II Chronicles 16:1-6 · Bible study
2 Chronicles 16:1-6 Commentary: Asa's Treaty
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine the chronological puzzle in Asa's 36th year and the theological warning against relying on human alliances rather than God.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Asa hires Syria to break Israel's siege, succeeding tactically but revealing a heart no longer resting in God.
- Key words: berith (covenant/treaty), Asa uses a political covenant to replace his covenant loyalty to God. otsar (treasury), the sacred storehouses are stripped for a worldly deal.
- Main debate: The 36th year is impossible historically unless reckoned from the division of the kingdoms, as Wesley and JFB propose; others favor a scribal error.
- Theological theme: The danger of trusting visible resources and alliances over the invisible God who has already proven faithful.
- Best use: A warning against panic-driven decisions that abandon God's methods for worldly ones, and a case study in the subtle drift from faith to pragmatism.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.
2So Asa withdrew the silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the royal palace, and he sent it with this message to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus:
3“Let there be a treaty between me and you, between my father and your father. See, I have sent you silver and gold. Now go and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.”
4And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, conquering Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.
5When Baasha learned of this, he stopped fortifying Ramah and abandoned his work.
6Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had used for building. And with these materials he built up Geba and Mizpah.
WEB World English Bible 2000
1In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
2Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of Yahweh’s house and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben Hadad king of Syria, who lived at Damascus, saying,
3“Let there be a treaty between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you silver and gold. Go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.”
4Ben Hadad listened to King Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they struck Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali.
5When Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah, and let his work cease.
6Then Asa the king took all Judah, and they carried away the stones and timber of Ramah, with which Baasha had built; and he built Geba and Mizpah with them.
KJV King James Version 1769
1In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
2Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben–hadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,
3There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.
4And Ben–hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel–maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.
5And it came to pass, when Baasha heard it, that he left off building of Ramah, and let his work cease.
6Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha was building; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
2Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of Jehovah and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben-hadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,
3There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.
4And Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-maim, and all the store-cities of Naphtali.
5And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off building Ramah, and let his work cease.
6Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1In the thirty and sixth year of the reign of Asa, come up hath Baasha king of Israel, against Judah, and buildeth Ramah, so as not to permit any going out and coming in to Asa king of Judah.
2And Asa bringeth out silver and gold from the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and of the house of the king, and sendeth unto Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who is dwelling in Damascus, saying,
3`A covenant is between me and thee, and between my father and thy father, lo, I have sent to thee silver and gold; go, break thy covenant with Baasha king of Israel, and he doth go up from off me.'
4And Ben-Hadad hearkeneth unto king Asa, and sendeth the heads of the forces that he hath unto cities of Israel, and they smite Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-Maim, and all the stores, cities of Naphtali.
5And it cometh to pass, at Baasha's hearing, that he ceaseth from building Ramah, and letteth his work rest;
6and Asa the king hath taken all Judah, and they bear away the stones of Ramah, and its wood, that Baasha hath built, and he buildeth with them Geba and Mizpah.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, in order to let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
2And Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of Jehovah and of the king's house, and sent to Ben-hadad king of Syria, who dwelt at Damascus, saying,
3There is a league between me and thee, and between my father and thy father: behold, I send thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.
4And Ben-hadad hearkened to king Asa, and sent the captains of his forces against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon and Dan and Abelmaim, and all the store-magazines of the cities of Naphtali.
5And it came to pass when Baasha heard of it, that he left off building Ramah, and let his work cease.
6And king Asa took all Judah; and they carried away the stones and the timber from Ramah, with which Baasha had been building, and he built with them Geba and Mizpah.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1And in the six and thirtieth year of his kingdom, Baasa the king of Israel came up against Juda, and built a wall about Rama, that no one might safely go out or come in of the kingdom of Asa.
2Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord, and of the king's treasures, and sent to Benadad king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying:
3There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father, wherefore I have sent thee silver and gold, that thou mayst break thy league with Baasa king of Israel, and make him depart from me.
4And when Benadad heard this, he sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel: and they took Ahion, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the walled cities of Nephtali.
5And when Baasa heard of it, he left off the building of Rama, and interrupted his work.
6Then king Asa took all Juda, and they carried away from Rama the stones, and the timber that Baasa had prepared for the building: and he built with them Gabaa, and Maspha.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Chronicles 16:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that II Chronicles 16:1-6 recounts a historical crisis in which King Asa of Judah hired the Syrian king Ben-Hadad to break his treaty with Israel, forcing Baasha to abandon his fortification of Ramah. The passage parallels 1 Kings 15:17-22, though with notable differences. Asa strips the temple and palace treasuries of silver and gold to pay for a military alliance, a strategy that succeeds tactically but is immediately condemned by the prophet Hanani (vv.7-10). The Cambridge Bible notes the Chronicler's interest in the northern cities attacked by Syria, Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, while the parallel in Kings includes Cinneroth. Gill and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown all recognize a major chronological problem: Asa's 36th year cannot be reconciled with Baasha's death in Asa's 26th year (1 Kings 16:8). Keil and Delitzsch call it "impossible." The most common harmonization, noted by Wesley and Jamieson, is that the Chronicler reckons years from the division of the kingdoms, making this Asa's 16th year. Others, like the Cambridge commentary, suggest a scribal error. Despite this puzzle, all agree on the narrative's main point: Asa's trust in a pagan king, not in Yahweh, marks a spiritual decline after a promising start.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Harmonization via different calendar: The 36th year of Asa's reign is actually the 36th year since the kingdom split, equating to Asa's 16th year. Wesley and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown argue this from the pattern in Chronicles and the surrounding numbers.
- Scribal error hypothesis: The Cambridge Bible and Keil & Delitzsch note the impossibility of the date as written and suggest a copyist's mistake, possibly repeating a letter that represented 30.
- Literary/theological chronology: Some interpreters treat the number as symbolic rather than precise, emphasizing the Chronicler's theological structuring of Asa's reign rather than strict history.
What is clear: The historical event of Baasha fortifying Ramah and Asa paying Syria to stop it is agreed to have taken place; the precise year is the only contested element.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Chronological dating of the 36th year | Baasha died before Asa's 26th year (1 Kings 16:8), so the number in the text is a puzzle. | Some say the Chronicler uses reckoning from the division of the kingdoms (making it Asa's 16th year). Others think a scribe miswrote the number. A third view sees it as an error already present in the source documents. |
| Asa's use of temple treasures | Asa took silver and gold from the house of Yahweh and the palace to pay Syria. | Historic Christian teaching holds that dedications to God were not be repurposed lightly; some see this as a clear sin. Others note the king had authority over state resources and the act is judged not by the withdrawal itself but by the motive behind it. |
| Was Asa's treaty with Ben-Hadad sinful? | The prophet Hanani rebukes Asa for relying on Syria instead of God (vv.7-9). | All traditions agree the text condemns Asa's lack of faith. The debate is whether any political alliance would have been wrong, or only this one because Asa did not first seek God. |
| The outcome of the treaty | Ben-Hadad listened and attacked Israel, forcing Baasha to stop building Ramah. | Christians differ on whether the fact that it 'worked' means God was condoning it. Some see God's sovereignty overruling Asa's sin for Judah's protection; others see a costly success that led to future wars (v.9). |
Historical & Cultural Context
After the kingdom divided under Rehoboam, the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah remained locked in chronic low-grade conflict. I Kings 15:16 states plainly, "There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days." This was not always open warfare, but border tensions were constant. Baasha, who had seized the throne of Israel by assassinating Nadab (1 Kings 15:27-28), saw Asa's religious reforms and the influx of northern defectors (2 Chronicles 15:9) as a direct threat. He fortified Ramah, just five miles north of Jerusalem, to control the main road and prevent any traffic, commercial or human, from crossing into Judah. This was a blockade, not merely a defensive move.
Asa's response shows how vulnerable Judah remained. With no standing army capable of dislodging Baasha directly, he resorted to diplomacy. The silver and gold taken from the temple and palace treasuries were intended as a bribe, Ben-Hadad I of Syria (the first of three Syrian kings by that name) was paid to switch sides. The treaty system in the ancient Near East was fragile; loyalties shifted for the right price. Ben-Hadad attacked Israel's northern cities, Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and the storage cities of Naphtali, forcing Baasha to abandon Ramah to defend his own territory. Asa then dismantled Baasha's fortifications and used the stones and timber to build up Geba and Mizpah on his own border, strengthening Judah's defenses. This episode is a stark illustration of the political maneuvering common among small states caught between larger powers. Yet the Chronicler frames it as a failure of faith: Asa relied on Syria instead of the God who had given him victory over the Ethiopians (2 Chronicles 14:9-15).
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note no significant variant readings in the Hebrew text for II Chronicles 16:1-6. The main textual question is internal: the number 'thirty-six' conflicts with the chronology in Kings. Some scholars propose the original read 'sixteenth' and a scribal error inserted the 'thirty'. Others suggest the Chronicler used a different calendrical system. No extant manuscript evidence resolves the uncertainty.
Reception History
This passage has been read across traditions as a cautionary tale about the subtle erosion of faith. Early and medieval commentators often paired it with Asa's earlier victory over the Ethiopians (2 Chronicles 14) to show how prayer and reliance on God can lapse into pragmatism. Matthew Henry (1710) saw Asa's resort to worldly means as 'a great blemish' on a reign that began so well. The Geneva Bible notes highlight the irony that Asa, who removed idols from Judah (2 Chronicles 14:3), now trusts in a pagan king. In the Wesleyan tradition, Adam Clarke used the passage to warn against 'making flesh our arm.' Modern evangelical and Reformed preaching regularly returns to the contrast between the prayer of 2 Chronicles 14:11 and the bribe of 16:2 as a mirror for how believers handle pressure.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- A wall that shuts out hope. Baasha built Ramah to seal off Judah. The blockade was physical but also political and spiritual, a symbol of how fear and hostility cut off community and movement. Asa felt trapped (v.1).
- A payment that buys short-term peace. Asa emptied the temple and palace treasuries to hire a friend who had been an enemy. The money worked, Syria attacked Israel and Baasha withdrew, but the means revealed a heart no longer seeking God first (vv.2-5).
- Stones that build a monument to misplaced trust. Asa recycled Baasha's building materials into his own fortresses. The same stones that were meant to imprison Judah now strengthened it. Yet the prophet's rebuke (vv.7-9) shows that tactical success is not the same as spiritual obedience.
Five-point outline
- The crisis Asa faced, a fortified enemy at the doorstep (v.1).
- The resources Asa used, sacred treasures meant for worship (v.2).
- The alliance Asa formed, a treaty with a pagan king who had no loyalty (v.3).
- The outcome Asa achieved, enemy retreat and demolished fortifications (vv.4-6).
- The question Asa ignored, why did he not cry out to the God who had delivered him before? (vv.7-9).
Illustration hooks
- The emergency credit card: When a sudden expense hits, many of us reach for plastic rather than adjust spending or trust that needs will be met. Asa had a proven record of God's provision, but in a panic he reached for the silver and gold he could see.
- The shortcut at work: A employee under pressure fudges numbers to meet a deadline, it works this time, but the loss of integrity costs more later. Asa's shortcut worked, but it cost him a deeper relationship with God.
- The fortress built from recycled shame: Asa used Baasha's own stones to rebuild. We sometimes turn someone else's failed schemes into our own security, without asking why we are building at all.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God really expect me to trust him when the threat is right there and I have the money or influence to fix it myself?
- If Asa's plan worked, why is it criticized so strongly by the prophet? Isn't success a sign of God's blessing?
- How do I know when I am crossing from wise use of resources into trusting in money instead of God?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows a good king making a wrong turn. Asa had trusted God against a massive Ethiopian army (2 Chronicles 14) and had led national revival (2 Chronicles 15). Now a smaller threat, a blockade at Ramah, drives him to a pagan treaty. Why do we sometimes trust God with the big battles but handle the smaller ones ourselves? The passage does not condemn all treaties or all use of money; it questions the heart behind them.
Discussion questions
- Read II Chronicles 16:1-6. What does Baasha's building of Ramah accomplish, and why does it panic Asa?
- Asa had silver and gold from the temple treasuries (v.2). What does it mean that he used these for a political alliance? Was there a better option?
- Compare Asa's prayer in 2 Chronicles 14:11 with his actions in this chapter. What changed in his approach to facing threats?
- Ben-Hadad had a treaty with Baasha (v.3). Why does Asa assume Ben-Hadad will honor a new treaty with Judah? What does this say about trust in human agreements?
- The military strategy works, Baasha retreats and Asa builds Geba and Mizpah (v.6). How do you respond to the tension between a successful outcome and a wrong motive?
- What are some “Ramahs” in your life, situations that block your peace or freedom, that tempt you to rely on money, strategy, or influence rather than prayer?
- How can a group of believers help each other notice when they are drifting from trust in God to trust in human solutions?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Kings 12:27 | If this people goes up to offer sacrifices in Yahweh’s house at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.” |
| I Kings 15:16 | There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. |
| I Kings 15:22 | Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah. No one was exempted. They carried away the stones of Ramah, and its timber, with which Baasha had built; and King Asa used it to build Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah. |
| I Kings 15:32 | There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. |
| II Chronicles 11:13 | The priests and the Levites who were in all Israel stood with him out of all their territory. |
| II Chronicles 11:17 | So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong for three years, for they walked three years in the way of David and Solomon. |
| II Chronicles 15:5 | In those times there was no peace to him who went out, nor to him who came in; but great troubles were on all the inhabitants of the lands. |
| II Chronicles 15:9 | He gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who lived with them out of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon; for they came to him out of Israel in abundance when they saw that Yahweh his God was with him. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the "six and thirtieth year" mentioned in this passage is calculated from the division of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, following Bishop Usher's chronology. He directs readers to his own notes on the parallel account in 1 Kings for fuller discussion.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes identifies the place name as a variant of Abel-beth-maachah, a town in northern Israel that was especially vulnerable to invasion from the north. He notes that it was captured from Pekah by the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser, and he also clarifies that the "store cities" are a different type of fortified settlement.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible suggests the "thirty-sixth year" in this account may be a scribal confusion of two different dating systems. It notes that the thirty-sixth year of Judah's separate kingdom would be Asa's sixteenth year, which aligns better with the parallel account in 1 Kings.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Note criticizes Asa for turning to worldly alliances and stripping the temple treasuries rather than trusting God. This marks a sharp decline from his earlier faithfulness, as he relies on silver, gold, and a pagan king instead of the Lord who had previously given him victory.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill points out a chronological difficulty: Baasha died nearly ten years before Asa's thirty-sixth year, yet the verse says Baasha came up against Judah that year. He notes this conflict and directs readers to his comments on the parallel account in 1 Kings for the explanation.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB resolves the chronological difficulty by noting the "thirty-sixth year" is counted from the kingdom's division, not Asa's reign, making it actually Asa's sixteenth year. He adds that Baasha fortified Ramah to halt the growing stream of religious emigrants leaving Israel for Judah.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argues that the number thirty-six in this verse is a scribal error; the original figure was likely sixteen, based on a misreading of similar Hebrew letters. This correction harmonizes the timeline with Kings and the rest of Asa's reign. They also see the Chronicler's different place names as a translation of a less familiar district.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the three speeches found only in Chronicles (Abijah's, Azariah's, and Hanani's) are no inventions but genuine documents from prophetic sources. Their highly original, powerful content, breathing the stern spirit of Samuel and Nathan, cannot be free compositions. They must come from primitive tradition, drawn from the writer's prophetic historical sources.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry openly admits he cannot reconcile the date given for this event with the surrounding history of the kings. He notes that Baasha died years earlier, leaving a puzzle that no single explanation satisfies, and he leaves the question unresolved.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley clarifies that the 35 years mentioned earlier (2 Chronicles 15:19) counts from the division of the kingdom, not from Asa's own reign. Adding Rehoboam's 17 years, Abijah's 3, and Asa's first 15 gives exactly 35, so Baasha's war began the following year.