2 Chronicles 15:17

2Ch 15:17 But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.

Ver. 17. But the high places.] See on 1Ki 15:14.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ch_15:17

Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.

Spiritual backsliding

We learn from the text that we cannot always infer the state of the heart from external symptoms.

I. You may have the appearance of something wrong while the heart is sound. This was Asas case.

II. Conversely you may have the heart unsound whilst as yet there is but little trace of it in the heart and life. In tracing this disease, consider--

1. Its working.

(1) The hearts relapse towards positive evil. There is the presentation to the mind of something of some worldly, fleshly things as pleasant and desirable; and then there not having been an immediate curbing of the rising inclination, the thoughts come to dwell with more and more complacency upon the object; and the man begins to wish that it might be lawful to have it, and to cast about and contrive for the modes of possession. And when the inclination has thus been formed and strengthened, it proposes to the understanding whether the enjoyment may not be had without hazard to the soul;and then there will soon be devised something plausible in the shape of an apology or warrant, something that shall serve to put conscience off its guard, or even make it concur in the prosecution of the design.

(2) The hearts decline from the love of godliness and of God.

2. Its symptoms. There was a time when you felt God to be your chief good--do you feel Him less so now? There was a time when you delighted in prayer--has it become more of a task now? Once you thought much of the work of Christ and longed to be with Him in heaven--are you now more contented with earth and more disposed to say, It is good for us to be here? Once you found sufficient scope for fervent affections in secret communion with God, in meditating on His perfections, and in admiring His love in the gift of His Son--now do your affections seem stifled unless you have some showy work on which to fasten them, some dazzling novelty with which to engage them? (H. Melvill, B.D.)

Caution in judging others

How ready are we to condemn and find fault with our neighbour, if his conduct do not seem in every respect consistent with his Christian profession! How soon we think he may be nothing but a hypocrite if we observe certain things in which he fails to carry out the principles of the gospel, though perhaps we know little or nothing of his peculiar circumstances, dangers, and temptations! It is enough for us that the high places are not taken away; immediately we condemn Asa, and infer that his heart cannot be right with God. Let the text teach charity first; and while we are not to shut our eyes to what is wrong, or count it matter of indifference whether or not the high places are removed, when the removing is that to which the Christian stands pledged, let us be cautious of judging our brethren, and delivering a verdict against them, when we are told, though the high places were not taken away out of Israel, nevertheless, the heart of Asa was perfect all his days. (H. Melville, B. D.)

Perfection, limited by power

Some of you might, indeed, be ready to make a wrong use of our text. You may say, If Asas heart was perfect with God, though he did not remove the high places, so may ours be, though you may see things in our conduct which may not be wholly consistent with a Christian profession. Yet, before using the case of Asa to justify the assertion that your heart may be right whilst your conduct is wrong, it may be as well to observe how far Asa had gone in the extermination of idols. The text merely says that the high places were not taken away out of Israel. Asa was king of Judah, but not of Israel; though he would seem to have possessed much influence in that kingdom. There was no reason to doubt that, where his power was clear, he had exerted it in restoring the worship of the true God; if he had not he would not have punished his nearest relations. You read that he removed Maachah, his mother, being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron. You learn, in like manner, what was done with the idol of the high priest. So that, if he did not carry reform into Israel, he was vigorous in its application in his own fancily and household. When you can say as much--when you can say that, to the utmost of your power, you have laboured to serve God in your own family and household and neighbourhood, maintaining His cause among all those who come more immediately within the sphere of your influence--then you may hope that, as with Asa, the heart is perfect with God, though there are high places yet, in far distant lands, whose overthrow you have not attempted. (H. Melville, B. D.)

Unsoundness of heart suspected on insufficient grounds

And yet, in speaking on the case of the backslider in heart, it becomes us to take heed that we make not those sad who may be disposed, without sufficient cause, to write bitter things against themselves. It is not every person who suspects himself of unsoundness of heart who is really a backslider. We must declare there is commonly much greater cause for fear with your forward, confident, bustling professors, who would be quite offended if suspected of spiritual decline, than with the timid, scrupulous individual who is always ready to think worse of himself than others think of him. Tried by conscience--alas! what hardens conscience like contact with the world?--it may still make a man accuse himself of backsliding who is all the while pressing toward the mark for the prize of his high calling in Christ. Bodily sickness may be regarded as the taking away of the quickenings of the Spirit; the clouding of the understanding, and the clogging of the affections, will often make a believer fearful of spiritual relapse; he mistakes the infirmity of the body for disease of the soul--a decay of memory for a decay of piety; as though there must be less of devotedness, of abhorrence of sin, of meek reliance upon Christ in our dangers, our confusions, our difficulties in spiritual exercises, because of that unenlightenment of mind which is but the result, or symptom, of declining strength. Though a person may be quite correct in calling himself a backslider, yet the probabilities are greater for him who has no fears and no suspicions that he is really a backslider than for another who does not wait to be charged, but is painfully apprehensive of being in fault. For certainly, as a general rule in religion, to advance is, in some senses, to appear to go back. To grow in grace is to grow in knowledge of ourselves; and, alas! who can know himself better, and not think himself worse? If, however, we would not have the timid unduly severe in accusing themselves, we would have all diligent, and him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall (H. Melville, B. D.)

.

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The high places were not taken away out of Israel. It is possible, but scarcely tenable, that, by Israel, the northern kingdom may be here intended. But for the apparent discrepancy with those places which say that Asa did take away "the high places", (2Ch_14:3, 2Ch_14:5) see notes under them, and 1, pp. 16., 17., of Introduction to 1 Chronicles." "The high places" were hills on which sacrifices were illegitimately offered instead of at the chosen place at Jerusalem. The heart of Asa was perfect all his days. The words, "with Jehovah," following after the word "perfect" in the parallel, (1Ki_15:17) makes the already plain plainer. The exact meaning is that Asa was consistently free from idolatry to the end.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

In respect of his predecessors.

Which partly came through lack of zeal in him, partly through the negligence of his officers, and partly by the superstition of the people, that all were not taken away.

Because that God was called the God of Israel, by reason of his promise to Jacob: therefore Israel is sometimes taken for Judah, because Judah was his chief people.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 17. The high places were not taken away] He had totally suppressed or destroyed the idolatry; but some of the places, buildings, or altars, he permitted to remain.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(17) But the high places were not taken away.—See on 2Ch_14:3; 2Ch_14:5. An explanation of the discrepancy has been suggested there; but a better one perhaps may be thus stated. The former passage relates what the good king had resolved and attempted to effect; the present records his want of success, owing to the obstinate attachment of his people to their old sanctuaries.

A similar explanation applies to the apparent contradiction of 2Ch_17:6 by 2Ch_20:33.

Out of Israel.—Not in Kings. The southern kingdom is meant.

The heart of Asa was perfect.—Kings adds, with Jehovah. The meaning is, that though he failed to get rid of the high places, Asa himself was always faithful to the lawful worship of the Temple. (Comp. 1Ch_28:9.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17. the high places] Heb. bâmôth. These were not necessarily places of idolatrous worship, but they were sanctuaries not authorised fey the Law; Deu_12:1-7.

Israel] Cp. note on 2Ch_11:3.

perfect] i.e. “whole, undivided in its allegiance.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Comparing this verse with marginal references, it would seem that in 2Ch 14:3, 2Ch 14:5 the intention and endeavors of the monarch are in the writer’s mind, while here he is speaking of the practice of the people. However earnestly the most pious monarchs sought to root out the high-place worship, they failed of complete success. Compare a similar discrepancy, to be similarly explained, in the history of Jehoshaphat 2Ch 17:6; 2Ch 20:33.

The heart of Asa was perfect all his days - Not that Asa was sinless (see 2Ch 16:2-10, 2Ch 16:12); but that he was free from the sin of idolatry, and continued faithful to Yahweh all his life.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Israel, to the honour only of the true God, chap. xiv. 2., and 3 Kings xv. 14. (Haydock) --- Perfect, with respect to the external worship, (Tirinus) or hitherto, (Haydock) though he offended afterwards, chap. xvi. 7, 12. T. --- Other altars, besides that at Jerusalem, might be dispensed with, (Worthington) by God’s authority. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

17. The high places were not taken away — See note on 2Ch_14:3.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Israel

i.e. the northen or ten-tribe kingdom.

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The high places, however, were not removed private high places, upon which they had become accustomed to sacrificing to Heaven from the time that Shiloh was destroyed until the Temple was built. [Those who worshipped there] were punishable by כָּרֵת, premature death.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.