Verse 1

And the Spirit of God came upon a Azariah the son of Oded:

(a) Who was called Obed as his father was, (2 Chronicles 15:8).

Verse 3

Now for a long season Israel [hath been] without the b true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.

(b) For the space of twelve years under Rehoboam, and three years under Abijah, religion was neglected, and idolatry planted.

Verse 4

But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he c was found of them.

(c) He shows that despite the wickedness of tyrants and their rage, yet God has his whom he hears in their tribulation as he delivered his from Zerah king of the Ethiopians, (2 Chronicles 14:9), (2 Chronicles 14:12) and out of all other dangers, when they called upon the Lord.

Verse 7

Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your d work shall be rewarded.

(d) Your confidence and trust in God will not be frustrated.

Verse 10

So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the e third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.

(e) Called Shiuam, containing part of May and part of June.

Verse 11

And they offered unto the LORD the same time, of the f spoil [which] they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.

(f) Which they had taken of the Ethiopians.

Verse 13

That g whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

(g) These were the words of their covenant, which commanded all idolaters be put to death, according to the law of God, (Deuteronomy 13:5), (Deuteronomy 13:9), (Deuteronomy 13:15).

Verse 15

And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was h found of them: and the LORD gave them rest round about.

(h) As long as they served him correctly, so long did he preserve and prosper them.

Verse 16

And also [concerning] Maachah the i mother of Asa the king, he removed her from [being] queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped [it], and burnt [it] at the brook Kidron.

(i) Or grandmother, and in this he showed that he lacked zeal, for she should have died both by the covenant, as (2 Chronicles 15:13) and by the law of God, but he gave place to foolish pity and would also seem after a sort to satisfy the law.

Verse 17

But the high places were not k taken away out of l Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was m perfect all his days.

(k) Which was partly because of lack of zeal on his part, partly through the negligence of his officers and partly by the superstition of the people that all were not taken away.

(l) Because God was called the God of Israel, by reason of his promise to Jacob, therefore Israel is sometimes taken for Judah, because Judah was his chief people.

(m) In respect to his predecessors.