2 Chronicles 16:1

In the thirty and sixth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah,.... How this is to be reconciled with the reign of Baasha, which was but twenty four years, and was begun in the third of Asa, and therefore must have been dead nearly ten years before this year of Asa's reign; see Gill on 1 Kings 15:17 where, and in the following verses, are the same things related as here, to the end of the sixth verse; the explanation of which the reader is referred to.

2 Chronicles 16:1 . In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa — This date disagrees so much with what is said 1 Kings 15:33 , that there seems to be no other way of reconciling the two passages, but allowing that a trivial mistake has been made by the transcribers here, and that instead of the thirty-sixth, we ought to read here the twenty-sixth. This reading is approved by Houbigant, and is evidently adopted by Josephus, lib. 8, cap. 6. Baasha began his reign in the third year of Asa, and reigned no more than twenty-four years. He was, therefore, dead nine years, at least, before the thirty-sixth year of Asa. Baasha came up against Judah, and built Ramah — That is, made a wall about it, and fortified it. The late defection of so many of his subjects to the house of David was the occasion of his fortifying this place, designing hereby both to prevent others of them from revolting, and to hinder Asa’s subjects from coming into his dominions to seduce his people from their obedience to him.

Ch. 2 Chronicles 16:1-6 (= 1 Kings 15:17-22 ). Asa asks help of Ben-hadad 1. the six and thirtieth year ] According to 1 Kings 16:8 Baasha was succeeded by his son Elah in the six-and-twentieth year of Asa. The number thirty-six is probably therefore wrong. It should be noticed however that the thirty-sixth year of the separate kingdom of Judah corresponds with the sixteenth year of Asa, so that possibly two different reckonings are here confused, and so we should read, In the six-and-thirtieth year, that is, in the sixteenth year of Asa . So in 2 Chronicles 15:19 we should read, in the five-and-thirtieth, that is, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa . Ramah ] The modern er-Râm , situated on a commanding hill about two hours north of Jerusalem. Bädeker , p. 212. that he might let none go out ] R.V. that he might not suffer any to go out (as in 1 Kin.).

In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa {a} Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built {b} Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. (a) Who reigned after Nadab the son of Jeroboam. (b) He fortified it with walls and ditches: it was a city in Benjamin near Gibeon.

Verse 1. - For the six and thirtieth year, read six and twentieth. Ramah belonged to Benjamin ( Joshua 18:21, 25, 28 ), and lay between Bethel and Jerusalem, about five or six Roman miles from each; but Keil and Bertheau, by some error, call it thirty miles from Jerusalem, having very likely in their eye Ramah of Samuel, in Ephraim. The word signifies "lofty," and the present history speaks the importance of its position, and would infer also that Israel had regained Bethel, which, with other adjacent places, Abijah had wrested from Jeroboam ( 2 Chronicles 13:19 ). The reference of Isaiah 10:28, 29 , 82 is exceedingly interesting, and bespeaks the fact that Ramah commanded another intersecting route from Ephraim. When it is said here that Baasha built ( וַיִּבֶן ) Ramah, the meaning is that he was beginning to strengthen it greatly, and fortify it. The object of Baasha, which no doubt needed no stating in the facts of the day, is now stated by history. 2 Chronicles 16:1

XVI.THE WAR WITH BAASHA—(2Chronicles 16:1-6).Comp. 1Kings 15:17-22.(1) In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up.—According to 1Kings 15:33; 1Kings 16:8, Baasha began to reign in the third year of Asa, reigned twenty-four years, and died in the twenty-sixth year of Asa. These statements are obviously irreconcilable with that of our verse. We must suppose either that the chronicler has accepted a different calculation from that of the Kings—a calculation which he may have found in one of his documents; or that the text here is unsound, and thirty-six has been substituted by an error of transcription for sixteen, or twenty-six; and that in 2Chronicles 15:19 by a similar mistake thirty-five has taken the place of fifteen or twenty-five.

Upon the whole, the latter alternative appears preferable; and if we assume twenty-five and twenty-six to be the correct numerals, we get the following chronology for the reign :—First, ten years of peace (2Chronicles 14:1), during which Asa strengthened his defences (2Chronicles 14:6-8); then the invasion of Zerah, at what precise date is not clear, but at some time between the eleventh and the fifteenth year (2Chronicles 14:9; 2Chronicles 15:10); then the reformation of religion and renewal of the covenant in Asa’s fifteenth year (2Chronicles 15:10); and lastly, another ten years of peace, until the outbreak of the war with Baasha, in the twenty-fifth or twenty-sixth year.The idea of the ancient commentators, that the phrase “five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa” might mean “five and thirtieth year of the kingdom of Judah,” is absurd. The phrase “bishnath . . . lemalkûth” always denotes the year of a king’s reign, not of the duration of his kingdom. (See 2Chronicles 16:12 infra.)And built Ramah.—Er-Râm, about five miles north of Jerusalem. Baasha had probably retaken the cities annexed by Abijah. (See on 2Chronicles 15:8.)Built = fortified it. (See 1Kings 15:17 for the rest of the verse.)Benson Commentary2 Chronicles 16:1.