2 Chron. 15 Asa, with Judah and many of Israel, moved by Azariah the prophet, renew a solemn covenant with God, 2 Chron. 15:1–15. He removeth Maachah his mother for her idolatry; bringeth the hallowed things again into the temple; and enjoyeth a long peace, 2 Chron. 15:16–19.

The Lord is with you, to defend you against all your enemies, as now you have seen, and you may hereafter expect, if you persist in that good course into which you are entered.

Heb. For many days have been to Israel without the true God, & c, i.e. they have long lived without the sound knowledge and worship of the true God. The prophet confirms his foregoing exhortation, and the threatening annexed to it, that if they forsook God, he would forsake them, from the usual…

When they did turn, i.e. Israel, mentioned 2 Chron. 15:3.

In those times; when Israel lived in the gross neglect and contempt of God, and his law and worship. No peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in; men could not go abroad about their private occasions without great danger; as it was in the days of Shamgar, Judg.

Nation was destroyed of nation, i.e. one part of the people of Israel destroyed the other by civil wars; of which see instances, Judg. 9:23;c. Judg. 12:1;c. As all the people of Israel are called a nation, so the several tribes and families of them are sometimes called nations, as Gen. 17:4, Ezek.

Be ye strong therefore; go on therefore courageously and resolutely to maintain God’s worship, and to root out idolatry, as you have begun to do; for this is the only right method of preserving yourselves from such calamities as your predecessors have felt.

Of Oded the prophet, to wit, of Azariah, 2 Chron. 15:1, who was also called by his father’s name Oded. Or Oded may be here put patronymically for the son of Oded; as David is put for Christ the Son of David, Jer. 30:9, and elsewhere; and Moses for the sons of Moses, Ps. 90:1.

Out of Simeon; which tribe, though they had their inheritance out of the portion of Judah, did for the generality of them revolt to Jeroboam with the other tribes, as appears from many passages of Scripture; which they might conveniently do, because their portion bordered, as on one side upon that…

In the third month, to wit, of the sacred year, in which the feast of weeks or of pentecost fell; of which see Ex. 23:16, Deut. 16:9. In the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. Asa had peace but ten years, 2 Chron.

Taken from Zerah and his accomplices, 2 Chron. 14:13;c.

They entered into a covenant; they engaged themselves by a serious and solemn covenant before the Lord and this great assembly.

Whosoever should obstinately refuse to pay unto God that solemn worship which he required at his temple in Jerusalem, or should disown God, or serve other gods, should be put to death, by virtue of all those laws which command that such persons should be cut off, and in pursuance of that law, Deut.

All Judah rejoiced, i.e. a great number of the people, as such general expressions are frequently understood; for none doubt but there were many dissemblers and ungodly men at this time among them.

Of this and the following verses, See Poole “1 Kings 15:2”, See Poole “1 Kings 15:10”, See Poole “1 Kings 15:14”, See Poole “1 Kings 15:15”.

For though there were continual skirmishes between Asa and Baasha and their people all their days, 1 Kings 15:16, yet it did not break forth into an open war till Asa’s thirty-fifth year, i.e. till that was ended. But how this thirty-fifth year is to be computed, See Poole “2 Chron. 16:1”.