Chron. xv. 26, etc.), but uncommon in destr1;1cti?n for Maachah's obscene phallic bundrcrls 1md thouso.nds, for see 1 Kings abommat10n, and then (2 Kings xi. 16) as viii. G8; eh. xxxv. 7-9, comparing, how- the ple.c_e ;where Athallah was destroyed. ever, eh. xxx. 24. Its ~ssoc1at.1.~n& a.re similar wlien spoken of in Vor. 12.-They entered lnllo a covenant. 2 Kmgs xm. 4, 6, 12; eh. xxix. 16; xxx. For the origirifll, see Exod. xxiv. 6-8; 14, _beco~i?g the "regular receptade for Dent. iv. 29; for two other solemn renewals the 1mpur1t1e8 and abominations of the idol- of it, see 2 Kings xxiii. 1-3; eh. xxxiv. worship, when removed from the temple 29-33; where, however, the stringent en- and destroyed by the adherents of Jehovah." gagement of the following verse, though In the time ?f Josiah, this valley was the sufficiently to be inferred, is not notified. co~1;0on buxymg-pl~ of the city (2 Kings To seek; Hebrew, 1!1'11J~ (for similar use of :xxm. 6; Jer. xxvi. 23; xxxi. 40). (For ~. with infinitive after, etc., see Neh. x. 30; Robinson's description of the modern state jer. xxxiv. 10). of the Kidron valley, see Dr. Smith's ' Bible Ver. 13.-Whosoever would not ... should Dictionary,' ii. H-16). be put to death (see Exod. xxii 20; Dent. Ver. 17.-The high places were not taken xiii. 9; xvii. 2-6). away out of IsraeL It is possible, but Ver. 14.-The loud voice, the shouting, scarcely tenable, that, by Israel, the northern and the trumpets, and cornets, spoke alike kingdom may be here intended. But for the determination, and the united joyful the apparent discrepancy with those places determination of the people ( eh. xxili. 13; which say that Asa did take away" the hi"h Neh. xii. 27, 42, 43). places" (eh. xiv. 3, 5), see notes under the':n, Ver. 15.-For the probable duration of and § 7. I, pp. xvi., xv;i., of 'Introduction the rest round about, spoken of in the last to I Chronicles.' "The high places" were clause, see under ver. 19. hills on which sacrifices were illegitimately Ver. 16.-Me.achah the mother of Asa; offered instead of a.t the chosen place-at i.e. the grandmother (eh. xi. 20-22; xiii. Jerusalem. The heart of Asa we.a perfect 2; 1 Kings xv. 2, 10, 13) of Asa; and the all his days. The words," with Jehovah," statement amounts to this, that Asa removed following after the word " perfect" in the her from the dignity she had enjoyed, with parallel (1 Kings xv. 17), makes the already all its influences of "queen-mother." An plain plainer. The exact meaning is that idol in a grove. This, probably, literally Asa. was consistently free from idolatry to translated, says, an hideous fright for, i.e. in the end. place of .Asherah, i.e. Asbtoreth, or Astarte; Ver. 18.-Except for an unimportant dif- but some translate to Asherah. The word ference of the Keri and Chetbiv kind in one word, this verse is identical with the parallel we translate " an hideous fright " (n~~~I'.)) (1 Kings xv. 15). The silver, gold, and occuxe only here and in tl10 parallel (I Kings vessels were, of course, for the repair, resto.- xv. 13), and its derivation root guides to ration, a.nd replacing of the revered fittings this rendering; but some give it the idea. of and ornaments of the temple. From what an object of reverent fear among idols. Asa souxces and after what victories the father cut down. So it was enjoined (Exod. xxxiv. of Asa. and Asa himself had drawn these 13-15). And stamped it; Hebrew, p;i:1; supplies ia not given either here or in the hiph. of PR.1; the meaning being "stamped parallel, but it is natural to suppose that it" in the dust, from its upright position, Abijah's victory over Jeroboam ( eh. xiii. finally burning it. The word is used in 16) e.nd Asa's over Zerah would have been eh. xxxiv. 4, 7; 2 Kings xxiii. 6, 15; Exod. the chief occasions to furnish them. xxx. 36; Micah iv. 13. The word used in Ver. 19.-There was no more war. The the parallel is " out off," or " cut down," of Hebrew text should be adhered to, which course also preparatory to burning. At the simply says, there was not war unto, etc. brook Xidron. The Kidron was a torrent The five e.nd thirtieth year. Thf>re can be rnther than a broolc. It flowed between little doubt that the text originally said Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives, and " twentieth," not ''thirtieth" (see also eh. finally emptied itself into the Dead Seo.. xvi. 1). The parallel, after the identical The references to Kidron in the Old Testa- words of the previous verse already noted, ment are interesting, but all reinvested with goes on emphatically to speak of the fact heightened interest from those in the New that "there was war between Asa. and Testament (John xviii. 1, compared with Baasba all their days;" and the same state- 'What the parallels infer; l\lark xiv. 2G; ment is repeated in the thirty-second verse Lulce xxii. 39). The first two references in of the same che.pter (1 Kings xv. 16, 32). the Old Testament are 2 Sum. xv. 23; 1 The following verse (33) says that Baasha's Kings ii. 37. Passing these, the present twenty-foux-year reign began in Ase.'s thi·ra place, with its parallel, brings the Kidron yeur. Putting the various and apparently -ve.lloy next under notice e.a the place of somewhat vflrying ste.temeota together, they 184 THE SECOND BOOK OF 'rHE CHRONICLlg, [ou. xv. 1-19.
must be hE>ld to BI\Y, fi1·~t, that a state of of DM.sha's life, latent war g11ve place to 'Will' was, indeed, chronic between Asa and active hostilities, 11nd Daashl\ (eh. xvi. I) Beasha (which way of putting need not came up to Judah to invade it, and to build disturb the correctness of ob. xiv. 5, 6, and Re.mah-a course of conduct which was the of th_e fifteen~h verae of our ohapter), but beginning of the end for him (comp. 1 that m the six and twentieth year of Asa, Kings xvi. 8; our var. 10; and oh, xvi. 1, 9). which would be the le.st or le.st but one