiritual nature of his error, which transcended mere political strategy. It was a failure of faith and a betrayal of the covenant relationship with Yahweh. This statement lays bare the fundamental choice required of God's people: human resources vs. divine omnipotence.
• "therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand": This forms a clear chiastic structure of cause and effect ("relied on A, not on B; therefore B (or outcome of not trusting B) is diminished"). The punishment is a missed blessing or a future difficulty not removed. Asa achieved an immediate practical success (Baasha stopped building), but he sacrificed a greater, more complete, and spiritually aligned victory that God would have provided if trusted.

2 Chronicles 16 7 Bonus section

• Asa's Earlier Faith and the Chronicler's Purpose: The Chronicler juxtaposes Asa's initial, exemplary trust (2 Chron 14) with his later failure (2 Chron 16). This contrast is key to the Chronicler's theology: obedience and trust bring blessing, while disobedience and faithlessness bring consequences. Asa's downfall serves as a warning, emphasizing that consistent faith, even when expedient options are available, is what God truly desires and rewards.
• Retribution Theology: This verse is a prime example of the retribution theology often seen in Chronicles. Righteous actions bring blessings and success (2 Chron 14); disobedience and misplaced trust lead to negative consequences or missed blessings. This theological framework teaches direct, earthly repercussions for spiritual choices.
• The Irony of Asa's Actions: Asa used sacred temple treasures to secure a pagan alliance, an act symbolic of valuing human resources over God's ownership and power. This financial transaction illustrates the spiritual transaction of abandoning reliance on the Lord.
• Hanani's Courage and Asa's Decline: The courage of Hanani the prophet to confront a king directly (which often carried great personal risk) highlights the prophet's fidelity to God's word. Asa's subsequent imprisonment of Hanani (2 Chron 16:10) and his decision to seek physicians instead of the LORD in his illness (2 Chron 16:12) demonstrate his hardening of heart and continued trajectory away from full reliance on God. His failure in this instance initiated a deeper, personal spiritual decline.

2 Chronicles 16 7 Commentary

2 Chronicles 16:7 serves as a poignant illustration of the divine principle that trust in God is paramount and has tangible consequences. King Asa, who once knew remarkable victory through relying on the LORD, demonstrated a critical spiritual decline by substituting divine trust for a costly human alliance with pagan Syria. This shift, seen as expedient and effective in a human sense, was viewed by God as a direct betrayal. The prophet Hanani's message is not just a critique of strategy but a deep theological statement: by not fully relying on the LORD, Asa forfeited God's greater hand in his affairs, potentially leaving the very power he allied with (Syria) free to be a future adversary instead of being utterly subject to divine purposes. This missed opportunity underscores that God is not just an emergency resort, but the foundational source of security and wisdom. The consequence here is not merely an external defeat, but an internal spiritual withdrawal, implying God's intended work for Asa's complete deliverance or continued blessing could not unfold. It's a sobering reminder that even successful leaders can compromise their faith, leading to diminished divine intervention and foreshadowing personal decline.

• Example for Practical Usage: When faced with a crisis (e.g., financial, relational, health), one might be tempted to prioritize quick, human-driven solutions (like resorting to deceit, or human systems alone) rather than first and foremost seeking God's guidance and trusting in His provision, even when it seems slow or counter-intuitive. Asa's story warns that such immediate "wins" can come at the cost of long-term divine favor and the ultimate, perfect resolution God intends.