AZARIAH SON OF ODED, ON WHOM “THE SPIRIT OF GOD CAME” · TWO KINGDOMS

Azariah. One speech to King Asa, and a reform that followed it.

SCRIPTURE CALLS

Prophet

ERA

Two kingdoms 930–586 BC

IN THE DAYS OF

Asa

BOOK

None bears the name

HOW THE WORD CAME

“The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded: and he went out to meet Asa”.

THE CALL

How the word came

  • “The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded: and he went out to meet Asa”. 2 Chronicles 15:1–2

BEFORE THE KINGS

Before Asa

KING OF JUDAH

Asa

“The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.”

2 Chronicles 15:2 (KJV) →

THE MESSAGE

The word in its main themes

Seek him and he will be found

“if ye seek him, he will be found of you”

2 Chronicles 15:2 (KJV) →

A people without the true God

“Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.”

2 Chronicles 15:3 (KJV) →

Be strong

“Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.”

2 Chronicles 15:7 (KJV) →

THE WORD TO …

To whom the word was spoken

TO ASA, AND ALL JUDAH AND BENJAMIN

“Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye be with him”

2 Chronicles 15:2 (KJV) →

COMPANIONS AND OPPONENTS

Who stood with him, and against him

Oded, his father

HOW THE STORY ENDS

Scripture says, tradition says

SCRIPTURE SAYS

  • From the textScripture names Azariah only in this chapter and does not tell of his death. 2 Chronicles 15:1

TRADITION SAYS

No tradition is recorded here.

OPEN QUESTIONS

Where readers have differed

The days of the judges

Matthew Poole (1683–1685); John Gill (1748–1763); Joseph Benson (1811–1818); C. Vitringa, as reported by Keil

Poole: “Generally of the whole nation of Israel in former times, and especially in the times of the judges”; Gill agrees that it refers to “time past”. 2 Chronicles 15:3–6 [81][33][3][59]

Judah's own recent years

Geneva notes (1599); the Syriac and Arabic versions and Rashi, as reported by Keil

The Geneva note: “For the space of twelve years under Rehoboam, and three years under Abijah, religion was neglected”. 2 Chronicles 15:3 [22][59]

The northern kingdom at that time

The Targum, Tremellius and Grotius, as reported by Keil

Keil reports this view and calls it “decidedly erroneous”, since no such disorder is told of the northern kingdom's first thirty years. 2 Chronicles 15:3 [59]

No fixed time: truths for every age

C. F. Keil (1872)

The verse “contains no verb”; the prophet was “giving utterance to truths which have force at all times”, known in the days of the judges and to be known more deeply later. 2 Chronicles 15:3 [59]

The Chronicler's own reflection

W. E. Barnes (1899)

Verses 3–6 “contain the reflections of the Chronicler himself on the whole previous course of Israelite history”; Azariah's exhortation continues in verse 7. 2 Chronicles 15:3–7 [108]

IN SCRIPTURE

Every passage

CHAPTERS · 1

2 Chronicles 15

PASSAGES · 1

2 Chronicles 15:1–15

WHAT SCRIPTURE DOES NOT SAY

  • Kings does not mention Azariah; his speech is in Chronicles only.
  • Chronicles does not say where Azariah met Asa, only that he “went out to meet Asa” as the king returned from the war with Zerah.
  • Verse 8 speaks of “the prophecy of Oded the prophet”; who is meant is a question on Oded's page.

SOURCES

Where this page comes from

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  • Joseph Benson, Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818), note on 2 Chr 15:8 (read on Bible Hub).
  • Joseph Benson, Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818), note on 2 Chr 26:5 (read on Bible Hub).
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  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1897), note on 1 Kgs 22:49 (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1897), note on 1 Kgs 4:5 (read on Bible Hub).
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  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1897), note on 2 Chr 19:2 (read on Bible Hub).
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  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1897), note on 2 Kgs 22:14 (read on Bible Hub).
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  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1897), note on 2 Sam 12:25 (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1897), note on 2 Sam 24:13 (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1897), note on Jer 26:20 (read on Bible Hub).
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