2 Chronicles 16:9

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(9) For the eyes of the Lord.—Literally, For Jehovah, his eyes run, &c. Run to and fro (comp. Job 1:7; Job 2:2). In Zechariah 4:10 we find this very phrase: “The eyes of Jehovah, they run to and fro in all the earth.” (Comp. also Jeremiah 5:1.) The Lord is ceaselessly watchful for occasions of helping the faithful. “He that keepeth Israel neither slumbereth nor sleep-eth.”

In the behalf of.—With, i.e., on the side of. The phrase “to shew oneself strong with,” i.e., strongly to support, occurred in 1Chronicles 11:10. (For the Heb. construction, which omits the relative, see 1Chronicles 15:12). Out of the twenty-seven occurrences of the form hithchazzaq, “to show oneself strong,” fifteen are found in the Chronicle.

Whose heart is perfect.—See Notes on 1Chronicles 12:38; 1Chronicles 27:9; 1Chronicles 29:19; 1Kings 15:14; 2Chronicles 15:17.

Herein thou hast done foolishly.—Literally, Thou hast shown thyself foolish (2Samuel 24:10; 1Chronicles 21:8) in regard to this, seil., conduct in seeking the help of Syria against Israel.

Therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.—Instead of peace (2Chronicles 14:6; 2Chronicles 15:15). Liter-ally, For (the proof of thy folly) from henceforth, &c. The sense appears to be that the peace secured by Asa’s worldly policy would not be permanent; a prediction verified over and over again in the after-history of the kingdom of Judah (see 2Chronicles 28:20-21). The record is silent as to any future wars in which Asa himself was involved, simply because the writer, having already fulfilled his didactic purpose so far as concerns this reign, presently draws its history to a close.

Benson Commentary

2 Chronicles 16:9. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth — He governs the world in infinite wisdom, the creatures, and all their actions, are continually under his eye, and he exercises a most watchful providence over all those who sincerely commit themselves to his care, and depend upon him in well-doing, and will not fail to protect them. To show himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect, &c. — Upright and sincere; who truly desire and endeavour to know and do his will in all things. Such may he sure of his protection and aid, and have all the reason in the world to depend thereon. A firm and lively faith in this brings us near to God, and unites us to him: but a practical disbelief of it produces the contrary effect, and is at the bottom of all our departures from God, and double dealing with him. Asa could not trust God, and therefore made court to Ben-hadad, in which, as the prophet here tells him, he did foolishly, both acting against his own interest, and incurring God’s displeasure, who pronounced that from henceforth he should have wars, as a chastisement of his folly. It is, indeed, a foolish thing to lean on a broken reed, when we have the Rock of ages to rely on. Here we learn in what sense we are to understand this sacred writer, when he says, (2 Chronicles 15:17,) that the heart of Asa was perfect all his days: he was perfect and sincere in the things there spoken of, in the establishment of the outward worship of God; but not in the inward worship of him, trusting in, fearing, and loving him with all his heart. Or, he was upright and sincere in the general course of his life, though in some particulars, whereof this was one, his heart did not perfectly cleave to God as it should have done.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

16:1-14 Asa seeks the aid of the Syrians, His death. - A plain and faithful reproof was given to Asa by a prophet of the Lord, for making a league with Syria. God is displeased when he is distrusted, and when an arm of flesh is relied on, more than his power and goodness. It is foolish to lean on a broken reed, when we have the Rock of ages to rely upon. To convince Asa of his folly, the prophet shows that he, of all men, had no reason to distrust God, who had found him such a powerful Helper. The many experiences we have had of the goodness of God to us, aggravate our distrust of him. But see how deceitful our hearts are! we trust in God when we have nothing else to trust to, when need drives us to him; but when we have other things to stay on, we are apt to depend too much on them. Observe Asa's displeasure at this reproof. What is man, when God leaves him to himself! He that abused his power for persecuting God's prophet, was left to himself, to abuse it further for crushing his own subjects. Two years before he died, Asa was diseased in his feet. Making use of physicians was his duty; but trusting to them, and expecting that from them which was to be had from God only, were his sin and folly. In all conflicts and sufferings we need especially to look to our own hearts, that they may be perfect towards God, by faith, patience, and obedience.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

From henceforth thou shalt have wars - As peace had been the reward of Asa's earlier faith 2 Chronicles 14:5; 2 Chronicles 15:5, so his want of faith was now to be punished by a period of war and disturbance.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

7-10. Hanani the seer came to Asa … and said—His object was to show the king his error in forming his recent league with Ben-hadad. The prophet represented the appropriation of the temple treasures to purchase the services of the Syrian mercenaries, as indicating a distrust in God most blameable with the king's experience. He added, that in consequence of this want of faith, Asa had lost the opportunity of gaining a victory over the united forces of Baasha and Ben-hadad, more splendid than that obtained over the Ethiopians. Such a victory, by destroying their armies, would have deprived them of all power to molest him in the future; whereas by his foolish and worldly policy, so unworthy of God's vicegerent, to misapply the temple treasures and corrupt the fidelity of an ally of the king of Israel, he had tempted the cupidity of the one, and increased the hostility of the other, and rendered himself liable to renewed troubles (1Ki 15:32). This rebuke was pungent and, from its truth and justness, ought to have penetrated and afflicted the heart of such a man as Asa. But his pride was offended at the freedom taken by the honest reprover of royalty, and in a burst of passionate resentment, he ordered Hanani to be thrown into prison.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Whose heart is perfect, i.e. upright and sincere, as thine is not.

Object. The heart of Asa is said to be perfect all his days, 2 Chronicles 15:17.

Answ. He was perfect and sincere in the things there spoken of, in the establishment of the outward worship of God; but not in the inward worship of God, trusting, and fearing, and loving him with all his heart, of which he here speaks. Or thus, He was perfect or sincere in the general course of his life, though in some particulars, whereof this is one, his heart did not perfectly cleave to God, as it should have done.

Thou shalt have wars with Baasha, 2 Chronicles 16:4.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth,.... The eyes of his omniscience are everywhere, and the eyes of his mercy and goodness, of his care and providence, are here and there, and in every place throughout the whole world at once, see Zechariah 4:10,

to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him; or, as in the margin, "strongly to hold" with such, to be on their side, take their part, strengthen them, support and supply them, and to protect and defend them who are sincere and upright in heart; whose graces are sincere and unfeigned, though not complete, nor they free from sin, and who, with the heart, sincerely believe in God, in which Asa at this time failed, though otherwise his heart is said to be perfect, 1 Kings 15:4, it was so in the general bent of it, and especially with respect to the worship of God, though there was something lacking in his faith at this time, as there often is in the best of men:

herein thou hast done foolishly; to trust in man, and not in the Lord, to part with his money, and lose the opportunity of having the whole Syrian army fall into his hands:

therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars; which, though we read not of, was doubtless his case; some interpret it of his posterity.

Geneva Study Bible

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

9. run to and fro] Zechariah 4:10.

therefore from henceforth] R.V. for from henceforth.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 9. - Thou shalt have wars. Although this language at first seems to be intended for very specific application to Asa, yet as we do not read of individual wars occurring after this in his own time, it is quite within a just interpretation of it if we read it as referring to the inevitable experience of the kingdom. Its head and king had just thrown away the opportunity of blocking out one ever-threatening enemy. What more natural consequence than that wars should rush in the rather as a flood, in the after-times? 2 Chronicles 16:9

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

"For Jahve, His eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong with those whose heart is devoted to Him;" i.e., for Jahve, who looks forth over all the earth, uses every opportunity wonderfully to succour those who are piously devoted to Him. עם התחזק, to help mightily, as in 1 Chronicles 11:10. אליו שׁלם עם־לבבם is a relative sentence without the relative אשׁר with עם; cf. 1 Chronicles 15:12. "Thou hast done foolishly, therefore," scil. because thou hast set thy trust upon men instead of upon Jahve, "for from henceforth there shall be wars to thee" (thou shalt have war). In these words the prophet does not announce to Asa definite wars, but only expresses the general idea that Asa by his godless policy would bring only wars (מלחמות in indefinite universality), not peace, to the kingdom. History confirms the truth of this announcement, although we have no record of any other wars which broke out under Asa.