2 Chronicles 16:4

16:4 King Ben-hadad of Aram (16:2) broke his treaty with Baasha and attacked northern Israel, capturing all the land of Naphtali; this area included all of Galilee and nearly all of the country north of the Jezreel Valley and east of the Sea of Galilee. • Ijon was a large village in the southern Beqa‘ Valley, on the southern border of modern-day Lebanon. This town is usually listed with Dan (Laish), Abel-beth-maacah, and Hazor in northern Israel. Abel-beth-maacah was near a major waterfall of the Jordan River tributaries, at the juncture of the Hula Valley and the Beqa‘ Valley in Lebanon.

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

Ben-hadad . . . sent the captains of his armies . . . and they smote . . . Abelmaim--"The meadow of waters," supposed to have been situated on the marshy plain near the uppermost lake of the Jordan. The other two towns were also in the northern district of Palestine. These unexpected hostilities of his Syrian ally interrupted Baasha's fortifications at Ramah, and his death, happening soon after, prevented his resuming them.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(4) Abel-maim.—Kings, “Abel - beth - maachah” (comp. 2Sa_20:14-15, and 2Ki_15:29). This city is nowhere else called Abel-maim, which is, per haps, an early mistake. The Syriac reads Abel-beth- maachah.

And all the store-cities (miskĕnôth, 2Ch_8:4).—Literally, And all the stores (magazines) of the cities of Naphtali. Kings: “And all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.” Cinneroth is mentioned (Jos_19:35) as a town of Naphtali, and the Sea of Galilee was called the Sea of Cinneroth (Jos_12:3). Probably the fertile district west of the lake was also called Cinneroth, and this was the country which Benhadad’s army laid waste. The present reading of Chronicles may be either a mere textual corruption, or a paraphrase of that of Kings. Some critics assume its originality, which is less likely. We prefer to regard it as a paraphrase or explanation.

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

4. and they smote] The places smitten were all in the extreme north of Israel.

Ijon] The city cannot be identified, but the name is preserved in Merj ‘Iyûn, a table-land north of the Jordan valley. Bädeker, pp. 296, 7.

Abel-maim] In 1 Kin., “Abel-beth-maacah”; cp. 2Sa_20:14-15. No doubt the two names designate one place.

all the store cities] In 1 Kin., “all Cinneroth” (i.e. the district west of the Sea of Galilee). As this was a very fruitful district, the “store cities,” of the Chronicler may be only another name for it.

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.

Abel-maim - or, “Abel-beth-maachah” 1Ki 15:20. It was one of the towns most exposed to attack when an invader entered Israel from the north, and was taken from Pekah by Tiglath-pileser 2Ki 15:29.

Store cities - See 1Ki 9:19 note.

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

Nephthali. This seem preferable to the Hebrew reading, 3 K. xv. 20. C. --- Prot. "all the store-cities." Sept. "all the environs." H. --- Arabic, "all the arsenals of the cities of Nephthali."

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).

Benhadad was apparently not very long in making up either his mind or his method. The bribe that tempted him, drawn from "the treasures" described, well replenished 2Ch_15:18; and parallel, (1Ki_15:15) was probably large. His method was to create a diversion in favour of his new ally, by "smiting" certain picked and highly important cities of Israel, mostly in northern Galilee, by name "Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the store-cities of Naphtalli." Ijon. In Naphtali, mentioned only now, in the parallel, and when a second time taken (2Ki_15:29) by Tiglath-Pileser. Dan. The colonizing of this city is given in Jud_1:18:1, 2, 29-31; it was originally called Laish, and became the northern landmark of the whole country, as in the expression, "from Dan even to Beersheba". (Jud 17:2-9 20:1) Abel-maim. This place was situate at the foot of the Lebanon; in the parallel (1Ki_15:20) it is called Abel-beth-maachah. It is again mentioned as attacked by Tiglath-Pileser, who wrested it from Pekah. (2Ki_15:29) In. 2Sa_20:18, 2Sa_20:14, 15 it is called Abel by itself, but in the last two of these verses Beth-maachah is mentioned in close connection with it. After this name the parallel gives also "all Cinneroth" (Septuagint, "all the land of Cinnereth") The name is the original of the New Testament Gennesaret . It was a city (Jos_19:35) that gave its name to the sea and western region of the lake, sometimes called so (Num_34:11; Jos_11:2 Jos_12:3) If there were a little more external evidence of it, we should incline to the opinion of Movers, that the "all Cinneroth" of the parallel is the twOnKsMiAlK; (all the store-cities") of our present verse. But at present we may take it that the two records supplement one another. All the store-cities of Naphtali see 2Ch_32:28 2Ch_8:6 and its parallel. (1Ki_9:19)

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

sent the commanders of his armies against the cities

Here Asa's armies are represented by their commanders. AT: "sent his armies to attack the cities" (See: Synecdoche)

Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim

These are the names of cities in Israel. (See: How to Translate Names)

It came about that

This phrase is used here to mark an important event in the story. If your language has a way for doing this, you could consider using it here.

he stopped building up Ramah, and let his work cease

Here Asa represents himself and his army. "his work" refers to other work that his workers were doing in Ramah. AT: "he commanded his army to stop fortifying Ramah and doing other work there" (See: Synecdoche and Ellipsis)

took all Judah

This refers to all the men who live in Judah. AT: "took all the men of Judah" (See: Metonymy)

timbers

Timbers are large pieces of wood used to build houses or walls.

Baasha had been

Here "Baasha" refers to his workers. AT: "Baasha's workers had been" (See: Metonymy)

building up ... to build up

"fortifying ... to fortify"

Then King Asa used

Here "King Asa" represents his workers. AT: "Then King Asa had his workers use" (See: Metonymy)

Geba

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

translationWords

send

commander

Dan

Naphtali

Ramah

works

Mizpah

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