MPV Commentary

Asa's Good Reign.

10-13. Asa's mother was Maachah, who held a position of dignity at the beginning of his reign. He acted like David, laboring to abolish idolatrous practices and polluting customs. In his pursuit of impartial conduct, he did not spare even those of the highest rank who were delinquent.

13. Asa also removed his mother Maachah from being queen because she had made an idol in a grove devoted to licentiousness. His plans for religious reformation, however, were not completely carried through, as "the high places were not removed" (see 1Ki 3:2). The suppression of private worship on natural or artificial hills was a forbidden service after the temple had been declared the exclusive place of worship.

15. Asa brought in the things his father Abijam had dedicated and the things he himself had dedicated after his victory over the Cushites (2Ch 14:12).

16, 17. There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. Asa enjoyed a ten years' peace after Jeroboam's defeat by Abijam, which he wisely spent in making internal reforms and increasing national defense (2Ch 14:1-7). In the fifteenth year of his reign, however, the king of Israel commenced hostilities against him, erecting a strong fortress at Ramah near Gibeah. Afraid that his subjects might return to idolatry, Asa took up a hostile position in Ramah.

18-20. Then Asa took all the silver and gold left in the house of the Lord and sent it to the king of Damascus-Syria as a bribe to break off his alliance with Baasha. The Syrian mercenaries were gained, and Ben-hadad poured an army into the northern provinces of Israel, compelling Baasha to withdraw from Ramah.

22. Asa then made a proclamation, demolishing the fortifications at Ramah and using the materials to build defenses at Geba (now Jeba) and Mizpeh (now Neby Samuil), about two hours' traveling north of Jerusalem.

23. In his old age, Asa was diseased in his feet (see 2Ch 16:12).