2 Chronicles 16:2

Verse

So 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:

American Standard Version (1901)

Then 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,

Bible in Basic English

Then Asa took silver and gold out of the stores of the Lord's house and of the king's store-house, and sent to Ben-hadad, king of Aram, at Damascus, saying,

Douay-Rheims 1899

Then 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:

Free Bible Version

Asa took the silver and gold from the treasuries of the Lord's Temple and the king's palace and sent them to Ben-hadad, king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, with a message that said:

Geneva Bible 1599

Then Asa brought out siluer and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord, and of the Kings house, and sent to Benhadad King of Aram that dwelt at Damascus, saying,

King James (Authorized) Version

Then 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,

Translation for Translators

So Asa told his workers to take all the silver and gold that was in the storerooms of the temple and in his own palace, and take and give it to Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, who was ruling in Damascus. He sent him a message, saying

Unlocked Literal Bible

Then Asa brought the silver and gold out of the storerooms in the house of Yahweh and of the king's house, and sent it to Ben Hadad king of Aram, who lived in Damascus. He said,

Noah Webster Bible

Then Asa brought 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,

World English Bible

Then 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,

Young's Literal Translation

And 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,

Context

War between Asa and Baasha

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.”

Sermons

The Lord Stirred Up the Spirit of Cyrus.

F.B. Meyer

Summary

This verse recounts how King Asa of Judah made an alliance with Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram, to fight against Baasha, the king of Israel. Instead of relying on God for help and guidance as he had done in the past, King Asa sought the support of a foreign king. This decision reflected a lack of faith and dependence on human alliances rather than trusting in the Lord. It serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of turning away from God and seeking solutions in worldly alliances.

Commentary

Tyndale

Tyndale Open Study Notes

16:2 To obtain relief from Baasha’s aggression, Asa bribed the Arameans with silver and gold from . . . the Temple, appealing to an earlier treaty that his father Abijah had made with them.