15:1 And the Spirit of God came upon a Azariah the son of
Oded:
(a) Who was called Obed as his father was, (2Ch 15:8).
15:3 Now for a long season Israel [hath been] without the b
true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.
(b) For the space of twelve years under Rehoboam, and three
years under Abijah, religion was neglected, and
idolatry planted.
15:4 But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God
of Israel, and sought him, he c was found of them.
(c) He shows that despite the wickedness of tyrants and
their rage, yet God has his whom he hears in their
tribulation as he delivered his from Zerah king of the
Ethiopians, (2Ch 14:9,12) and out of all other
dangers, when they called upon the Lord.
15:7 Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for
your d work shall be rewarded.
(d) Your confidence and trust in God will not be
frustrated.
15:10 So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the
e third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of
Asa.
(e) Called Shiuam, containing part of May and part of
June.
15:11 And they offered unto the LORD the same time, of the f
spoil [which] they had brought, seven hundred oxen and
seven thousand sheep.
(f) Which they had taken of the Ethiopians.
15:13 That g whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel
should be put to death, whether small or great, whether
man or woman.
(g) These were the words of their covenant, which
commanded all idolaters be put to death, according to
the law of God, (De 13:5,9,15).
15:15 And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn
with all their heart, and sought him with their whole
desire; and he was h found of them: and the LORD gave
them rest round about.
(h) As long as they served him correctly, so long did he
preserve and prosper them.
15:16 And also [concerning] Maachah the i mother of Asa the
king, he removed her from [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.
(i) Or grandmother, and in this he showed that he lacked
zeal, for she should have died both by the covenant,
as (2Ch 15:13) and by the law of God, but he gave
place to foolish pity and would also seem after a sort
to satisfy the law.
15:17 But the high places were not k taken away out of l
Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was m perfect all
his days.
(k) Which was partly because of lack of zeal on his part,
partly through the negligence of his officers and
partly by the superstition of the people that all were
not taken away.
(l) Because 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.
(m) In respect to his predecessors.
