2 Chronicles 16:2

2Ch 16:2 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 Benhadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,

Ver. 2. Then Asa brought out silver and gold.] Here good Asa began to decline; which was the worse in him, because in his old age, after so great a victory, and so strict a covenant to cleave close to the Lord.

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.

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.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Or, Darmesek.

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

(2) Then Asa brought out silver and gold.—This verse is abridged as compared with 1Ki_15:18, but the substance of it is the same. The differences are characteristic. In the first clause Kings reads: “And Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the Lord.” The chronicler has purposely weakened this statement. He has also omitted the pedigree of Benhahad (“ben Ta- brimmôn ben Hezyôn”), and written the Aramaizing form Darmeseq for Dammèseg. (Syriac, Darmĕsûq.)

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

2. silver and gold] In 1 Kin., “all the silver and the gold that were left.”

Ben-hadad] At least three kings of Syria bore this name, the two others being severally (1) a contemporary of Ahab (1Ki_20:1 ff.), (2) a contemporary of Jehoash the grandson of Jehu, 2Ki_13:25.

that dwelt at Damascus] The epithet distinguishes the king of Damascus from other kings of Syria, e.g. from the king of Hamath.

Damascus] Heb. “Darmesek”; see note on 1Ch_18:5.

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.

This verse, and 2Ch 16:3-6, are explained 1Ki 15:18, &c.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The writer of Chronicles omits the pedigree of this Benhadad King of Syria, given in the parallel "the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion." Benhidri is the name of Benhadad in the Assyrian monuments. The Septuagint gives Ader, which tallies with it, For Damascus, we have here Dar-mesek, instead of the more usual Dammesek of the parallel and Gen_15:2; the resh representing (as in Syriac) the dagesh forte in men. The parallel (1Ki_15:18) says that Asa took all the silver and the gold left in the treasures, etc.; but the reading "left" should very possibly (see Septuagint Version) be "found," the Hebrew characters easily permitting it.

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

Then Asa brought the silver ... of the king's house, and sent it

Asa would have had his workers gather the gold and silver for him. AT: "Then Asa told his workers to take the silver ... of the king's house, and to take it" (See: Metonymy)

Ben Hadad

This is the name of a man. (See: How to Translate Names)

He said

This means he spoke by means of his servants. Asa told his servants what to say to Ben Hadad and they did. The meaning of this can be made clear. AT: "Asa told his servants to say to Ben Hadad" or "Through his servants, Asa said to Ben Hadad" (See: Metonymy and Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Let there be a covenant between me and you ... between my father and your father

A covenant being between two people represents those two people having a covenant with each other. AT: "Let us have a covenant with each other ... with my father and your father" or "Let us make a peace treaty ... with my father and your father" (See: Metaphor)

Look, I have sent

"As proof that I want a treaty with you, I have sent"

Break your covenant with Baasha, king of Israel

Breaking a covenant represents canceling it and not doing what one has promised to do. AT: "Cancel your covenant with Baasha king of Israel" or "Do not be loyal to Baasha king of Israel as you promised in your covenant with him" (See: Metaphor)

Break your covenant with Baasha, king of Israel

Asa wanted Ben Hadad to attack Israel. Ben Hadad could only do that if he broke his covenant with the king of Israel. The meaning of this statement can be made explicit. AT: "Break your covenant with Baasha, king of Israel, and attack Israel" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

leave me alone

This is an idiom. Here Asa speaks of himself to represent himself along with his army. AT: "not attack me" (See: Idiom and Synecdoche)

translationWords

silver

gold

storehouse

house of God

Aram

Damascus

ancestor

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

in Damascus And in I Kings (15:18) it is written, “Damesek,” and in another verse (II Kings 16: 10) it is written, “Dumesek.” It is all the same, an example being שׁוֹט, שֵׁבֶט, שַׁרְבִיט, whip, rod, scepter.

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.