2 Chronicles 16:1

“In the thirty and sixth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, etc.] How this is to be reconciled with the reign of Baasha, which was but twenty four years, and was begun in the third of Asa, and therefore must have been dead nearly ten years before this year of Asa’s reign, (see Gill on “<111517>1 Kings 15:17”) where, and in the following verses, are the same things related as here, to the end of the sixth verse; the explanation of which the reader is referred to.”

“ASA, BY A LEAGUE WITH THE SYRIANS, DIVERTS BAASHA FROM BUILDING RAMAH. (Ch2 16:1-14) In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha . . . came up against Judah--Baasha had died several years before this date (Kg1 15:33), and the best biblical critics are agreed in considering this date to be calculated from the separation of the kingdoms, and coincident with the sixteenth year of Asa's reign. This mode of reckoning was, in all likelihood, generally followed in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel, the public annals of the time (Ch2 16:11), the source from which the inspired historian drew his account. Baasha . . . built Ramah--that is, fortified it. The blessing of God which…”

“This passage runs parallel with Kings (see the marginal reference). return to 'Top of Page'”

“Of the reign - Or, of the kingdom of Asa, that is, of the kingdom of Judah, which was now Asa's kingdom; or from the time of the division of the two kingdoms. Rehoboam reigned seventeen years, Abijah three years, Asa had now reigned fifteen years, all which put together, make up the thirty five years mentioned Ch2 15:19, and in the next year Baasha wars against him; and the ground of the war was the defection of many of his subjects to Asa, Ch2 15:9. 2 Chronicles 16:7”

“16:1-10 Instead of trusting the Lord, Asa relied on foreign powers when Baasha attacked. The Chronicler’s theological purpose was to show that disobedience has consequences. 16:1 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign: According to the book of Kings, King Baasha (909–886 BC) died in the twenty-sixth year of Asa’s reign (1 Kgs 16:8). One solution is that the Chronicles text might contain transmission errors and should instead read the fifteenth and sixteenth years (about 895 BC) instead of the thirty-fifth (2 Chr 15:19) and thirty-sixth years of Asa. Another possibility is that the Chronicler counted these years from the division of the kingdom. • Ramah was located five miles north of…”

“am 3074, bc 930 In the six: See note on Kg1 15:32. "From the rending of the ten tribes from Judah, over which Asa was now king." Kg1 15:16-22 to the intent: Ch2 11:13-17, Ch2 15:5, Ch2 15:9; Kg1 12:27 2 Chronicles 16:2”

“War with Baasha, and the weakness of Asa's faith. The end of his reign. - Ch2 16:1-6. Baasha's invasion of Judah, and Asa's prayer for help to the king of Syria. The statement, "In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha the king of Israel came up against Judah," is inaccurate, or rather cannot possibly be correct; for, according to Kg1 16:8, Kg1 16:10, Baasha died in the twenty-sixth year of Asa's reign, and his successor Elah was murdered by Zimri in the second year of his reign, i.e., in the twenty-seventh year of Asa. The older commentators, for the most part, accepted the conjecture that the thirty-fifth year (in Ch2 15:19) is to be reckoned from the commencement of the…”