The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 180

EXPOSITION. CHAPTER XV. of the Lord." These passages exhibit in- contestably the function, and the manifold This chapter is something like an oasis in function, of the Spirit I Aze.riah the son of our history, and was perhaps such in the 0ded. The Vulgate and Alexandrian Sep- real life of A.a also. Presumably it covers tuagint read here simply Oded; and Movers a period of some twenty yea.rs. Reading (p. 261) has suggested that "Oded the son of Azaria.h" is the correct reading for what between the linei;, and indeed chapters, we now stands in the text; these are con- may very well suppose that the mission of trivances to meet the difficulty which the " Aza.ria.h son of Oded " to Asa now was eighth verse occasions, end they are not so one of ell mercy. Great salvation had been simple certainly as the proposal of Keil and shown to him and his people, and as time Berthee.u (following the Arabio Version) to omit altogether from ver. 8 the repetition of went on they might forget the Saviour, and the name of the prophet, under the plea imagine the work was ell their own. More- that the words, " of Oded the prophet," may over, their own proper work had tarried, and so conceivably be owing to a copyist's beside caution and hnmility (in season for meddlesome marginal reminiscence of ver. 1. It would have been, perhaps, a yet simpler him as a returning conqueror-king, ver. 2), method of overcoming the difficulty to account Asa needed stimulus ; perhaps the Lord's that the words, " A..zariah the son of," had loving-kindness knew that he needed every through a copy error slipped out of the text, kindly encouragement. For there are not except that the previoue word, "the pro- wanting signs that he was before his people, phecy," is not in tile construct state, and this favours Keil and Bertheau's suggestion (see and felt the drag of them upon him as Moses our eh. iL 29), or rather the suggestion of the himself did. These are the features of the Arabic Version, which before them omits the physical geography, so to say, of the chapter, words, "of Oded the prophet." The Vatican which comprises the rousing warning of Septuagint has the readings in both verses A..zarinh the prophet (vers. 1-7); .A.sa's as Englislied in the Authorized Version. renewal of the altar in its own structure, Some think Oded may be one with Iddo of eh. ix. 29; xii. 15; xiii. 22 ; pointing out and in worthy sacrifices upon it (vers. 8-11); that the Hebrew characters would permit it, his and his people's hearty reconsecration of if we suppose a vau added to the name themselves (vers. 12-15) ; and his own per- Oded. This conjectural attempt to give sonal, practice.I carrying out of reform, though this Prophet Azaria.h for son to Iddo seems to gain no great point. Of this Azaria.h his people apparently did not keep pace nothing else is known ; he is described as with him (vers. 16-19). " son of Oded" probably to distinguish him Ver. 1.-The Spirit of God came. For from Azariah the high priest, son of Johanan "ea.me," read the literal Hebrew "was.'' es (see Dr. Smith's 'Bible Dictionary,' i. 142, also in our eh. XL 14, where instead of second column, 3). (For the rest on this subject, see note en ver. 8.) .. God" (c•ni::>~), we find "the Lord" (n~~)· Ver. 2.-He went out to meet him; In our eh. iifv. 20, we have again "God," literally, inro his prll8encs; but the Autho- with the verb "clothed" (n~~~). The rized Version rendering is very correct, as grand original of the expression is, of course, well as happy in expression (see 1 Chron. found in Gen. i. 2, where the name is "God." xiv. 8; also see the remarkable and inter- Compare Pharaoh's question in Gen. xli. 38; esting verse, eh. xxviii. 9). The prophet Exod. x.x.xi 3; xxxv. 31; Numb. xxiv. 2; was the leader, the teacher, the suggester of Judg. ill. l ; vi. 34 (the verb "clothed" is the right end opportune thing to the people, used in this lest) ; five other timea in Judges but to the prophet the Lord himself was we have •• the Spirit of the Lord; " in Samuel Leader, Teo.cher, Prompter, and it was exe.otly six times, and "the Spirit of God" another so now. To the very moment, the quickened •ix tunes; in Rings, three tuues "the Spirit moment of new bought and for new deed, cm. x". 1~10.J TlIE SlCOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. 181