Annotations upon the remaining historicall part of the Old Testament. The second part. to wit, the books of Joshua, Judges, the two books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, and the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther : wherein first, all such passages in the text are explained as were thought likely to be questioned by any reader of ordinary capacity : secondly, in many clauses those things are discovered which are needfull and usefull to be known ... and thirdly, many places that might at first seem to contradict one another are reconciled ... / by Arthur Jackson.

CHAP. XV.

Vers. 2. THree years reigned he in Jerusalem.] Abijam began his reigne in the eighteenth yeare of Jeroboam, vers. 1. and died in the twentieth yeare of his reigne, vers. 9. whereby it may seem that he reigned but two years: but to this I answer, that when kings have reigned two complete years, they then begin to write the third yeare of their reigne; and so it was with Abijam, the eighteenth yeare of Jeroboam was the first yeare of his reigne, the nineteenth yeare of Jeroboam was his second yeare, and the twentieth yeare was his third: and though in that yeare he did, and Asa his sonne succeeded him, yet having reigned two years com∣plete,

and somewhat more, it is said here, that he reigned three years in Jerusalem.

And his mothers name was Maachah the daughter of Abishalom.] Rehoboam had eighteen wives, and sixty concubines, by whom he had eight and twenty sonnes, and sixty daughters; but amongst all his wives he loved this Maachah the mother of Abijam best, and therefore allotted him to succeed him in the throne, 2. Chron. 11.18, 23. elsewhere she is called Michaiah, the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah, 2. Chron. 13.2. and Maachah the daughter of Absalom, 2. Chron. 11.20. Some therefore conceive, that she was the daughter of Tamar, the onely daughter of Ab∣salom, whose husband this Uriel of Gibeah was, & so she was the daughter of Uriel, and withall the daughter, that is the grand-child of Absalom. And this they judge the more probable, because the mother of Absalom was called Maachah, 2. Sam. 3.3. but indeed the most Expositours hold, that it was not Absalom, Davids rebellious sonne, of whom she was descended, but another of that name, called also Abishalom, as here we have it.

Vers. 3. And he walked in all the sinnes of his father, &c.] That is, of Reho∣boam; whereby it is evident, that though Rehoboam and his princes humbled them∣selves before the Lord upon the preaching of Shemaiah to them, when the king of Egypt made such a dangerous incursion into the land of Judah, 2. Chron. 12.6. yet when the king of Egypt was out of his land, he soon returned to his former evil wayes, and so his sonne after him trod in his steps.

Vers. 5. Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, and turned not aside, &c.] That is, he did not wittingly and presumptuously do any thing wherein he did openly and scandalously turn aside from that which God had commanded him, (especially in the point of his government) save onely in the mat∣ter of Uriah.

Vers. 6. And there was warre between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the dayes of his life.] In the story of the reigne of Abijam this is inserted, concerning the continuall warre which was betwixt his father Rehoboam and Jeroboam; to inti∣mate, that the cause of the warre betwixt Abijam and Jeroboam, was the old quar∣rell about the rending away of the ten tribes; this quarrell was not yet appeased, there was for this continuall warres betwixt Jeroboam and the house of Solomon, first, in the dayes of Rehoboam the father; and afterward, in the dayes of Abijam his sonne.

Vers. 7. Now the rest of the acts of Abijam, &c.] See the note, chap. 14.19. Some of these acts we have also recorded in the sacred Chronicles, as his marrying foureteen wives, by whom he had two and twenty sonnes, and sixteen daughters, 2. Chron. 13.21. but especially, that famous battell, which he fought with Jerobo∣am, wherein with foure hundred thousand men, he encountred and beat Jeroboam, that had in his army eight hundred thousand, and slew of them five hundred thou∣sand; and then being master of the field, recovered Beth-el, Jeshanah, and Ephraim from him.

Vers. 10. And fourty and one yeares reigned he in Jerusalem.] A long reigne, which was no doubt by the speciall providence of God, that he might have the more time to reform a kingdome so exceedingly out of order, as his was when he first came to the crown.

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And his mothers name was Maachah, &c.] That is, his grand-mothers: see vers. 2.

Vers. 12. And he took away the Sodomites out of the land.] To wit, all that he could discover: but some remained till his sonne Jehoshaphat came to the crown and then he removed them, chap. 22.46.

Vers. 13. And also Maachah his mother, even her he remooved from being queen, &c.] That is, from being queen regent; for how else she should be re∣mooved from being queen, I cannot conceive. Abijam the father of Asa sitting in the throne not full three yeares complete, it is most probable that Asa was very young when he came to the crown, and that hereupon Maachah his grandmother, once the wife of Rehoboam (his mother happely being dead) was made queen regent, during the kings minoritie: but then Asa coming to some ripenesse of yeares, and being well affected in matters of religion, an enemy to the idolatry that was in the land, and desirous to promote the true worship of God: (a thing the more won∣derfull, because he was trained up under such a guardian) because his grandmother had set up some new abominable idol in a grove, (and that perhaps contrary to his command, despising his youth, and exalting her self because of her power as queen regent) he took courage, and assuming the government into his own hands, deposed her from being queen regent any longer; and withall he destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron, which is expressed thus, 2. Chron. 15.16. Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.

Vers. 14. But the high places were not removed. That is, the high places wherein the people served and worshiped the god of Israel: those high places which were dedicated to the worship of strange gods he took away, 2. Chron. 14.3. but these wherein the true God was worshiped, he removed not; either for feare of the people, or because he conceived there had been no great hurt in them; since of old, yea, in the dayes of David, the people had been inured to worship there: as for the high places which Solomon built in mount Olivet, see the note upon the 2. King. 23.13.

Neverthelesse, Asa his heart was perfect with the Lord all his dayes.] That is, the whole bent of his heart was sincerely to do what God required, though through ignorance, or the prevailing of his corruptions, he many times did that which was not approveable, but evil in Gods sight; and though many of his people sacrificed in the high places, yet it was altogether without his approbation.

Vers. 15. And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, &c.] To wit, silver, gold, and vessels, 2. Chron. 15.18. It may be probably conceived, that great victory in the battel which he fought with Jeroboam, 2 Chron. 13.17. but not living to perform his vow, his sonne Asa did it for him, adding somewhat more of his own free gift.

Vers. 16. And there was warre between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their dayes.] The first ten yeares of his reigne he enjoyed peace, 2. Chron. 14.1. In his dayes the land was quiet ten yeares, (the courage and the strength of the ten tribes being much abated, by that great overthrow which Abijam his father had given them) and in this time Asa reformed those things that were out of order concerning matters of religion, and withall fortified many cities and other places, providing

for the troubles of warre, in the leisure of peace; 2. Chron. 14.2, 7. when those ten years of peace were expired, (in which time Jeroboam died, and Nadab his sonne was slain by Baasha who reigned in his stead) some enemy or other made warre against him, but who it was is not expressed; and then afterward about the four∣teenth yeare of his reigne (as is noted upon the 2. Chron. 15.10.) Zerah, who then commanded all the Arabians bordering Judea, invaded his kingdome with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; but Asa encountered them with an army of five hundred and eighty thousand men, levied out of Judah and Benjamin, and with them overthrew this fearefull multitude, and had the spoil both of their cities and camps, 2. Chron. 14.9. &c. and in his return to Jerusalem, Azariah the Prophet met him, and congratulated this victory, and encouraged him to go on in the service of God; whereupon Asa put away the remainder of the idols which were yet left in his kingdome; and gathering together Judah and Benjamin, and the Israelites of Ephraim, Manasseth and Simeon, (which fell to him in abundance, when they saw that the Lord his God was with him) in the third moneth of the fifteenth yeare of his reigne, he offered much of the spoil in sacrifices, and made a solemne covenant with God, 2. Chron. 15.11, 12. &c. all this time the Israelites attempted nothing against Judah that we read of. But now when Baasha perceived how potent Asa began to be, and how fast the Israelites revolted to him, and how they had entred into a covenant with them of Judah, he began to arm against Asa; and because after this, his warre with Asa never ceased all his dayes, or because even before this, there was no peace betwixt them, but both sides prepared for warre, therefore it is here said, that there was warre betwixt Asa and Baasha all their dayes.

Vers. 17. And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, &c.] Having it seems gotten Ramah from the king of Iudah (for Ramah was one of Benjamins cities, Josh. 18.25.) fearing the greatnesse of Asa, and the revolt of the Israelites to him, 2. Chro. 15.9. he endeavoured to block him up, and to keep his own people from flying away to him, by fortifying Ramah, and putting a garrison in it, which lay in the way between Jerusalem towards Samaria; and this was done about the thirteenth yeare of Baasha his reigne, which was the sixteenth yeare of the reigne of Asa, and the six and thirtieth yeare of the kingdome of Judah, to wit, since it was divided from that of Israel; for so that place must be understood, 2. Chron. 16.1. as is there noted.

Vers. 18. Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the Lord, &c.] To wit, since Shishak king of Egypt carried away the treasures of the Temple, chap. 14.25, 16. and thus was Solomons Temple twice robbed of its treasures, within the compasse of foure and thirty years or thereabout: we cannot say whether this Ben-hadad to whom Asa sent these treasures, was the grand child of Rezon, who became a king of Damascus in Solomons dayes, chap. 11.23. (as some conceive; affirming Rezon to be the same that is here called Hezi∣on) or whether he were the sonne of Hadad the Edomite, that became an adversary to Solomon, and at length became king of Damascus, and was therefore called Ben-hadad, as others hold: But doubtlesse a great sinne this was in Asa, that he should rob the Temple of God, therewith to hire an infidell to break the covenant that he

had made with the Israelites their brethren, and to make warre with them; especi∣ally if we consider what a wonderfull victory God had lately given him over that innumerable host of the Ethiopians and the Lubims; and indeed, after so great and memorable a proof of Gods readinesse to help him, he did so farre distrust God, as to hire a heathen perfidiously to invade the Israelites: the prophet Hanani was sent to him to reprove him sharply, and to make known Gods displeasure against him, as is largely related, 2. Chron. 16.7. &c.

Vers. 20. And smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-beth-maachah, and all Cinne∣roth.] Abel-beth-maachah is called Abel-maim, 2. Chron. 16.4. and Cinneroth is that which is called in the new Testament the land of Genesereth, Matth. 14.34.

Vers. 21. He left off building of Ramah, &c.] To wit, to go and withstand Benhadad; and so, when he had secured his land against him, then as it is said in the next words, he dwelt in Tirzah, that is, there he abode quietly, without seeking any revenge against Asa.

Vers. 22. And they took away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, &c.] That is, whilest Baasha was gone thence to defend his countrey against Ben∣hadad, the men of Judah and Benjamin came and took away both stones and timber, and therewith built two cities of Benjamin, Geba and Mizpah. And this Asa chose rather to do, then to seise upon Ramah, and fortifie it for his own use; either, because he feared lest Baasha should return again before the work was finished; or, because he was loth there should be in that place any such strong hold, knowing how prejudiciall it would be to the kings of Judah, if the kings of Israel should hereafter get it into their possession; or rather, because he conceived these might be made more defensable places then Ramah could be; for that he did fortifie these two towns of Geba and Mizpah, for fear of Baasha, is evident, Jerem. 41.9. where we reade of a pit that Asa had in Mizpah, that continued it seems unto the captivitie, and was doubtlesse some trench, or some place made for the receit of water, in case it should be besieged, the pit wherein Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies of the men (whom he had slain, because of Gedaliah) was it, which Asa the king had made for feare of Baasha, &c.

Vers. 23. Neverthelesse, in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet, &c. To wit, in the three last yeares of his reigne: for when Hanani the Prophet had reproved him, for seeking help from the king of Syria; he not onely cast the Pro∣phet into prison, but also at the same time oppressed some of the people (such per∣haps, as shewed their dislike of these his courses,) wherefore the Lord in the nine and thirtieth yeare of his reigne, imprisoned him; striking him with most grievous pains of the gout in his feet; and when in his sicknesse he sought not to the Lord, but to the Physitians, about two yeares after he dyed, 2. Chron. 16.7, 13. having seene seven kings of Israel; to wit, Jeroboam, Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, and Ahab.

Vers. 24. And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers, &c.] And that with great magnificence, 2. Chron. 16.14. And they buried him in his own sepulchre which he had made for himself in the citie of David, and laid him in the bed, which was filled with sweet odours and divers kinds of spices prepa∣red by the Apothecaries art, and they made a very great burning for him.

Vers. 27, And Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belongeth to the Phili∣stines,

&c.] This Gibbethon belonged to the tribe of Dan, Josh. 19.41. and was in the dayes of David and Solomon in the Israelites possession: but now it seems the Philistines had gotten it, and whilest Nadab laid siege against it that he might recover it, he was treacherously slaine by Baasha; and so the siege it seems was raised: for twenty six yeares after, or thereabouts, the sonne of Baasha did again lay siege to this citie as we may see, chap. 16.15.

Vers. 30. Because of the sinnes of Jeroboam, &c.] So that the idolatry where∣with Jeroboam thought to have continued the kingdome to him and his posterity, was the very cause why his whole family was rooted out, and the kingdome was transferred to another.